South Carolina S 447: South Carolina Electronic Notary Public Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 447 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 09, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 447

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Committee Report

April 9, 2026

S. 447

Introduced 
by Senator Adams 

S. Printed 4/9/26--S.

Read the first time March 12, 2025

________

The committee on Senate Judiciary

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 447) to amend 
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 23-1-235 so as to define 
terms related to license plate reader systems, to provide that only certain 
entities, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered 
the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

LUKE RANKIN for 
Committee.

_______

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
23-1-235 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS RELATED TO LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS, TO 
PROVIDE THAT ONLY CERTAIN ENTITIES MAY USE AN AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READER 
SYSTEM, AND TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR THE WAYS IN WHICH INFORMATION OBTAINED 
THROUGH THE SYSTEM MAY BE USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT; AND BY ADDING SECTION 
57-3-786 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PERMIT CERTAIN 
CAMERAS USED BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ON NON-INTERSTATE HIGHWAY RIGHTS-OF-WAY.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 23 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
23-1-235. (A) As used in this 
section:

 (1) 
"Alert" means a notification generated by an automatic license plate reader 
system indicating that a vehicle passed an automatic license plate reader 
system camera with a license plate or vehicle characteristics that match data 
held by the National Crime Information Center or other database or hot list.

 (2) 
"Automatic license plate reader system" means a system of one or more automated 
high-speed cameras used in combination with data processing to convert images 
of vehicles and license plates into computer-readable data.

 (3) 
"Governmental entity" means a lawfully created branch, department, agency, or 
authority of the state, county, or local government.

 (4) 
"Hot list" means a list of license plates or vehicle characteristics against 
which vehicles passing by automatic license plate reader system cameras are 
checked for matches.

 (5) 
"License plate reader data" means the global positioning device coordinates, 
date and time, photograph, license plate number, and vehicle characteristics 
captured by an automatic license plate reader system.

 (6) 
"Secured area" means an area enclosed by clear boundaries to which access is or 
can be limited.

 (7) 
"SLED" means the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

 (B) 
Except as provided in subsection (D), it is unlawful for an individual, entity, 
partnership, corporation, association, or this State, its agencies, and 
political subdivisions to use an automatic license plate reader system.

 (C) Any 
person who knowingly requests, uses, obtains, or attempts to obtain captured 
license plate data of a law enforcement agency under false pretenses or for any 
purpose other than those set forth in subsection (D) is guilty of a misdemeanor 
and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars and 
imprisoned not more than two years.

 (D) An 
automatic license plate reader system may be used:

 (1) 
by a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency for the comparison of 
license plate data held by the National Crime Information Center or other 
database or hot list, and for other law enforcement or criminal justice 
purposes, including the operation and maintenance of an automatic license plate 
reader database by SLED;

 (2) 
to regulate parking;

 (3) 
to control access to secured areas;

 (4) 
to promote public safety, deter crime, or address property theft and organized 
retail crime in coordination with law enforcement; or

 (5) 
by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation or its 
agents to collect tolls and to provide for the efficient and safe movement of 
vehicles on state highways.

 (E) 
License plate reader data obtained for the purposes described under this 
section must not be shared for any other purpose.

 (F) 
Prior to the use of an automatic license plate reader system, a law enforcement 
agency must adopt and make publicly available a written policy governing the 
use of the automatic license plate reader system that includes, at a minimum:

 (1) 
supervisory oversight of the automatic license plate reader system;

 (2) 
training protocol for automatic license plate reader system users;

 (3) 
protocol for ensuring hot lists stay up to date;

 (4) 
rules for access to and security of license plate reader data;

 (5) 
rules for retention and destruction of license plate reader data; and

 (6) 
an audit schedule and pr