South Carolina H 5640: South Carolina Speed Safety Act of 2026

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5640 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 30, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5640

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. As contained in this article:

 (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; 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 set up and operate a speed-monitoring system in 
accordance with manufacturer guidelines.

 Section 
56-5-1320. (A) A pilot program may 
be established in a municipality with populations in excess of twenty-five 
thousand that would allow the local government to employ a speed-safety system 
that complies with the provisions contained in this article. The pilot program 
shall operate for five years unless renewed by the municipality.

 (B) The 
Department of Motor Vehicles shall establish a uniform statewide framework for 
the employment of speed-safety systems. The department must obtain legislative 
approval to adopt material changes to the initial framework.

 (C) A 
municipality may not alter signal timing, enforcement thresholds or operational 
standards to increase the number of citations issued.

 (D) Speed 
safety systems must comply with standards contained in the Manual on Uniform 
Traffic Control Devices and South Carolina Department of Transportation 
standards.

 Section 
56-5-1330. (A) For municipalities 
employing a speed-safety system, on a roadway in a school zone or an active 
work/construction zone established under this article:

 (1) 
before activating an unmanned stationary speed-monitoring system, the municipality 
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