This is a misdemeanor and with a conviction, the penalties are:ġst offense: $50-$100 fine or imprisonment for 30 daysĢnd offense: $500 fine and/or imprisonment for 45 daysģrd offense and beyond: imprisonment 45 days to 6 months PENALTIES FOR DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED OR REVOKED LICENSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA The penalty for driving without a license depends on how many times you’ve committed the offense. It’s a violation to drive without a valid license in South Carolina. PENALTIES FOR DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA You can do this by having your driver’s license renewed within a week of receiving the ticket. Whether you realized your license was expired or not at the time you were pulled over, you may be able to have your ticket for driving with an expired license dismissed.
(Remember this for the future: Your license is always set to expire on your birthday, so around your birthday each year take a look at your license to see if this year is the year you need to get it renewed.)
But it can and does happen that a driver unknowingly drives with an expired license, perhaps because they didn’t realize their license had expired. When your license has been suspended or revoked, it means you’ve broken the law, which led to the suspension or revocation. However, driving with an expired license in South Carolina is different from driving with a suspended or revoked license. The short answer is that you should not drive with an expired license, because, as stated above, South Carolina requires a valid driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle. If you’ve simply left your valid driver’s license at home, then note that the charges must be dismissed if you provide proof to the court that you were licensed at the time of the violation. There are two types of driving without a license: unlicensed driving, where the driver never had a valid license, and license not in possession, where the driver doesn’t have their valid license on them while driving.ĭriving without proof of license at the time you were pulled over is different from driving without a license entirely. What this question is really asking is, “What happens if you get caught driving without a license?”ĭriving without a valid license in South Carolina is a misdemeanor and comes with penalties (described below). WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DRIVE WITHOUT A LICENSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA? Let’s look at each of these violations in more detail. Under South Carolina law, there are a number of violations related to driver’s licenses, including: If you do not have a driver’s license, but have been injured through no fault of your own please contact the attorneys at The Carolina Law Group to discuss what your rights may be and to recover the compensation you deserve. If you are a victim in a motor vehicle accident and do not have a valid driver’s license, that does not preclude your right to pursue a claim against the at-fault party. Still some others have a valid license, but don’t have it in their possession while driving. Some people drive who never had a valid driver’s license in the first place.
It may have expired, been suspended, or been revoked. There are a number of reasons why someone may drive without a valid license. Consequences for driving without a license can include financial penalties and jail time – even for a first offense. You must have a valid driver’s license on you to drive in this state, and the consequences if you don’t can in some cases be severe. Driving without a valid driver’s license is a very serious matter in South Carolina.