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Teen Driving in South CarolinaThe South Carolina Beginner Permit Class D (Regular)You must be a minimum of 15 years of age to qualify for a South Carolina Beginner Permit. Applicants must provide valid identification in the form of an original birth certificate, social security card, proof of South Carolina residency and proof of insurance. Teen applicants under the age of 18 must bring a parent or legal guardian during the application process to sign the Beginner Permit application. Applicants for the Beginner Permit must pass a vision screening and a knowledge test. After the teen driver receives the Beginner Permit they are allowed to drive from 6:00 AM to Midnight as long as they are accompanied by a driver that has been licensed for a minimum of 1 year and is at least 21 years of age. The licensed driver must be seated in the front seat next to the Beginner Permit holder. If the teen driver wishes to drive between Midnight and 6:00 AM, they must be accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian that sits in the front seat next to them at all times. Before a teen driver can apply for a driver license they must hold the Beginner Permit for a minimum of 180 days. Permit holders that are under 18 must complete 40 hours of practice driving with a licensed parent or guardian before they can apply for a driver license. 10 out of the 40 hours of practice driving must be nighttime driving. The South Carolina Conditional License for 15 Year-Olds15 year old drivers that have held a Beginner Permit for a minimum of 180 days qualify for a conditional license. Applicants must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian during the application process to sign the conditional license application. Applicants must bring their Beginner Permit and a PDLA form that certifies the following: Certification of School AttendanceCertification of Driver Education CourseCertification of Driver PracticeAll three of these certifications can be submitted on one form offered at the South Carolina DMV website at http://www.scdmvonline.com/DMVNew/forms/pdla.pdf All applicants for the conditional license must pass a vision screening and a DMV road test. After the teen driver has met all of the requirements they will be issued a conditional license. Conditional license holders may only drive unaccompanied from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM or until 8:00 PM during daylight savings time. Outside of those hours the teen driver may drive until midnight if accompanied by a licensed driver that is a minimum of 21 years of age. Between midnight and 6:00 AM a conditional license holder may only drive if they are accompanied by a licensed parent or legal guardian. Teen drivers that hold a conditional license my not carry more than two passengers under the age of 21 unless they are immediate family members or students that are being transported to or from school. Outside of those exceptions, you must be accompanied by a licensed adult that is a minimum of 21 years of age to transport more than 2 passengers under the age of 21. Teen drivers may qualify for a full driver license when they are 16 if they have held the conditional license for 1 year without a conviction for a traffic violation and have not been at-fault in any accident during a 1 year period prior to application.
South Carolina Special Restricted License for 16 Year-Olds16 year old drivers that have held the Beginner Permit for a minimum of 180 days or, hold a conditional license are eligible for the Special Restricted License. Applicants for the Special Restricted License must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the application process to sign the Special Restricted License application. Applicants must bring their Beginner Permit and submit a PDLA form certifying the following: Certification of School AttendanceCertification of Driver Education CourseCertification of Driver PracticeAll three of these certifications can be submitted on one form offered at the South Carolina DMV website at http://www.scdmvonline.com/DMVNew/forms/pdla.pdf Teen drivers applying for the Special Restricted License must pass a vision screening and the DMV road test. Special Restricted License holders may drive unaccompanied from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM or until 8:00 PM during daylight savings time. Outside of those hours the teen driver may drive until midnight if accompanied by a licensed driver that is a minimum of 21 years of age. Between midnight and 6:00 AM a Special Restricted License holder must be accompanied by a licensed parent or legal guardian. Special Restricted License holders may receive an exception for these time restrictions if they can prove that the restrictions interfere with the following: EmploymentEducationTravel Between Home and SchoolVocational TrainingEmployment OpportunitiesTeen drivers must submit 2 statements to qualify the exception. One of the statements must be from a parent or legal guardian and the other must be a statement on letterhead from a school official or your employer. The statements must describe the reason the waiver is needed. Passengers under the age of 21 are limited to 2 unless they are immediate family members or students be transported to or from school or the license holder is accompanied by a licensed driver that is a minimum of 21 years of age. Teen drivers that hold the Special Restricted License for 16 year olds for 1 year without a conviction for a traffic violation and have not been at-fault in an accident may obtain full driving privileges when they reach the age of 17. South Carolina Regular Driver LicenseApplicants for a South Carolina regular driver license must be a minimum of 17 years of age and held a Beginner Permit for a minimum of 180 days. If the applicant is under the age of 18 they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the application process to sign the regular driver license application. The applicant must also bring the Beginner Permit during application. All candidates for the regular driver license must pass a vision screening and a DMV road skills test. Insurance Requirements in South CarolinaThe State of South Carolina requires that you maintain liability insurance for your vehicle at all times. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is notified by the insurance company if your policy is cancelled. When a driver license is issued the driver must certify that they are insured by a vehicle liability policy. The amounts below reflect the minimum requirements for liability insurance. $25,000 Bodily Injury or Death for 1 Person per Accident$50,000 Bodily Injury or Death of More than 1 Person in 1 Accident$25,000 Damage to the Property of OthersIf you are in an accident South Carolina law requires that the law enforcement officer issues a Notice of requirement to verify that your liability insurance was in effect at the time of the accident. Drivers that fail to provide insurance verification are subject to a driver license or registration suspension. State of South Carolina Source Links for This InformationState of South Carolina Website - Licensing Page State of South Carolina Website- Acceptable Identification for Driver License State of South Carolina Website - Insurance Requirements in South Carolina Other South Carolina InformationSouth Carolina Drunk Driving Laws, Penalties and Fines |
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