South Carolina S 872: Immigration Status on Driver's License

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 872 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 28, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 872

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Amendment Adopted

April 28, 2026

S. 872

Introduced 
by Senators Goldfinch, Climer, Zell and Garrett 

S. Printed 4/28/26--S.

Read the first time January 29, 2026

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 56-1-80, RELATING TO AN APPLICATION FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR PERMIT, 
SO AS TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS IN 
THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT A CITIZEN, THEN 
THE DRIVER'S LICENSE MUST CONTAIN A "NC" DESIGNATION INDICATING THAT THE 
LICENSEE IS A NON-US CITIZEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-1-3350, RELATING TO 
ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS, SO AS TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE 
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT 
IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT A CITIZEN, THEN THE IDENTIFICATION CARD MUST CONTAIN A 
"NC" DESIGNATION INDICATING THAT THE HOLDER OF THE IDENTIFICATION CARD IS A 
NON-US CITIZEN; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-710, RELATING TO PROOF OF THE 
RIGHT TO VOTE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SOUTH CAROLINA DRIVER'S LICENSE OR 
IDENTIFICATION CARD WITH A "NC" DESIGNATION CANNOT BE USED TO VOTE.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Section 56-1-140(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) Upon payment of a fee of 
twenty-five dollars for a license that is valid for eight years, the department 
shall issue to every qualified applicant a driver's license as applied for by 
law. The license must bear on it a distinguishing number assigned to the 
licensee, the full name, date of birth, residence address, a brief description 
and unobstructed photograph of the licensee's face, any marking otherwise 
required or in compliance with law, and a facsimile of the signature of the 
licensee. No license is valid until it has been so signed 
by the licensee. Qualified applicants who are not citizens 
of the United States must have "Limited Term" conspicuously included on the 
driver's licenses or identification cards issued to them. The license 
authorizes the licensee to operate only those classifications of vehicles as 
indicated on the license.

SECTION 2. Section 7-13-710(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) When a person presents himself to 
vote, he shall produce a valid and current:

 (1) 
South Carolina driver's license that does not contain the 
words "Limited Term"; or

 (2) 
other form of identification containing a photograph issued by the Department 
of Motor Vehicles that does not contain the words "Limited 
Term"; or

 (3) 
passport; or

 (4) 
military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal 
government; or

 (5) 
South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter 
pursuant to Section 7-5-675.

SECTION 3. Chapter 1, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
56-1-235. Whenever any person becomes a citizen of the United States after 
previously providing the Department of Motor Vehicles with documentation that 
he was not a citizen of the United States, such person shall notify the 
Department of Motor Vehicles of the change and provide documentation 
substantiating his citizenship status. The Department of Motor Vehicles must 
provide one driver's license or identification card at no charge reflecting the 
applicable change. Subsequent modified cards are at the expense of the person 
for the same fee provided in Section 56-1-200 or Section 56-1-3350.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on April 28, 2026 at 06:06 PM