DMV Point System in South Carolina
Just as American history clings to the walls of Fort Sumter, traffic tickets can cling to you in the form of points on your SC driving record. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) tracks the citations you've received with a point system.
We'll give you the basics of SCDMV's point system and how points can affect your driver's license.
Points & Your SC Driver's License
If you're used to driving yourself around, accumulating enough points on your record can make big changes to your daily routine.
SCDMV will suspend your driver's license if you accrue 12 points or more on your driving record. To avoid suspension, the South Carolina DMV may allow you to take a defensive driving course.
If you receive a ticket for DUI, you'll automatically lose your driving privileges.
Head over to our license suspension guide to find out how you can reinstate your South Carolina driver's license.
Knowing the number of points on your driving record is just as important as knowing your credit score.
Don't let a license suspension catch you off guard—
check your record today!
SCDMV Point Schedule
The seriousness of each traffic offense dictates how many points it carries. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles may add points to your record for violations committed out of state.
Below are some common traffic tickets and their corresponding point values. For the complete point schedule, take a look at South Carolina's code of motor vehicle laws.
- Speeding over the posted limit by:
- No more than 10 MPH: 2 points.
- Over 10 MPH but under 25 MPH: 3 points.
- 25 MPH or faster: 6 points.
- Failure to yield right of way: 4 points.
- Making an illegal turn: 4 points.
- Following another vehicle too closely: 4 points.
- Reckless driving: 6 points.
- Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage: 6 points.
NOTE: The SCDMV may assign more points AND automatically suspend your license for receiving certain traffic tickets with a commercial driver's license (CDL). See our CDL suspension page for details.
DID YOU KNOW: Car insurance providers check the points on your record when deciding how much to charge you for coverage.
Understand how traffic tickets can affect your auto insurance rates, especially if you've received citations in the past.
Clear Your SC Driving Record
The SC Department of Motor Vehicles will remove half of the points your driver history 1 year after the conviction date. If your record shows multiple traffic tickets, each reduction will correspond to the date that each ticket was posted—they will NOT be grouped together.
To remove points sooner, you can enroll in a defensive driving course. By successfully completing a course, you can remove points from your South Carolina driving record.
The SCDMV allows you to take a defensive driving course for point reduction once every 3 years.