A South Carolina driving record is issued by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicle for all residents who have a valid drivers license. The SC DMV maintains driving history reports that contain all driver-related information. Learn about these reports by considering the sections below.


What is on my South Carolina driving record?

Depending on the type of driving record and where you purchase it, your South Carolina driving record may provide either a partial or complete outline of your personal SC driving history. If you order your driving record directly from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, it will contain:

  • Traffic violations you have committed.
  • Points from your past traffic violations.
  • Traffic accidents you may have been involved in.
  • Driver’s license suspensions.
  • Current driver’s license status.
  • DUI reports.

Did you know? Your personal driving history is a public record. Potential employers, insurance providers, and courts of law can all request a copy of your driving history.

What do points on my South Carolina driving record mean?

Driving history demerit points are a direct cause of traffic violations that you have committed in the state of South Carolina. By incurring and accumulating these demerit points, you put yourself at risk of receiving a driver’s license suspension from the Department of Motor Vehicles. For information on specific South Carolina driving record point values, which vary based on the violation in question, consider the list below:

  • Reckless driving: 6 points
  • Performing a hit and run that involves property damage: 6 points
  • Passing a school bus that is stopped: 6 points
  • Not yielding the proper right of way: 4 points
  • Driving with faulty brakes: 4 points
  • Following another vehicle too closely: 4 points
  • Passing or turning illegally: 4 points
  • Driving with improper vehicle lights: 2 points
  • Driving in the wrong lane: 2 points

How do points against my South Carolina license affect me?

If you incur a total of 12 points or more on your personal SC driving history report, your drivers license will immediately be suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles. In addition to this possible penalty, point accumulation may also result in steeper car insurance prices and a decreased chance of getting a job as a commercial vehicle operator, a delivery worker or a professional employee for any driving-related company.

How do I remove drivers license points from my South Carolina record?

To take points off of your driving history report, you must enroll in a state-approved traffic school in South Carolina. By completing the eight-hour defensive driving course offered through the DMV, you can reduce your driving record points by a total of four.

In any case, if you are taking a defensive driving class with the hopes of avoiding driver’s license suspension, you must complete the class before incurring the 12th point on your drivers record.

How long do points stay on my South Carolina driving record?

The Department of Motor Vehicles in South Carolina reduces each driving violation point total by half each year. Therefore, if you incurred four points because you were caught driving with faulty brakes, after one year, the point total on your SC driving record for this violation will be reduced to two points.

South Carolina DUI Records

Each driver who has been charged with driving under the influence and orders his or her personal SC driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles will find that it contains all relevant DUI records. Each DUI conviction, as well as the date and time of the charge, will be noted within the DUI criminal record section of your official DMV drivers record for your convenience.

How do I know if my South Carolina driving license is suspended?

The drivers license status section is prominently featured on every DMV driving record in South Carolina. Thus, drivers can easily find out if their license has been suspended, and for how long, by ordering their drivers record.

Previous Traffic Violations in South Carolina

If you require access to your past driving violations in South Carolina, order a copy of your driving record today. All South Carolina driving histories contain detailed reports about each transgression you may have been charged for, including the date on which the charge occurred.

Why do I need a copy of my South Carolina driving record?

SC DMV driving records provide detailed information on all past driving transgressions and driver point totals. As such, these documents are typically employed by entities such as auto insurance providers and driving-related employers to verify the strength of potential candidates. Learn more about the functions of these driver history reports below.

Check for Points in South Carolina

Verifying point status is an important reason why all drivers should check their driving records in South Carolina. Points are the easiest indicator of determining how close you are to driver’s license suspension, and they are prominently displayed on every SC driving history report that is issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Applying for a Commercial Driver Position in South Carolina

If you are interested in applying for a commercial driving job, your drivers license status and a clean South Carolina motor vehicle record are crucial to your success. Commercial vehicle companies vet candidates for driving transgressions, accidents, points and more to ensure that they only hire the most responsible job candidates.

By having any number of these events on your driving history report, you are putting your application at high risk of rejection. See if any corrective action can benefit you today by ordering a copy of your driving record now.

Lower South Carolina Car Insurance Premiums

When you incur points on your drivers record in South Carolina, your auto insurance provider is one of the first parties to be notified of the transgression. Given the unsafe driving behavior that you have displayed, your insurance company will immediately raise your premiums, because you now pose a greater liability.

The only way to prevent this increase in insurance rates is to clean your driving record whenever necessary and to remove any unwanted points. Enrolling in traffic school is one manner in which you may do so, and drivers must take this corrective action before they apply for auto insurance in order to obtain the best rates.

Take South Carolina Traffic School to Prevent Points

If you have points in your personal SC driving history, the Department of Motor Vehicles offers one simple and effective option for removing a number of them: You can take a defensive driving course.

By enrolling in a state-approved traffic school to take an eight-hour defensive driving class, you can reduce your driving history point total by four points. However, you may only take this measure once every three years.

Why do employers check your South Carolina driving record?

When you apply for a job as a commercial vehicle driver, your potential employer will immediately want to check your driving record to ensure that you are a safe and responsible candidate. Drivers with violations and accidents on their records will be deemed unfit drivers and will be rejected for driving positions, because these candidates are more likely to cost employers a large sum in medical bills, lawsuits and property damages.

Checking driving records is a simple but effective way to avoid these difficulties on the part of the employer. To verify that your South Carolina DMV driving record is in good standing, order a copy today.

Different Types of South Carolina Driving Records

You can order two different types of driving records from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. The type of SC drivers record you choose will be based on the length of time you need to review.

3-Year Driving Records

Three-year driving records from the DMV contain all relevant information about your South Carolina driving history from the past three years, including violations, points, suspensions and accidents. After ordering, an official copy of the record will be mailed to your physical address, while an unofficial driving record will be made available to you online.

10-Year Driving Records

Ten-year South Carolina DMV driving records feature information from the last 10 years of your history, which includes all of the same events featured within the 3-year motor vehicle report. After ordering, an official copy of the record will be mailed to your physical address, while an unofficial driving record will be made available to you online.

How do I fix a mistake on a South Carolina drivers history report?

If you locate an error on your personal driving record in South Carolina, it is up to you to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to resolve the problem. Unfounded SC driving record points, for instance, can result in a suspension of your driving privileges.

Prevent such consequences by calling the DMV at 803-896-5000. Due to the confidential information featured within a personal SC driving history, the DMV does not accept questions of this nature via email.

What is not included on my South Carolina driving record report?

South Carolina driving history reports feature a wide variety of information about the resident driver. However, certain pieces of history are not covered. If a possible employer or auto insurance agency needs additional details about your background, simply order one of the following documents from DMV.com:

South Carolina Vehicle Registration History

South Carolina drivers who want to request information about their previous vehicles should order copies of their vehicle registration history reports. The SC DMV’s vehicle registration reports feature details on when registration was completed for all of a South Carolina driver’s previous cars. Furthermore, this document also provides information about every vehicle once owned by the party in question within the state.

Driving Record Fees in South Carolina

A full driving record report in South Carolina costs $6.

Last updated on Wednesday, October 14 2020.
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