South Carolina driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How to get a first South Carolina beginner's permit and license, the graduated rules for teens, the 45-day rule for new residents, renewing or replacing your license, REAL ID and state ID cards, based on the SCDMV's own pages.
Guide · South Carolina · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
South Carolina beginner's permits, driver's licenses and ID cards are issued by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). This guide covers the common cases in order: a first permit and license (including the graduated rules for teens), moving to South Carolina with a license from elsewhere, renewing, replacing a card, REAL ID and state ID cards. For walk-in times and the general document list, see the South Carolina DMV visit guide.
Your first South Carolina license
Everyone starts with a beginner's permit:
- Study the driver's manual. The SCDMV also offers an online practice test.
- Go to an SCDMV branch before 4 p.m. Take the vision and knowledge tests, give your Social Security number, and bring your identity and address documents (see the Form MV-93 checklist). The SCDMV lists $2 for the knowledge test and $2.50 for the permit.
- Hold the permit. If you are under 18, you must hold it for at least 180 days before the road test. If you are 18 or older, the minimum is 30 days.
- Take the road test at a branch or with a third-party tester. You need a safe vehicle with a valid plate, registration card and insurance card, and a licensed driver with you. The test includes a vision check, showing the vehicle's safety features, and an on-the-road portion.
If you fail the road test, you wait two business days before retesting. After a second failure, you wait seven calendar days, and after a third, 30 calendar days. Most licenses are valid for eight years and cost $25.
Permit rules
You must be at least 15 for a regular or motorcycle beginner's permit. With a regular permit, you may drive from 6 a.m. to midnight with a licensed driver who is at least 21, has at least one year of experience and sits in the front seat. From midnight to 6 a.m., you need a qualified individual in the front seat. If you are under 18, an authorized adult must sign for you at the branch, bringing a picture ID. The exception is a form signed and submitted by a driver training school.
Teens: conditional and special restricted licenses
South Carolina's graduated program is for drivers aged 15 to 17. If you are 15 or 16, you bring Form PDLA, which comes only from driver training schools and high schools. You must also meet these conditions:
- You have held your permit for more than 180 days.
- You completed driver's education (eight hours in the classroom and six hours driving).
- You are enrolled in school (or homeschooled) with satisfactory attendance.
- You have practiced for at least 40 hours, including ten at night.
At 15½ you can get a Conditional license, and at 16 a Special Restricted license. Both let you drive alone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. during daylight saving time). You may drive until midnight with a licensed driver aged 21 or older, and from midnight to 6 a.m. only with a qualified individual. You may not carry more than two passengers under 21 without a licensed adult of 21 or older, except family members or students going to and from school. A 16-year-old can apply for a waiver to drive alone until midnight for work or certain activities.
If you are under 17 and get six or more points within your first year, your license is suspended for six months. You earn full privileges at 17, or after one year with your Conditional or Special Restricted license, with no traffic offenses or at-fault collisions.
Moving to South Carolina with another state's license
The SCDMV says you must apply for a South Carolina license or ID within 45 days of moving to the state. You visit a branch with proof of identity, citizenship and date of birth, your Social Security number, proof of your South Carolina address (two for a REAL ID) and any name change documents. You pass a vision test, pay $25 for an eight-year license, and surrender your out-of-state license. If you do not have it, bring a driving record from that state. If your old license has been expired nine months or more, you must also pass the knowledge and road tests.
Temporary residents, such as military members and students, do not have to get a South Carolina license but must carry a valid out-of-state one.
Renewing your license
A vision screening is required to renew any license or permit. You can take it at a branch. Or an SC-licensed eye care professional can submit a Certificate of Vision Examination electronically; it is valid for 36 months.
- Online: for U.S. citizens with a regular (non-commercial) license, expired no more than nine months. You must have no more than five points in two years. You also must not have renewed online or by mail last time, and your eye care professional must have submitted your vision results online. You pay $25 by card, and the new license arrives within 15 business days.
- By mail: similar conditions. Send Form 447-NC with a $25 check or money order to SCDMV, Alternative Media, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0035, at least three weeks before expiration.
- In person: give your insurance company's name, pay $25 and pass the vision screening. You must also take a knowledge test if you have more than five points in the last two years.
If your license has been expired nine months or more, you must visit a branch with full documentation and pass the vision, knowledge and skills tests.
Replacing a lost license
You can buy a replacement online or at a branch. At a branch, you complete the Surrender Agreement (Form DL-49) and Form 447-NC. A replacement license or ID costs $10, and a permit $2.50. You cannot get a second online duplicate within 12 months. If you have not yet got your first South Carolina REAL ID, an online replacement gives you a standard card.
REAL ID or standard card
When you apply, you choose a REAL ID with a star or a standard card marked "Not for Federal Identification". A standard card cannot be used to board a domestic flight, enter a secure federal building or visit a military installation. You do not need a REAL ID to drive or vote, and a valid U.S. passport or military ID can be used instead.
For a REAL ID, bring one proof of identity, two proofs of your current, physical South Carolina address, and your full name change history. Documents must be originals or government-issued copies; photocopies or scans are not accepted. Renewing by mail gives you a REAL ID only if all required documents are already on file. To check a card you already have, see How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.
State ID cards
You can get an ID card if you live in South Carolina, are at least five, and do not hold a valid South Carolina license or permit. You complete Form 447-NC and bring the same identity, address and name documents. The SCDMV says original IDs and renewals are free from age 17, and $15 for ages five to 16. An ID card is valid for eight years and can be renewed online within 12 months of expiration if you meet the conditions. You leave the branch with a temporary certificate, and the card arrives by mail in 7 to 15 business days.
For vehicles, see the South Carolina vehicle registration and title guide, and for nearby branches the South Carolina office list.