To check a license status in South Carolina, use one of two state websites: dmv.sc.gov for driver’s licenses and verify.llronline.com for professional and occupational licenses. The driver’s license side gives you a free points summary or a $10 full driving record. The professional license side is free to anyone and covers more than 40 licensed fields.
Checking Your Own Driver’s License
The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles offers two online options through dmv.sc.gov.1SCDMV. Get My Driving Record The free points summary shows how many points are currently on your record, which is the quickest way to see whether you are in good standing or heading toward a suspension. The paid $10 full driving record is a three-year or ten-year report showing your complete violation history, suspension status, and point totals.
You will need your South Carolina driver’s license number to sign in. Some transactions ask for additional identifying information, such as your date of birth.2SCDMV. Driver’s License
Checking a Professional License
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation runs a free public lookup at verify.llronline.com. It covers more than 40 licensed professions, from nursing and pharmacy to real estate, cosmetology, and engineering.3South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Professions + Occupations – SCLLR
Select the relevant board from the dropdown, then search by the professional’s name or license number. The tool returns current status, license type, and any other details the board makes public. Commonly searched boards include Medical Examiners, Nursing, the Real Estate Commission, Real Estate Appraisers, Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Psychology.
Contractors Are Split Between Two Boards
Contractor verification has a quirk worth knowing. Commercial contractors are licensed by the Contractor’s Licensing Board; residential work falls under the Residential Builders Commission. If a name returns nothing under one board, check the other before concluding the contractor is unlicensed. For contractors, “Active” means current and authorized to bid, pull permits, and perform regulated work statewide. “Inactive” means they cannot do any of that above the $10,000 contract limit.
What the Status Terms Mean
The status label is the answer to the question you came for. Here is what each one tells you:
- Active. Current and authorized to drive or practice.
- Suspended. Privileges are pulled for a set period. The person cannot legally drive or practice until the suspension ends and any reinstatement conditions are met.
- Revoked. Terminated entirely, with no built-in end date. Getting licensed again typically means starting the application over. South Carolina law requires the holder to surrender the physical license upon revocation.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 1 Section 56-1-365
- Expired. The validity period has passed. Not legal for use until renewed.
- Probationary. Valid but with conditions or restrictions, often after a violation or as part of reinstatement.
- Inactive. For contractors, this means no bidding or regulated work above $10,000.
Checking Someone Else’s License
Professional license lookups through LLR are fully public. You can search any licensee without their consent or a stated reason.
Driving records are restricted. To pull another person’s full driving report from the SCDMV, you either need that driver’s written consent or a qualifying purpose under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. Qualifying uses include government functions, court proceedings, insurance claims, and business verification to prevent fraud.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records You will need to state your qualifying purpose when requesting the record.1SCDMV. Get My Driving Record
Employers who run driving-record checks through a consumer reporting agency also have to comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which means written notice to the applicant and written permission before pulling the report.6Federal Trade Commission. What Employment Background Screening Companies Need to Know About the Fair Credit Reporting Act
If Your Check Shows a Suspension
A suspension on your driving record carries a $100 reinstatement fee for each separate suspension listed. You can pay at any SCDMV branch office.7SCDMV. Pay Reinstatement Fees Paying the fee is not always enough. Depending on why you were suspended, you may need to serve the full suspension period, complete required courses, file proof of insurance (SR-22), or satisfy court-ordered conditions before the SCDMV will reinstate you.
Driving on a suspended license is a separate criminal offense in South Carolina. If your record shows a suspension, do not drive until you have cleared it with the SCDMV.
For a professional license, reinstatement and appeal procedures vary by board. Contact the specific LLR board that issued the license for instructions.
Non-Online Options
If you would rather not use the website, the SCDMV takes calls at 803-896-5000. You can visit any SCDMV branch in person, or mail a completed Form MV-70 with a $10 check or money order made out to the SCDMV to PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016.1SCDMV. Get My Driving Record
Each LLR board publishes its own contact information on the LLR website, and phone and email inquiries are accepted. Some boards keep offices separate from the main LLR headquarters in Columbia.
A Note for Commercial Driver Employers
Checking a commercial driver’s fitness to drive is not the same as a status lookup. Federal rules require employers to query the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before hiring a driver into a safety-sensitive role, with the driver’s written consent, and to run at least one query per year for every current commercial driver on the roster.8eCFR. Subpart G Requirements and Procedures for Implementation of the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Separately, when someone applies for or renews a South Carolina license, the SCDMV searches the National Driver Register, so a suspension in another state will show up here.9U.S. Department of Transportation. National Driver Register (NDR) Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS)