South Carolina H 4770: Essie Mae Holmes

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4770 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4770

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 REPEALING 
SECTION 56-7-35 RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKETS FOR 
SPEEDING OR DISREGARDING TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, INCIDENTS TO AND 
CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH TRAFFIC STOPS, THE USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE, AND 
EXCEPTIONS FOR TOLL COLLECTION VIOLATIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-710, 
RELATING TO POWERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT 
PROHIBITS A LOCAL AUTHORITY FROM ISSUING A UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET BASED UPON 
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-70, RELATING TO CERTAIN 
VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS SUSPENDED DURING STATES OF EMERGENCIES, AND DECLARATIONS 
OF EMERGENCY TRIGGERING FEDERAL RELIEF, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT 
ALLOWS THE ISSUANCE OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS BASED UPON PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE.

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

SECTION 1. Section 
56-7-35 of the S.C. Code is repealed.

SECTION 2. Section 56-5-710 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
56-5-710. (A) Subject to the limitations prescribed in Section 
56-5-930, the provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to prevent local 
authorities with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and 
within the reasonable exercise of the police power from:

 (1) 
regulating the standing or parking of vehicles;

 (2) 
regulating traffic by means of police officers or traffic control signals;

 (3) 
regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages on the highways;

 (4) 
designating particular highways as one-way highways and requiring that all 
vehicles thereon be moved in one specific direction;

 (5) 
regulating the speed of vehicles in public parks;

 (6) 
designating any highway as a through highway and requiring that all vehicles 
stop before entering or crossing it or designating any intersection as a stop 
intersection and requiring all vehicles to stop at one or more entrances at 
such intersection;

 (7) 
restricting the use of highways as authorized in Sections 56-5-4210 and 
56-5-4220;

 (8) 
regulating the operation of bicycles and requiring the registration and 
licensing of them, including the requirement of a registration fee;

 (9) 
regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles or specified types of 
vehicles at intersections;

 (10) 
altering the prima facie speed limits as authorized herein; or

 (11) 
adopting such other traffic regulations as are specifically authorized by this 
chapter.

 (B) Nothing in subsection (A) may be construed to permit a local 
authority to issue a uniform traffic citation for violating a local ordinance 
or the traffic laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control 
devices based in whole or in part upon photographic evidence whether gathered 
in conjunction with radar speed detection devices and whether the camera or 
other electronic device capturing the photographic evidence was attended or 
unattended at the time it captured the photographic evidence.

SECTION 3. Section 56-5-70(E) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (E) Citations for violating a local ordinance or the traffic 
laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control devices based in 
whole or in part on photographic evidence, whether gathered in conjunction with 
radar speed detection devices and whether the camera or other electronic device 
capturing the photographic evidence was attended or unattended at the time it 
captured the photographic evidence, only may be issued for violations that 
occur while relief from regulations pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 390.23 has been 
granted due to an emergency. A person who receives a citation for violating 
traffic laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control devices based 
in whole or in part on photographic evidence must be served in person with 
notice of the violation within one hour of the occurrence of the violation 
unless a collision occurred and fault cannot be determined immediately or the 
party who caused the collision is not immediately accessible due to medical 
treatment. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to toll collection 
enforcement.

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

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This web page was last updated on December 17, 2025 at 01:48 PM