South Carolina H 5001: Driver's license

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5001 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 22, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5001

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 56-1-130, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF LICENSES AND LICENSE EXAMINATIONS 
ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT DRIVER'S 
LICENSE EXAMINATIONS MAY BE ADMINISTERED IN ENGLISH ONLY.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 56-1-130 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
56-1-130. (A) The Department of 
Motor Vehicles shall examine every applicant for a driver's license, except as 
otherwise provided in this article. All examinations 
required by this section must be administered in the English language only. The 
examination shall include a test of the applicant's eyesight, his ability to 
read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic, 
and his knowledge of the traffic laws of this State and shall include an actual 
demonstration of ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the 
operation of the type of motor vehicle, including motorcycles, for which a 
license is sought. The department may require a further physical and mental 
examination as it considers necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to 
operate a motor vehicle upon the highways, the further examination to be at the 
applicant's expense. The department shall make provisions for giving an 
examination in the county where the applicant resides. The department shall 
charge an appropriate fee for each complete examination or reexamination 
required in this article.

 (B) 
The department must require all persons obtaining an initial driver's license, 
and who are required to complete a driver's education course as defined in 
Section 56-1-175 or 56-1-180, to take the work zone safety program course as 
established in Section 56-1-219.

 (C) 
No persons, except those exempted under Section 56-1-30 and Section 56-1-50(E), 
or those holding beginners' permits under Section 56-1-50, shall operate any 
classification of motor vehicle without first being examined and duly licensed 
by the driver examiner as a qualified driver of that classification of motor 
vehicle.

 (D)(1) A basic driver's license authorizes 
the licensee to operate motor vehicles, autocycles, motorcycle three-wheel 
vehicles, excluding a motorcycle with a detachable side car, or combinations of 
vehicles which do not exceed twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight 
rating; provided, that the driver has successfully demonstrated the ability to 
exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of a motor vehicle in 
this category. A basic driver's license also authorizes the licensee to operate 
farm trucks provided for in Sections 56-3-670, 56-3-211, and 56-3-215, which 
are used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, and dairying 
operations or livestock and poultry raising. Notwithstanding another provision 
of law, the holder of a conditional license, or special restricted license 
operating a farm truck for the purposes provided in this subsection, may 
operate the farm truck without an accompanying adult after six o'clock a.m. and 
no later than nine o'clock p.m., but may not operate a farm truck on a freeway. 
A person operating a farm truck while holding a conditional driver's license or 
a special restricted license may not use the farm truck for ordinary domestic 
purposes or general transportation.

 (2) 
A classified driver's license shall authorize the licensee to operate a 
motorcycle, motorcycle three-wheel vehicle, including a motorcycle with a 
detachable side car, or those vehicles in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds 
gross vehicle weight rating which are indicated by endorsement on the license. 
The endorsement may include classifications such as: motorcycles, two-axle 
trucks, three-or more axle trucks, combination of vehicles, motor buses, or 
oversize or overweight vehicles. The department shall determine from the driving 
demonstration the endorsements to be indicated on the license.

 (E) The department may not administer a 
driver's license examination, or any portion of it, in a language other than 
English. The department may not provide an interpreter or translation services 
for any driver's license examination. This subsection does not prohibit the use 
of American Sign Language for applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing, 
provided that the examination content remains in English.

SECTION 2. If any section, subsection, 
paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for 
any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not 
affect the constitutionali