SCDMV will be closed on December 24, 25 and 26 in observance of the Christmas state holidays.Offices offering Saturday service will be open on December 21. SCDMV will also be closed on January 1, 2014 in observance of the New Year state holiday.
Please remember that the days before and after a holiday are often extremely busy at DMV. Customers may want to choose another time to visit their local DMV office.
South Carolina issues both five-year and ten-year licenses. If you are a United States citizen and you visit a DMV branch office to obtain an original or renewal license, you will receive a ten-year license unless you are 65 years of age or older. Persons who are 65 years of age or older may not obtain a ten year license, but will be issued a five year license.
When you apply for a driver’s license, SCDMV will run automatic checks against the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS) and the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS) databases to check your prior driving history in other states. The checks are performed when a customer applies for an original credential, renews a credential, is reexamined or moves from a beginner permit to a license. They are designed to insure drivers have only one valid license at a time.
Follow the links below to obtain information on getting an initial driver license, renewing your license, and other driver services.
- How to get an Initial Driver License.
- How to get a Beginner Permit.
- Review our Accepted Forms of Identification for obtaining an initial driver license, beginner’s permit, or identification card.
- Information on Driver License Testing.
- How to Renew Your Driver License.
- How to Reinstate a Driver License after a suspension.
- Insurance Requirements including information on registering as an uninsured motorist.