South Carolina S 1174: South Carolina Speed Safety Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 1174 Text of Previous Version (May. 05, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 1174

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 ENACTING THE 
"SOUTH CAROLINA SPEED SAFETY ACT OF 2026" BY ADDING ARTICLE 12 TO CHAPTER 5, 
TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, AND TO PROVIDE CERTAIN LOCAL 
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TO EMPLOY SPEED-SAFETY SYSTEMS; BY AMENDING SECTION 
56-5-70, RELATING TO CERTAIN VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS SUSPENDED DURING STATES OF 
EMERGENCY, AND DECLARATIONS OF EMERGENCIES TRIGGERING FEDERAL RELIEF, SO AS TO 
DELETE THE PROVISION CONCERNING THE ISSUANCE OF CITATIONS FOR CERTAIN TRAFFIC 
VIOLATIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-710, RELATING TO POWERS OF LOCAL 
AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN 
TRAFFIC CITATIONS; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 56-7-35 RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF 
UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKETS FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Speed-Safety Act of 2026."

SECTION 2. Chapter 5, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 12

Speed-safety systems

 Section 
56-5-1310. (A) As contained in this 
section:

 (1) 
"Agency" means:

 (a) 
a law enforcement agency of a local political subdivision that is authorized to 
issue a citation for a violation of local traffic laws or regulations and has a 
population that is equal to or greater than twenty-five thousand citizens; or

 (b) 
for a municipal corporation with a population equal to or greater than 
twenty-five thousand citizens that does not maintain a police force, an agency 
established or designated by the municipal corporation to implement this article 
using speed-safety systems in accordance with this article.

 (2) 
"Owner" means the registered owner of a motor vehicle or a lessee of a motor 
vehicle under a lease of six months or more. "Owner" does not include:

 (a) 
a motor vehicle rental or leasing company; or

 (b) 
a holder of a special registration plate.

 (3) 
"Recorded image" means an image recorded by a speed-safety system on:

 (a) 
a photograph;

 (b) 
a microphotograph;

 (c) 
an electronic image;

 (d) 
videotape; or

 (e) 
any other medium and showing:

 (i) 
the rear of a motor vehicle;

 (ii) at least two time-stamped images 
of the motor vehicle; and

 (iii) on at least one image or 
portion of tape, a clear and legible identification of the entire registration 
plate number of the motor vehicle.

 (4) 
"Speed-safety system" means a device with one or more scanning lidar motor 
vehicle sensors producing recorded images of motor vehicles traveling at speeds 
at least five miles-per-hour above the posted speed limit.

 (5) 
"Hearing officer" means a municipal employee who is specifically assigned to 
the nonjudicial administrative hearing process to review objections to 
citations or penalties issued or assessed under this section.

 (6) 
"Speed-safety system operator" means an employee of an agency or contractor who 
has been trained and certified to setup and operate a speed-monitoring system 
in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.

 (B) 
For agencies employing a speed-safety system, on a roadway in a school zone or 
a construction zone established under this section:

 (1) 
before activating an unmanned stationary speed-monitoring system, the local 
jurisdiction shall:

 (a) 
publish notice of the location of the speed-monitoring system on its website;

 (b) 
ensure that each sign that designates a school zone or construction zone 
indicates that speed-safety systems are in use in school zones or construction 
zones;

 (c) 
regarding a speed-safety system, ensure that all speed limit signs approaching 
and within the segment of roadway on which the speed-monitoring system is 
located include signs that:

 (i) 
are in accordance with the manual and specifications for the uniform system of 
traffic control devices; and

 (ii) indicate that a speed-safety 
system is in use; and

 (d) 
issue warning notices for the first thirty days; and

 (2) 
A speed-safety system in a school zone may operate only Monday through Friday 
between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

 (C) A 
speed-safety system operator shall complete training by a manufacturer of speed-monitoring 
systems in the procedures for setting up and operating the speed-monitoring 
system. The manufacturer shall issue a signed certificate to the speed-monitoring 
system operator on completion of the training. The certificate of training 
shall be admitted as evidence in any hearing proceeding for a violation of this 
section. A speed-monitoring system operator shall fill out and sign a set-up 
log for a speed-monitoring system that:

 (1) 
states that the speed-safety system operat