South Carolina § 56-3-1240 Display of license plates; motorcycles equipped with vertically mounted brackets; missing plates.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 56-3-1240 — Display of license plates; motorcycles equipped with vertically mounted brackets; missing plates.

South Carolina § 56-3-1240

Title 56MOTOR VEHICLES

Ch. 3MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING

This text of South Carolina § 56-3-1240 (Display of license plates; motorcycles equipped with vertically mounted brackets; missing plates.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1240 (2026).

Text

(A)Unless the provisions of this section apply, license plates issued for motor vehicles must be attached to the outside rear of the vehicle, open to view. License plates must always be fastened securely in a horizontal and upright position to the vehicle for which it was issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging.

(B)License plates for truck tractors and road tractors must be attached to the outside front of the vehicle provided that single-unit commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds may have the license plate on either the outside front or rear of the vehicle. During the forty-five days, an intrastate-only large commercial motor vehicle may operate on a temporary license plate issued pursuant to Section 56-3-212, the ve

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(A) Unless the provisions of this section apply, license plates issued for motor vehicles must be attached to the outside rear of the vehicle, open to view. License plates must always be fastened securely in a horizontal and upright position to the vehicle for which it was issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging. (B) License plates for truck tractors and road tractors must be attached to the outside front of the vehicle provided that single-unit commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds may have the license plate on either the outside front or rear of the vehicle. During the forty-five days, an intrastate-only large commercial motor vehicle may operate on a temporary license plate issued pursuant to Section 56-3-212, the vehicle owner may display a motorcycle-sized temporary license plate securely in the front, passenger-side windshield of the vehicle provided the unique identifying license plate text faces the exterior of the vehicle. The owner must position the temporary license plate to not obstruct the driver's view. (C) When a motorcycle is equipped with vertically mounted license plate brackets, its license plate must be mounted vertically with its top fastened along the right vertical edge. The bottom of the plate must be at a height of not less than twelve inches from the ground in a place and position clearly visible as provided in Section 56-5-4530, and it must be maintained free from foreign materials and in a clearly legible condition. (D) No other license plate, lighting equipment, except as permitted in Section 56-5-4530, tag, sign, monogram, tinted cover, or inscription of metal or other material may be displayed above, or upon the plate other than that which is authorized and issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of validating the plate. It is not unlawful to place a decal or a frame on the license plate if it does not obscure any letters or numbers. A motor vehicle owner may attach a trailer hitch to a motor vehicle provided the hitch does not obscure more than two inches of the license plate issued to the motor vehicle. It is unlawful to operate or drive a motor vehicle with the license plate missing and a person who is convicted for violating this section must be punished as provided by Section 56-3-2520.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 46-73; 1952 Code SECTION 46-73; 1949 (46) 342; 1957 (50) 146; 1974 (58) 2262; 1991 Act No. 46, SECTION 1; 2007 Act No. 90, SECTION 2, eff June 14, 2007; 2008 Act No. 347, SECTION 1, eff June 16, 2008; 2012 Act No. 272, SECTION 16, eff December 26, 2012; 2024 Act No. 178 (H.4674), SECTION 1, eff November 20, 2024. Effect of Amendment 2024 Act No. 178, SECTION 1, rewrote the section.