The restriction codes on a South Carolina driver’s license are short letter or number codes in the “Restrictions” field that flag conditions you must follow while driving: wearing corrective lenses, using hand controls, staying off the interstate, or, on a commercial license, avoiding manual transmissions or air-brake vehicles. Each code is tied to a vision result, a medical condition, or the type of vehicle you tested in, and each can be changed or removed by giving the SCDMV the right paperwork.
Standard License Restrictions
The SCDMV places restrictions on standard driver’s licenses based on vision screenings, medical evaluations, and physical limitations. Unlike the CDL list, the SCDMV does not publish a full public reference for standard-license codes. If a code on your license isn’t obvious, call the SCDMV or ask at a branch office for a plain-English explanation.
The common standard-license restrictions fall into three groups.
Vision Restrictions
The most familiar one requires corrective lenses while driving. If you can’t pass the SCDMV’s vision screening at a branch office, you’re referred to a licensed eye care professional. If that provider determines your sight can be corrected with glasses or contacts, you can still get a license, but it will carry a restriction limiting you to driving while wearing them.1SCDMV. Vision Tests Getting pulled over without your corrective lenses when your license requires them is treated the same as any other restriction violation.
Other vision-related restrictions can limit you to daytime driving only, require outside mirrors on both sides of the vehicle, or cap your driving speed. A Certificate of Vision Examination stays valid for 36 months from the exam date.
Medical Restrictions
Medical conditions that could impair safe driving — seizure disorders, neurological conditions, conditions affecting motor function — may trigger restrictions. Drivers with epilepsy, for example, generally must show a seizure-free period of at least six months before the SCDMV will issue or reinstate full driving privileges. The SCDMV may require periodic medical evaluations and can shorten the time your license stays valid before renewal.
Restrictions tied to a medical condition might limit you to vehicles with automatic transmissions, prohibit highway driving, or require hand controls.
Vehicle Modification Restrictions
If a physical limitation prevents you from using standard vehicle controls, the SCDMV may require specific modifications, such as hand controls for someone who can’t use foot pedals or a specialized steering device for limited arm mobility. Your license will then carry a restriction tying you to that equipment.
Getting one of these restrictions placed on your license requires documentation from a medical professional confirming the need, and you may need to pass a driving test in the modified vehicle.
CDL Restriction Codes
Commercial driver’s licenses use a separate set of alphabetic codes, and the SCDMV publishes the full list. These codes largely follow federal rules under 49 CFR 383.95, so they apply consistently across states.2eCFR. 49 CFR 383.95 – Restrictions Most stem from the vehicle you used during your skills test.
- Code E: No manual-transmission commercial vehicles. Applied when you tested in a vehicle with an automatic or semi-automatic transmission.
- Code K: Intrastate only. Required for CDL holders ages 18 to 20, limiting them to driving within South Carolina.
- Code L: No air-brake-equipped commercial vehicles. Applied when your road-test vehicle did not have air brakes.
- Code M: No Class A passenger vehicles. Applied when you tested in a Class B passenger vehicle for your passenger endorsement.
- Code N: No Class A or B passenger vehicles. Applied when you tested in a Class C passenger vehicle.
- Code O: No tractor-trailer with a fifth-wheel connection. Applied when you tested using a pintle hook or other non-fifth-wheel hookup.
- Code P: No passengers in a commercial bus. The only people allowed in the vehicle are auditors, inspectors, examiners, trainees, or your supervising driver.
- Code V: Medical variance on file. You hold a federal waiver or skill performance evaluation alongside your DOT medical certification. The SCDMV will not remove this code as long as your DOT medical certificate references the variance.
- Code X: No cargo in a tank vehicle. Any tank that previously held hazardous materials must be purged, and you must carry a purge certificate.
- Code Z: No full-air-brake commercial vehicles. Applied when you tested in a vehicle with air-over-hydraulic brakes rather than full air brakes.
Where the Codes Appear on Your License
Restriction codes are printed in the “Restrictions” field on the front of your South Carolina license. Standard-license codes are typically numeric or alphanumeric; CDL codes use the letter system above. Law enforcement officers can see these codes during traffic stops and will check whether you’re in compliance. If your license has a corrective-lens restriction and you’re not wearing glasses or contacts, that’s an immediate, observable violation.
Some drivers carry more than one restriction. A CDL holder might have both Code E (no manual transmission) and Code V (medical variance), meaning both conditions apply at the same time. If you’ve recently had a restriction added or removed, verify that your updated license reflects the change before you drive.
Removing or Changing a Restriction
Getting a restriction changed or taken off requires proving to the SCDMV that the underlying condition has improved or no longer applies. The path depends on which restriction you have.
For vision restrictions, a licensed eye care professional must submit updated exam results through the SCDMV’s online vision portal or on a paper Certificate of Vision Examination. That’s Form 412-NC for non-commercial drivers and Form 412-CDL for commercial drivers.1SCDMV. Vision Tests If the new results show your vision meets South Carolina’s standards without correction, the SCDMV can remove the corrective-lens restriction.
For medically based restrictions, your physician needs to complete updated documentation confirming the condition has improved or is well-controlled. For an epilepsy-related restriction, the physician must confirm you’ve been seizure-free for the required period before the SCDMV will reconsider.
For a vehicle-modification restriction, you may need to pass a driving test in a standard vehicle to show you can safely operate one without adaptive equipment. The SCDMV may also ask for a recommendation from a certified driver rehabilitation specialist.
On the commercial side, CDL codes tied to your skills test — E, L, M, N, O, and Z — can generally be removed by retaking the skills test in a vehicle that meets the unrestricted requirements. Code K drops automatically when you turn 21. Code V stays in place as long as your DOT medical certificate references the variance.3SCDMV. CDL Restriction Codes
Penalties for Driving Outside Your Restrictions
Driving in violation of a license restriction is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law. Under Section 56-1-440, a first offense carries a fine between $50 and $100 or up to 30 days in jail.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-1-440 Consequences escalate in two situations: accidents and repeat offenses.
If you cause an accident while driving outside your restrictions, prosecutors can pursue reckless driving charges under Section 56-5-2920. A conviction carries a fine between $25 and $200 or up to 30 days in jail, and a second reckless driving offense within five years triggers a three-month license suspension.5South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-5-2920 A restriction violation combined with an at-fault accident also gives insurance companies a reason to raise your premiums or drop coverage.
Repeat offenders face the steepest consequences. South Carolina classifies someone as a habitual offender under Section 56-1-1020 based on accumulating qualifying convictions, including reckless driving and driving on a suspended license, within a three-year window.6South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-1-1020 That determination triggers a five-year license revocation, which can be reduced to two years in certain circumstances or through enrollment in the Ignition Interlock Device Program if any qualifying offenses were alcohol-related.7South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 1
If your license is suspended for any reason, reinstatement costs $100 per suspension, on top of any fines, court costs, or higher insurance premiums.8SCDMV. Pay Reinstatement Fees
Challenging a Restriction or Suspension
If you believe a restriction was unfairly imposed or a removal request was wrongly denied, South Carolina gives you the right to a hearing, but the window is short. Under Section 56-1-370, you have 10 days after receiving notice of a suspension, cancellation, or revocation to request an administrative hearing in writing with the Division of Motor Vehicle Hearings.7South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 1 The hearing takes place in the judicial circuit where you were arrested, unless you and the Division agree on a different location.
At the hearing, a hearing officer reviews the SCDMV’s decision and can rescind the suspension or modify its terms. If the officer upholds the suspension, the suspension period is counted from the date of the hearing (as long as the results are transmitted electronically that same day), not from the original notice date. Miss the 10-day deadline and you generally lose the right to challenge the decision through this process.
For habitual offender determinations, the appeal goes through the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings under Section 56-1-1030, which has exclusive jurisdiction over those cases.7South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 1 With a five-year revocation on the table, legal representation is worth considering. It’s also worth considering when a restriction violation has led to a reckless driving charge, or when a restriction-removal request has been denied and you want to press a medical or procedural argument the SCDMV rejected.