How to get your license back after a DUI in South Carolina
Getting a license back after a DUI is an agency process, not a court one: the steps below are the ones the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV); Ignition Interlock Device Program administered by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) lists, in its order, each quoted from the agency's own page. Requirements differ by offense, blood-alcohol level, refusal, and prior record; the state's wording controls.
Steps the state lists
- 1
Become eligible: for violations on or after May 19, 2024, a first offender ends the DUI suspension by enrolling in the Ignition Interlock Device Program
S.C. Code § 56-5-2990(A)(2) provides that for a first offense the person shall enroll in the IID Program, end the suspension, and obtain an ignition interlock restricted license; SCDPPPS states offenders become eligible once any required suspension period is satisfied and receive an eligibility letter.
What the source says
“For a first offense, a person shall enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2941, end the suspension, and obtain an ignition interlock restricted license pursuant to Section 56-1-400.”
- 2
Enroll in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP)
SCDPPPS states that ADSAP enrollment is required before installing the device; § 56-5-2990(B) makes entry into recommended services a mandatory requirement for issuance of the ignition interlock restricted license.
What the source says
“Prior to installing the BAIID, you must enroll in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP).”
- 3
Receive the SCDPPPS eligibility letter (STEP 1)
SCDPPPS states the person receives a letter notifying them that they are eligible to participate in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and may have the device installed.
What the source says
“You will receive a letter from the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services notifying you that you are eligible to participate in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and may have the device installed.”
- 4
Install the BAIID through a certified manufacturer's service center (STEP 2)
SCDPPPS states the device is installed at a service center of an approved manufacturer, with return visits at least every 60 days for inspection.
What the source says
“You will be required to return to the service center at least once every 60 days to have the device inspected.”
- 5
Obtain the Ignition Interlock Restricted License from SCDMV (STEP 3)
SCDPPPS states program participation begins only once the II Restricted License is obtained by presenting the installation certificate to SCDMV; § 56-1-400(C) sets the license fee at $100 and (D) requires the provider's written installation notification.
What the source says
“Your participation in the program will only begin once you have obtained the Ignition Interlock (II) Restricted License.”
- 6
Pay the SCDMV reinstatement fee
SCDMV states a $100 reinstatement fee is required for each suspension unless another amount is required, payable at a branch, online, or by mail; a payment plan may be available above $200.
What the source says
“A $100 reinstatement fee is required for each suspension unless another amount is required. You can pay reinstatement fees at any branch office.”
- 7
Complete the full interlock term and the ADSAP plan for full restoration
The device must remain for six months (first offense) with the restriction maintained on the license for that period (§ 56-1-400(B)); § 56-5-2990(B) makes successful completion of recommended ADSAP services a mandatory requirement of full restoration of driving privileges.
What the source says
“Successful completion of the services, if the services are necessary, recommended in the plan of education or treatment, or both, developed for the person is a mandatory requirement of the full restoration of driving privileges to the person whose license is suspended pursuant to this section.”
Official reinstatement page: South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV); Ignition Interlock Device Program administered by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS)
Conditions that travel with reinstatement
| Reinstatement fee | $100 |
|---|---|
| SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing | Yes · 3 years — South Carolina SR-22 requirements |
| Ignition interlock | South Carolina interlock rule |
| Required program | Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP) |
| Driving during the suspension | Ignition interlock restricted license (S.C. Code § 56-1-400(C)) |
| Re-examination | Knowledge test: required in some cases · road test: required in some cases |
Required program: Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP)
Under S.C. Code § 56-5-2990(B), SCDMV notifies the suspended person of the requirement to enroll in and complete an ADSAP certified by the Office of Substance Use Services; an assessment is prepared and a plan of education or treatment developed. Entry into recommended services is a mandatory requirement for the ignition interlock restricted license, and completion is mandatory for full restoration. § 56-5-2990(C) caps costs at $500 for education, $2,000 for treatment, and $2,500 total.
“must be notified by the department of the suspension and of the requirement to enroll in and successfully complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program certified by the Office of Substance Use Services.”
Driving during the suspension: Ignition interlock restricted license (S.C. Code § 56-1-400(C))
Under § 56-1-400, the license conspicuously identifies the person as limited to interlock-equipped vehicles, the restriction is maintained for the full interlock period, the fee is $100, and no such license may be issued without the provider's written installation notification. A person who chooses not to install the device remains suspended indefinitely (§ 56-1-400(E)). SCDMV states that for violations dated May 19, 2024 or later, the provisional license and route-restricted license are no longer issued for first-offense DUI/DUAC and BAC .15/implied-consent suspensions.
“no ignition interlock restricted license may be issued by the department without written notification from the authorized ignition interlock service provider that the ignition interlock device has been installed and confirmed to be in working order.”
When the interlock can be removed
Term-based, not violation-window based: the device must remain for the statutory term (six months for a first offense under § 56-5-2990(A)(2); two years second; three years third; lifetime fourth) and the license restriction is maintained for that period (§ 56-1-400(B)). Under § 56-5-2941(E) the SCDPPPS point system extends the term by two months (2 to under 3 points) or four months with a substance-abuse assessment (3 to under 4 points), and four or more points suspends the restricted license for six months. SCDPPPS states the full term must be completed to finish the program. Lifetime/fourth-offense participants may apply to SCDPPPS for removal after five years (§ 56-5-2941). No early-removal provision for first offenders and no removal fee cap were found.
Compliance period: none stated (full statutory term; extended by accumulated interlock points)
“the restriction must be maintained on the license for the duration of the period for which the ignition interlock device must be maintained pursuant to Section 56-1-286; 56-1-1090; 56-5-2945; 56-5-2951; 56-5-2990; or 56-5-2947”
Will you have to retake the test? Re-examination in South Carolina
Some states hand the license back once the conditions are met; others treat a revoked or long-withdrawn license as expired and issue a new one only after the knowledge test, the road test or a vision screening is passed again. The rules below are the licensing agency's own, one per test.
| Knowledge (written) test | Required in some cases The SCDMV reinstatement page lists suspension types, the reinstatement fee and the restricted licenses, not a test. The knowledge test returns on a nine-month rule: a license expired for nine months or more is not renewed but reissued after a vision, knowledge and skills test at an SCDMV branch, and by statute a driver who has not held a license within the previous nine months after a DUI, DUAC, felony DUI, reckless-driving or points suspension applies for a new license and takes the examination as upon an original application. What the source says“If your driver's license is expired for nine months or more, you must visit an SCDMV branch with all of the correct documentation to prove you are who you say you are and pass a vision, knowledge and skills test.” |
|---|---|
| Road (driving) test | Required in some cases The road (skills) test is part of the same examination: it is taken with the vision and knowledge tests for an original license, and again when the license has been expired nine months or more or the driver has not held a license within the previous nine months after one of the listed suspensions. What the source says“You must take a vision, knowledge, and road test when you apply for an original driver's license or upgrade to a different license.” |
| Vision screening | Required in some cases Vision is screened at every renewal and at every original issuance; for a withdrawn license it arises when the license is renewed or reissued, and the in-person screening is waived where an SC-licensed eye care professional submits a Certificate of Vision Examination dated within the past 36 months. What the source says“As of October 1, 2020, a vision screening is required to renew any driver's license or beginner's permit.” |
What triggers a re-test
Nine months, on two tracks. A license expired for nine months or more is reissued only after the vision, knowledge and skills tests. For a suspension for DUI, driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration, felony DUI, reckless driving or points, S.C. Code § 56-1-400 withholds the license from a person who has not held a license within the previous nine months until a new application, an examination as upon an original application and an investigation of driving ability; a shorter suspension ends with a new license at the end of the period.
“If the person has not held a license within the previous nine months, the department shall not issue or restore a license which has been suspended for reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants, driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration,”- Testing fee
- $25 — the fee for the eight-year license issued after the tests; the statute lets the department charge a fee for each complete examination or reexamination but states no amount, and the $100 reinstatement fee is separate
What the source says
“Pay $25 for the license”
- Where to take it
- dmv.sc.gov — knowledge tests at any SCDMV branch; the regular road test at any SCDMV branch (walk-in in the morning, by appointment from 2 p.m.) or with a third-party tester
- Official driver manual
- South Carolina Driver's Manual
- The rule
- S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-400(A)(2)
“submitted to an examination as upon an original application, and satisfied the department, after an investigation of the person's driving ability, that it would be safe to grant the person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways.”
Questions about re-testing in South Carolina
- Does a South Carolina DUI suspension mean retaking the tests?
- It depends on nine months. Under S.C. Code § 56-1-400, a driver suspended for DUI, driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration, felony DUI, reckless driving or points who has not held a license within the previous nine months files a new application and takes the examination as upon an original application; the SCDMV renewals page likewise requires the vision, knowledge and skills tests for a license expired nine months or more.
- What does the examination include?
- Under S.C. Code § 56-1-130 the examination covers eyesight, reading and understanding highway signs, knowledge of the traffic laws and an actual demonstration of ability to control the vehicle; the SCDMV testing page describes it as a vision, knowledge and road test.
- Where are the tests taken?
- Knowledge tests at any SCDMV branch. The regular road test at any SCDMV branch, walk-in from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays) and by appointment from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., or with a third-party tester.
Reinstatement knowledge check: South Carolina
Ten questions on the rules this site cites for the state — the figures the licensing agency and the statute state, with a link to where each one is stated. The order changes every time.
This is not the agency's knowledge test and does not predict it; it checks the rules cited on this site.
Questions about reinstatement in South Carolina
- How does a first-offense DUI suspension end in South Carolina?
- For violations dated on or after May 19, 2024, S.C. Code § 56-5-2990(A)(2) provides that a first offender shall enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program, end the suspension, and obtain an ignition interlock restricted license, with the device affixed for six months. SCDMV states an IID is required to clear DUI/DUAC suspensions for those violation dates.
- What are the steps SCDPPPS lists for getting the interlock device?
- The SCDPPPS brochure lists three steps: receive an eligibility letter from SCDPPPS (after enrolling in ADSAP), have the device installed by an approved manufacturer with inspections at least every 60 days, and present the installation certificate to SCDMV to obtain the Ignition Interlock Restricted License, after which program time begins.
- When is the interlock removed in South Carolina?
- The statutes set fixed terms rather than a violation-free window: six months for a first offense (§ 56-5-2990(A)(2)), with the restriction maintained on the license for that period (§ 56-1-400(B)). Under § 56-5-2941(E), accumulated interlock points extend the term by two or four months, and four or more points suspend the restricted license for six months.
Sources
- SCDMV - License Reinstatement
- SCDMV - Pay Reinstatement Fees
- SCDPPPS - Understanding the IID Program brochure (May 2024), Steps 1-3
- SCDPPPS - Program Procedures (IID policy effective May 19, 2024)
- S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 5 (§ 56-5-2941 IID program; § 56-5-2990 suspension, IID terms, ADSAP)
- S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 1 (§ 56-1-400 ignition interlock restricted license)