Each state has rules of the road and traffic laws. While many of the traffic laws are very similar from state-to-state, there are subtle nuances in the traffic laws and penalties. In all states, there are “points” assigned to certain traffic violations and South Carolina is no exception. If a driver in South Carolina breaks one of the state’s traffic laws, he or she may have points assessed against their South Carolina driver license.
Under South Carolina law, certain traffic violations have a set number of points assigned to them. “What if I am ticketed elsewhere?” If you are a resident of South Carolina and are ticketed in another state, the traffic violation information will be sent to the SCDMV and it will be posted to your driving record in this state.
License Suspensions for Too Many Points
As a licensed driver in South Carolina, you can receive points on your driving record if you: break a traffic law in South Carolina or any other state, or if you have a military court-martial traffic conviction. “What’s on my driving record?” It contains all of your convictions for traffic violations and how many points you have accumulated under South Carolina’s point system.
Here’s how the South Carolina point system works:
- For drivers with a special restricted license, a provisional license, or a beginner’s permit, if they accumulate six or more points, their driving privileges are suspended for six months due to excessive points.
- If a person’s driver’s license is suspended because of excessive points, their license will not be reinstated because they complete a defensive driving course.
- Driving under the influence (DUI) results in a mandatory driver license suspension and is not under the state’s point system.
Suppose you are convicted of a traffic violation in South Carolina and it results in points on your driving record. In that case, the points would be reduced by half one year from the date you committed the traffic violation. For example, if four points were put on your record in August for a violation, by August of the following year they would be reduced to two points.
To check the number of points on your driving record, click here. Or, to file a car accident claim in Columbia, South Carolina, contact the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC.