2021 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 56 - Motor Vehicles
Chapter 3 - Motor Vehicle Registration And Licensing
Section 56-3-8100. Special license plates production and distribution guidelines.
(A) Before the Department of Motor Vehicles produces and distributes a special license plate created by the General Assembly after January 1, 2006, it must receive:
(1) six thousand eight hundred dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate; and
(2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate which must be approved by the department.
(B) The Comptroller General shall place the six thousand eight hundred dollar application fee pursuant to subsection (A)(1) into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167.
(C) The department must develop a basic plate design that will be used for all special license plates authorized by the General Assembly. The license plate must be the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates but may be imprinted on the license plate in an area specified by the department with an emblem, seal, insignia, or other identifying symbol of the sponsoring organization that the department considers appropriate. No text or slogans may be added to the license plate design unless they are part of the approved emblem, seal, insignia, or other identifying symbol. The name of the organization may be imprinted across the top of the license plate. The standard license plate design must be issued for all organizational license plates newly requested after July 1, 2013. License plate designs in production as of that date must be changed when the license plate, or license plate class, is replaced.
(D) The fee for all special license plates created by the General Assembly after January 1, 2006, is the regular biennial registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional fee to be requested by the individual or organization seeking issuance of the plate, as authorized by law. The initial fee amount requested can only be changed every five years from the first year the plate is issued. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued.
(E) If the individual or organization seeking issuance of the plate does not request an additional fee above the regular registration fee, and no other additional fee is prescribed by law, the department may collect an additional fee of ten dollars.
(F) Of the additional fee collected pursuant to subsections (D) and (E), the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of producing and administering special license plates.
(G) Any of the remaining additional fee collected pursuant to subsections (D) and (E) not placed in the restricted account must be distributed to an organization designated by the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate, or to the general fund, if no additional fee is requested by the organization.
(H) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
(I) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for plates created pursuant to Article 12, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 14, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 31, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 39, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 40, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 43, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 45, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 49, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 50, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 60, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 70, Chapter 3, Title 56; Article 72, Chapter 3, Title 56; and Article 76, Chapter 3, Title 56 it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
(J) The provisions contained in subsection (A)(1) and (2) do not apply to the production and distribution of the Korean War Veterans Special License Plates contained in Article 68, Chapter 3, Title 56.
(K) For each new classification of special vehicle license plate, including, but not limited to, motorcycle license plates, created pursuant to this section, must meet the requirements of Articles 81 and 82, Chapter 3, Title 56, as appropriate.
(L) The fee required in subsection (A)(1) must be reviewed by the General Assembly during the 2013 legislative session, and every two years thereafter. The department must provide a detailed, comprehensive justification to increase the fee. Any fee increase must be introduced in a separate bill separate and apart from any other matter.
HISTORY: 1999 Act No. 63, Section 8; 2002 Act No. 193, Section 2; 2002 Act No. 194, Section 2; 2002 Act No. 200, Section 9; 2002 Act No. 218, Section 2; 2002 Act No. 264, Section 4; 2002 Act No. 352, Section 2; 2002 Act No. 354, Section 2; 2006 Act No. 398, Section 3, eff September 7, 2006; 2007 Act No. 90, Section 3, eff June 14, 2007; 2008 Act No. 347, Section 18, eff June 16, 2008; 2012 Act No. 272, Section 22, eff December 26, 2012; 2013 Act No. 56, Section 8.B, eff June 12, 2013; 2016 Act No. 275 (S.1258), Sections 62.A, 62.B, eff July 1, 2016.
