South Carolina H 5248: Limited term driver's licenses and identification cards

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5248 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 24, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5248

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 56-1-140, RELATING TO ISSUANCE OF DRIVERS' LICENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE 
THAT "LIMITED TERM" MUST BE INCLUDED ON DRIVERS' LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION 
CARDS ISSUED TO QUALIFIED NONCITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY; BY AMENDING SECTION 
7-13-710, RELATING TO PROOF OF RIGHT TO VOTE, SO AS TO PROVIDE FORMS OF 
IDENTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES CONTAINING THE WORDS 
"LIMITED TERM" ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION; AND BY AMENDING 
SECTION 56-1-230, RELATING TO NOTIFYING THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES OF 
DRIVERS' LICENSE HOLDERS' CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR NAME, SO AS TO REVISE THE 
PROCEDURE AND TO PROVIDE THIS PROCEDURE ALSO APPLIES TO IDENTIFICATION CARDs 
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

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 drivers' 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, provided, that it 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. Section 56-1-230 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
56-1-230. Whenever any (A) A person after applying for or receiving a driver's license 
or identification card, must notify the Department of 
Motor Vehicles within ten days of:

 (1) shall 
movemoving permanently from the address 
named in such application or inon the license or identification 
card issued to him;

 (2) or when 
the name of a licensee is changedlegally changing 
his name by marriage or otherwise,; or

 (3) becoming 
a citizen of the United States after once providing the Department of Motor 
Vehicles with documentation that he was not a citizen of the United Statessuch person shall within ten days thereafter notify the 
Department of Motor Vehicles in writing of his old and new address or of such 
former and new name and of the number of any license then held by him.

 (B) The Department of Motor Vehicles 
may require documentation supporting the applicable change before applying the 
requested change.

 (C) In instances of a change pursuant 
to subsection (A), the department must provide one driver's license or 
identification card reflecting the applicable change per issuance cycle at no 
charge. Subsequent modified cards are at the expense of the person for the same 
fee provided in Section 56-1-200 or 56-1-3350, as applicable.

SECTION 4. SECTIONS 1 and 2 of this act take 
effect upon approval by the Governor. SECTION 3 of this act takes effect one 
year after approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on February 24, 2026 at 01:36 PM