South Carolina driver's license
Get your first license in South Carolina after moving to the US.
How it goes
- 1You arriveYou have moved to South Carolina and you want to drive here.
- 2Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
- 3The written testYou take the written test.
- 4Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
- Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.
What it costs
A first license
$25 driver license, $12.50 international-customer driver license, $2 knowledge test, $2.50 beginner's permit, $1 + 1.7% card processing surcharge
You pay this when you apply.
Your Social Security Number
Giving your number, and who may see it
SCDMV may require proof of SSN for an application or renewal. The Department of Revenue may submit taxpayer SSNs to SCDMV and the State Election Commission.
Tests you take
Eye test
The SCDMV screening checks that you see 20/40 or better; if you cannot pass it at a branch, a licensed eye care professional must examine your eyes to decide whether they meet South Carolina's requirements, and your license may require corrective lenses or treatment. An eye certificate is valid for 36 months, and active-duty military members instead provide an LES no more than 31 days old and an unexpired military ID.
Tries you get on the written test
South Carolina sets no waiting period between attempts and no limit on how many you get, but each attempt costs $2, and you must be at an SCDMV branch by 4 p.m. to take the test. You can pay with cash, check, credit or debit card at any branch; a card must be in your own name, not a business's.
South Carolina sets no waiting period and no limit on attempts for the knowledge test; you pay for each try, and the knowledge test costs $2 each time.
If you fail the knowledge test, there is no published waiting period, no cap on attempts, and no rule that voids your application; the only published cost of another try is the $2 fee for each test.
The escalating waits between attempts — two business days, seven calendar days, 30 calendar days — govern the road test, not the written test.
Practice questions for the written test
If you are applying for a Class E or Class F license, study the separate Large Non-commercial and Recreational Vehicles Driver's Manual, not the regular driver's manual.
The SCDMV points you to the South Carolina Driver's Manual as the study resource for the regular driver's license road test.
Study the manual that matches the type of vehicle your permit covers, and walk into an SCDMV branch by 4 p.m. on the day you take the knowledge test.
You can practice on the free SCDMV smartphone app — search for 'SC DMV Driver Exam'. Every question on the real test comes from the driver's manual, which also prints ten sample questions with an answer key in Section 12.
Using an interpreter
If you are a national of South Korea or Taiwan, a certification letter from your consulate replaces the Form 4030 translation for your license, and the letter is only valid for 30 days from the date on it. A foreign birth certificate still needs Form 4030.
Practising with your permit
Who can sit with you while you practise
A licensed driver who is at least 21 and has at least one year of driving experience must sit beside you.
The driver who supervises you must sit in the seat beside you while you drive on the beginner's permit.
The person who sits with you must be a licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1)-(7) of South Carolina law.
What to bring to the drive test
Who comes with you
Bring a licensed driver to the regular road test. The applicant and the SCDMV employee are the only people allowed in or around the vehicle.
The car and its insurance
The vehicle needs a valid license plate, a registration card, an insurance card, and liability insurance from a company licensed to do business in South Carolina — for a rental, your name must appear on the rental contract as insured. Its headlights, brakes, windshield wipers, safety belts, turn signals, mirrors, speedometer, defroster, and horn must all work.
Where to go
Who gives the tests
An SCDMV employee gives the regular Class D road test, and you and that employee are the only people allowed in or around the vehicle.
Booking an appointment
You schedule your road test online at https://public.scscheduler.com/, which is the SCDMV's own booking site.
Office locations
Find SCDMV branches and their current wait times at https://dmv.sc.gov/locations.
Other states
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Every source, quoted19 sources
Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.
“4-year or less License (International customers only) $12.50 5-year Hazmat License $15 8-year License $25 Beginner's Permit (original, renewal, duplicate, and modified) $2.50”
dmv.sc.gov/feesChecked August 1, 2026
“The Department of Motor Vehicles may require every applicant to submit acceptable evidence when applying for or renewing a driver's license, beginner's permit, or identification card that proves the applicants:”
scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.phpChecked August 1, 2026
“The simple eye test given by the SCDMV determines if you have 20/40 vision or better. If you are unable to pass the SCDMV vision screening at a branch office, you must have your eyes examined by a licensed eye care professional to determine if your eyes meet South Carolina’s vision requirements.”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/vision-testsChecked August 1, 2026
“Knowledge Test $2 each Accepted Payments You may pay with cash, check, credit, or debit card at any SCDMV branch. If you're paying with a credit or debit card, the card must be in your name. It cannot be in the name of a business or company you represent.”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/feesChecked August 15, 2026
“The department shall charge an appropriate fee for each complete examination or reexamination required in this article.”
scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.phpChecked August 2, 2026
“Failing the Skills Test ... If you fail the skills test on your first attempt, you must ... wait two business days before you can be re-tested, ... regardless of age or driving experience.”
dmv.sc.gov/sites/scdmv/files/2026-01/Drivers%20Manual.pdfChecked August 9, 2026
“If you fail the road test on the first attempt, you must wait two business days to return for a retest. For example, if you are unsuccessful on your first attempt on Monday, you may return after two full business days which is Thursday.”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testingChecked July 26, 2026
“Large Non-commercial and Recreational Vehicles Driver's Manual before taking the Class E or F Test”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testingChecked July 26, 2026
“South Carolina Driver's Manual before taking the Regular Driver's License Road Test”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testingChecked July 26, 2026
“If you're interested in getting a beginner's permit, study the appropriate manual and visit an SCDMV branch before 4 p.m. to take the knowledge test.”
dmv.sc.gov/feesChecked July 26, 2026
“To practice for the beginner's ... permit test, you may download ... the free app to your smartphone. ... Search for the app under “SC ... DMV Driver Exam” with this logo. ... The practice test offers a series of ... randomly selected questions. ... Each question is based on the ... information found in in this manual.”
dmv.sc.gov/sites/scdmv/files/2026-01/Drivers%20Manual.pdfChecked August 9, 2026
“This letter is only valid for 30 days from the date on the letter. This letter will be accepted in lieu of the translation document that is generally required for a license in a foreign language.”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/lawfully-present-non-us-citizensChecked July 26, 2026
“A person who is at least fifteen years of age may apply to the department for a beginner's permit. After the applicant has passed successfully the knowledge examination, the department may issue to the applicant a beginner's permit.”
scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.phpChecked August 1, 2026
“A beginner's permit entitles the permittee having the permit in his immediate possession to drive a motor vehicle on public highways under the conditions contained in this section for not more than twelve months.”
scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.phpChecked August 1, 2026
“held a beginner's permit for at least one hundred eighty days;”
scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.phpChecked August 1, 2026
“An SCDMV employee will test you. You and the employee are the only people allowed in or around the vehicle.”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testing/regular-license-road-testChecked August 1, 2026
“You must provide a safe vehicle with a valid license plate, registration card, and insurance card for the test. The vehicle must have all of the following in working condition: Headlights and brakes Windshield wipers Safety belts Turn signals Mirrors Speedometer Defroster Horn”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testing/regular-license-road-testChecked July 31, 2026
“SCHEDULE A ROAD TEST -> https://public.scscheduler.com/”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testingChecked July 26, 2026
“Locations and Wait Times -> https://dmv.sc.gov/locations”
dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testingChecked July 26, 2026
Applying for a driver's license in South Carolina?
Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.