South Carolina H 3755: Hazard lights

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3755 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 15, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3755

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 ADDING SECTION 
56-5-3995 SO AS TO PROVIDE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DRIVE MOTOR VEHICLES WITH HAZARD 
LIGHTS ON UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND provide penalties for violations.

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

SECTION 1. Article 31, Chapter 5, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
56-5-3995. (A) It is unlawful for a 
person to drive a motor vehicle on the highways of this State with its hazard 
lights on when the vehicle is not involved in an accident or is not 
experiencing a mechanical emergency.

 (B) A 
person who is adjudicated to be in violation of the provisions of this section 
must be fined not more than twenty-five dollars, no part of which may be 
suspended. No court costs, assessments, or surcharges may be assessed against a 
person who violates a provision of this section. A person must not be fined 
more than fifty dollars for any one incident of one or more violations of the 
provisions of this section. A custodial arrest for a violation of this section 
must not be made, except upon a warrant issued for failure to appear in court 
when summoned or for failure to pay an imposed fine. A violation of this 
section does not constitute a criminal offense. Notwithstanding Section 
56-1-640, a violation of this article must not be:

 (1) 
included in the offender's motor vehicle records maintained by the Department 
of Motor Vehicles or in the criminal records maintained by SLED; or

 (2) 
reported to the offender's motor vehicle insurer.

 (C) A 
law enforcement officer must not issue a citation to a driver for a violation 
of this section when the stop is made in conjunction with a driver's license 
check, safety check, or registration check conducted at a checkpoint 
established to stop all drivers on a certain road for a period of time, except 
when the driver is cited for violating another motor vehicle law.

 (C) A 
violation of this section is not negligence per se or contributory negligence, 
and is not admissible as evidence in a civil action.

 (D) A 
vehicle, driver, or occupant in a vehicle must not be searched, nor may consent 
to search be requested by a law enforcement officer, solely because of a 
violation of this section.

 (E) A 
person charged with a violation of this section may admit or deny the 
violation, enter a plea of nolo contendere, or be tried before either a judge 
or a jury. If the trier of fact is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the 
person drove his vehicle with its hazard lights on unlawfully, the penalty is a 
civil fine pursuant to Section 56-5-6540. If the trier of fact determines that 
the State has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person drove 
his vehicle with its hazard lights on unlawfully, no penalty shall be assessed.

 (G) A 
person found to be in violation of this section may bring an appeal to the 
court of common pleas pursuant to Section 18-3-10 or Section 14-25-95.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 15, 2025 at 03:43 PM