South Carolina sets license plate designs and specialty plate fees

The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles must issue plates with a solid black background and white letters and numbers. The plates are for owners of private passenger vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. These plates are exempt from the production requirements in Section 56-3-8100. Personalization costs another $60 every two years. Both extra fees go to the State Highway Fund. Plates expire 24 months from the month issued. The production deadline is six months after the law’s May 15, 2026, effective date.

The South Carolina Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission, which marks the Revolution’s 250th anniversary, must submit a plate design to the Department of Motor Vehicles for approval. The design applies to regular plates for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles. The design must include the words Where the Revolution Was Won and the Moultrie Flag, with an indigo background and its corner emblem. Regular plate fees cannot exceed the regular vehicle license fee. The commission must submit its design for approval no later than January 1, 2027.

The Department of Motor Vehicles must issue permanent plates for vehicles operated by tribal governments located in South Carolina. Coverage depends on the tribal government operating the vehicle, rather than owning it. The $2 fee includes registration. The plates must display South Carolina, a number, and the letters TG to identify tribal government vehicles. The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue tribal government plates six months following approval of their design.

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue Quail Forever plates. The plates are for owners of private passenger vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. Production and distribution must meet the requirements in Section 56-3-8100. After plate costs, the extra fee goes to Quail Forever for bobwhite habitat conservation in South Carolina, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The $70 fee is charged every two years in addition to regular registration fees.

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue I Bike SC plates using a symbol submitted by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition. The plates are for owners of private passenger vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. Production requires an approved symbol, an approved marketing plan, and either at least 400 prepaid applications or a $4,000 deposit. The deposit is refunded when matching plate fees are collected. The department keeps it if that amount is not collected within four years of first issuance. After plate costs, extra fees support walking, cycling, and other active transportation safety and education through the Palmetto Cycling Coalition or its chosen nonprofit. Fewer than 300 applications and renewals for a two-year period stops further production. The department continues issuing plates until existing stock runs out. Plates expire 24 months from the month issued. The coalition may request a symbol change no more than once every five years.