How Does the Driving Points System Work in South Carolina?

Our criminal lawyers in Charleston regularly review driving records and help clients make decisions based on them. We’ve noticed that many folks don’t fully understand South Carolina’s driving points system, how long points count toward a suspension, or how quickly a few tickets can add up to a suspended license. Many people also confuse the points the DMV assigns with the “points” an insurance company uses to set rates.

In this article, we explain how many points each traffic violation carries, how many points it takes to lose your license, how points come off your record, and how to protect your driving privileges. So how does the South Carolina driving points system work, and how many points does it take to suspend your license?

Quick Answer: South Carolina assigns 2 to 6 points to your driving record for certain moving violations under S.C. Code Section 56-1-720. For example, speeding up to 10 mph over the limit carries 2 points, and speeding 25 mph or more over the limit or reckless driving carries 6 points. If you reach 12 points, the SCDMV can suspend your license for three to six months.

How Many Points Is Each Traffic Ticket in South Carolina?

If you plead guilty to, pay, or are convicted by a judge or jury of certain moving violations, points are assessed against your driving record. S.C. Code Section 56-1-720 sets the number of points for each violation. Paying a ticket is treated the same as a conviction, so points are added even if you simply mail in the fine. A warning ticket carries no points.

The following table shows the most common point-assessable violations and the points each one carries:

Some serious offenses do not carry points at all, because they lead directly to a suspension instead. For example, a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving under suspension does not add points, but it carries its own license suspension and other penalties.

How Many Points Does It Take to Lose Your License in South Carolina?

Under Section 56-1-740, the SCDMV may suspend your license when you accumulate 12 or more points. The length of the suspension depends on your point total:

Because a single speeding ticket for going 25 mph or more over the limit carries 6 points, two of those tickets within a short period can be enough to suspend your license. Two 4-point tickets and a 4-point following-too-closely ticket would also reach 12 points.

If your license is suspended for points, you may be eligible to apply for a special route-restricted license that allows you to drive to and from work or college or university, and in the course of your employment or education, during the suspension. To qualify, you must be employed or enrolled in a college or university and live more than one mile from your workplace or school. You can also request a review of your driving record. If you have been notified that your license will be suspended, talk to a lawyer promptly, because deadlines apply.

What Are the Points Rules for Teen and New Drivers in South Carolina?

The rules are stricter for new drivers. Under Section 56-1-185, a person driving with a beginner’s permit, a conditional license, or a special restricted license who is convicted of point-assessable offenses totaling 6 or more points will have their license suspended for six months. That means a single 6-point ticket, such as reckless driving or speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, can result in a six-month suspension for a teen driver.

In addition, a driver with a conditional or special restricted license who is convicted of a traffic offense or is involved in an accident in which the driver was at fault will have the removal of his or her restrictions postponed and cannot receive a regular license until one year after the last such offense or at-fault accident, or until age 17. You can learn more about the graduated licensing rules in our article on how to get a beginner’s permit or driver’s license in South Carolina.

How Long Do Points Stay on Your Driving Record in South Carolina?

For purposes of determining whether your license should be suspended, points are counted at full value for violations occurring within the preceding 12 months, at half value for violations from 12 to 24 months earlier, and not at all for violations more than 24 months earlier.

For example, a 4-point ticket counts as 2 points once a year has passed from the date of the violation. This reduction applies only to the points used to determine whether your license should be suspended. The conviction still appears on your driving record, and insurance companies and employers may see it when they review it.

You can check your current point total and request a copy of your driving record through the SCDMV’s online services.

Can You Take a Class to Remove Points in South Carolina?

Yes. Under Section 56-1-770, you can have 4 points removed from your record by completing the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course, or an approved equivalent, after the points have been assessed. Drivers with a motorcycle (Class M) endorsement may instead complete a qualifying South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course or its equivalent. The motorcycle safety course must be at least eight hours long; qualifying courses must meet the applicable instructor-accreditation requirements.

There are important limits. You may reduce your points this way only once in any three-year period. You must complete the course after the points have been assessed; if you are taking it to avoid a points suspension, arrange for the reduction to be credited before the suspension takes effect. A defensive driving course does not, by itself, undo a six-month suspension imposed on a beginner’s permit, conditional, or special restricted license holder for convictions totaling 6 or more points.

Do Out-of-State Tickets Add Points to a South Carolina License?

They can affect your South Carolina driving record and driving privileges, but an out-of-state ticket does not automatically add South Carolina points. Under the Driver License Compact, member states exchange certain conviction information, including specified serious offenses and other offenses they agree to report. Whether an out-of-state speeding conviction is reported, posted to your South Carolina record, or affects your license depends on the offense, the reporting rules, and how South Carolina law treats the conviction. Don’t assume a speeding ticket in Georgia or North Carolina will be ignored just because it occurred outside South Carolina.

Are DMV Points the Same as Insurance Points in South Carolina?

No. The SCDMV uses DMV points to decide whether to suspend your license. Insurance companies use their own rating systems, which may consider your convictions and at-fault accidents, to decide what you pay for coverage. A ticket that adds only 2 DMV points can still increase your insurance premium, and the conviction can affect your rates even after the DMV points are reduced. That is one reason it often makes sense to fight a ticket or negotiate a reduction instead of simply paying it.

Does South Carolina’s Hands-Free Law Add Points to Your License?

Yes, for repeat offenders. South Carolina’s Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act took effect on September 1, 2025. It generally prohibits holding or supporting a cell phone or other mobile electronic device while driving on a public highway, although certain hands-free uses and other exceptions are allowed.

During the first 180 days after the law took effect, officers could issue warnings only for violations of the new law. A first conviction carries a $100 fine and no points. A second or subsequent conviction for an offense occurring within the applicable three-year period carries a $200 fine and 2 points on your driving record.

How Can You Avoid Points on Your Driving Record in South Carolina?

If you receive a ticket, you have options besides simply paying it:

• Request a trial. You have the right to contest the ticket in the court with jurisdiction. The State must prove the violation; whether the ticketing officer must testify depends on the evidence and how the case proceeds.
• Negotiate a reduction. In some cases, a prosecutor or officer may agree to reduce a charge to a lesser offense that carries fewer points, or to a non-moving violation that carries no points.
• Take a defensive driving course. If you are close to 12 points, completing a qualifying course after points have been assessed can reduce your total by 4 points, as long as you have not used this option in the past three years.
• Watch your dates. Because points count at half value after 12 months and stop counting after 24 months, the timing of a new ticket can affect whether you reach the suspension threshold.
• Get advice before paying a serious ticket. This is especially important for commercial drivers, young drivers, and anyone who already has points on their record.

What Happens If You Keep Getting Tickets in South Carolina?

Repeated violations can lead to more serious consequences than a points suspension. If you drive while your license is suspended, you face criminal charges and an additional suspension, as we explain in our article on what happens if you drive on a suspended license in South Carolina.

If you accumulate certain serious offenses or enough qualifying moving violations within a three-year period, you can be declared a habitual offender and ordinarily lose your license for five years, although the law provides limited ways to seek earlier restoration or restricted driving privileges. We explain those rules in our article on what happens if you are declared a habitual offender in South Carolina.

Commercial drivers face additional federal and state rules, and certain traffic violations can disqualify a CDL holder. Our article on how a DUI in South Carolina impacts your commercial driver’s license explains those rules. And if you are facing a DUI charge, our article on whether a DUI suspends your driver’s license in South Carolina explains the separate suspension that applies.

Do You Need a Lawyer to Help With Points on Your South Carolina License?

If you have received a ticket that could push you over 12 points, you hold a beginner’s permit or conditional license, you drive for a living, or your license has already been suspended, a lawyer can review your driving record, explain your options, and help you fight the ticket or limit the damage. The attorneys at Futeral & Nelson have represented drivers in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville, and throughout the Lowcountry since 2003. Call us at 843-284-5500 to discuss your situation.