COLUMBIA, S.C. — A number of changes are coming to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles starting Monday, Nov. 25.
These changes are being put into effect due to Act #86 -- a law passed by state lawmakers in May of 2019. The new law goes into effect on Monday and will change the following items:
- Expiration date of driver's licenses and identification cards
- Fee for IDs for people 5-to-16-years-old
- Fee for purchasing a duplicate ID card for people 17-years-old and older
- Fee for non-US citizen driver's licenses
- Validity period for commercial learner's permits (CLP)
- Validity period for commercial driver's licenses (CDL)
Expiration Date Changes to All Cards
According to the new law, driver's licenses and identification cards issued on or after Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, will no longer expire on the cardholder's birthday. The expiration date of cards issued on or after Nov. 25, 2019, will be based on the date the SCDMV issued the card.
This change does not apply to customers who buy a duplicate or modified license or ID on or after Nov. 25. It only applies to first-time licenses and IDs or cards that are renewed on and after Nov. 25.
Changes to ID Cards
Beginning Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, identification cards for people 5-to-16-years-old will be $15. This is a $10 increase. The increase covers the SCDMV's actual cost to produce the card. All IDs will now be valid for eight years, instead of five.
IDs for people 17-years-old and older remain free, however, beginning Nov. 25, people 17 and older will be issued only one free ID card per issuance cycle (every eight years). A replacement ID will be $10 if the SCDMV has already issued the customer a free card.
Customers will be eligible to renew their ID for free if they're within one year of its expiration date.
CDL and CLP Changes
Commercial driver's licenses (CDL) issued on and after November 25, 2019, will be valid for eight years. Previously, CDLs were valid for five. If a customer holds a CDL with a hazmat endorsement, however, the CDL expires five years from the date the customer passed his or her Transportation Security Administration threat assessment.
A CDL that is valid for eight years costs $25. A CDL with a hazmat endorsement costs $15. These prices are in addition to the $15 application fee.
Finally, commercial learner's permits will now be valid for one year instead of six months.
International Customer Licenses
The SCDMV issues driver's licenses and identification cards to non-US Citizens who present the proper identity documents, including their authorized length of stay in the United States. No types of licenses or IDs are issued to people illegally in the country.
Prior to Nov. 25, 2019, international customers pay $12.50 for their license that is valid for no more than five years. If the international customer's authorized length of the stay in the US is shorter than five years, the license is valid for the same amount of time as their authorized length of stay in the US.
Beginning Nov. 25, international customers will pay $25 for a license that is valid for more than four years. International customers will continue to pay $12.50 for a license that is valid for four years or less.