§ 56-1-720 — Point system established; schedule of points for violations.

South Carolina § 56-1-720

• Jurisdiction: South Carolina
• Title 56: MOTOR VEHICLES
• Ch. 1: DRIVER'S LICENSE

Text

There is established a point system for the evaluation of the operating record of persons to whom a license to operate motor vehicles has been granted and for the determination of the continuing qualifications of these persons for the privileges granted by the license to operate motor vehicles. The system shall have as its basic element a graduated scale of points assigning relative values to the various violations in accordance with the following schedule: VIOLATION POINTS Reckless driving 6 Passing stopped school bus 6 Hit-and-run, property damages only 6 Driving too fast for conditions, or speeding: (1) No more than 10 m.p.h. above the posted limits 2 (2) More than 10 m.p.h. but less than 25 m.p.h. above the posted limits 4 (3) 25 m.p.h. or above the posted limits 6 Disobedience of any official traffic control device 4 Disobedience to officer directing traffic 4 Failing to yield right-of-way 4 Driving on wrong side of road 4 Passing unlawfully 4 Turning unlawfully 4 Driving through or within safety zone 4 Shifting lanes without safety precaution 2 Improper dangerous parking 2 Following too closely 4 Failing to dim lights 2 Operating with improper lights 2 Operating with improper brakes 4 Distracted driving (second or subsequent offense) 2 Operating a vehicle in unsafe condition 2 Driving in improper lane 2 Improper backing 2 Endangerment of a highway worker, no injury 2 Endangerment of a highway worker, injury results 4

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 46-196; 1955 (49) 249; 1962 (52) 1976; 1966 (54) 2383; 1970 (56) 2383; 1988 Act No. 532, SECTION 7; 2017 Act No. 81 (H.4033), SECTIONS 2, 5.A, eff May 19, 2017; 2025 Act No. 40 (H.3276), SECTION 3, eff September 1, 2025. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the item relating to improper backing is retained in the schedule of offenses; this item was inadvertently omitted in Section 5.A. of 2017 Act No. 81. Editor's Note 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 1, provides as follows: "SECTION 1. This act may be referred to and cited as the 'South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act.'" 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 4, provides as follows: "SECTION 4. At every interstate highway ingress, the Department of Transportation shall erect a sign advising motorists of this act." 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 5, provides as follows: "SECTION 5. During the first one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this act, law enforcement officers shall only issue warnings for violations of Section 56-5-3890, as amended by this act." 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 6, provides as follows: "SECTION 6. At the end of each fiscal year, the Department of Public Safety shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, and the Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee the age, gender, and race of every driver issued a citation, as well as every instance that a citation is not issued following a traffic stop made pursuant to this act. The data must be reported at least by statewide totals for local law enforcement agencies, state law enforcement agencies, and state university law enforcement agencies. The statewide total for local law enforcement agencies shall combine the data collected by county and the municipal law enforcement agencies." 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 7, provides as follows: "SECTION 7. The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws." Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 81, SECTION 2, added the violations of "Endangerment of a highway worker, no injury" and "Endangerment of a highway worker, injury results" and the corresponding value of their point violations. 2017 Act No. 81, SECTION 5.A, deleted the offense of "Failing to give signal or giving improper signal for stopping, turning or suddenly decreased speed". 2025 Act No. 40, SECTION 3, added the violation of "Distracted driving (second or subsequent offense)" and the corresponding value of its point violation.