What Do I Need to Transfer My Driver’s License to South Carolina?

To transfer your driver’s license to South Carolina, visit an SCDMV branch office in person within 45 days of moving with your valid out-of-state license, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship, your Social Security number, and two documents showing your current South Carolina address. The fee is $25 for an eight-year license.¹²

Documents to Bring

South Carolina sorts the paperwork into three buckets for U.S. citizens, all listed on SCDMV Form MV-93. Bring originals or government-issued copies.³

Identity, Citizenship, and Date of Birth

One document usually covers all three. The common choices are a certified U.S. birth certificate with a registrar’s signature and a file or tracking number, or an unexpired U.S. passport or passport card. A birth certificate from a U.S. territory also works, translated into English if it isn’t already.³

Social Security Number

You write your SSN on the application and the SCDMV verifies it electronically with the Social Security Administration. Your name and date of birth have to match SSA records exactly. The physical card isn’t strictly required; a W-2, a tax return, or an SSA annual statement can back up the number if the office asks.³ If anything is mismatched, you fix it with the SSA before the SCDMV will issue the license.

Two Proofs of South Carolina Address

You need two documents showing your current physical SC address, each from a different organization. Utility bills (water, electric, gas, internet, phone), a current lease, and bank or credit card statements are on the accepted list.³ This is the requirement that most often trips up brand-new residents. If you haven’t set utilities up in your name yet, wait until you have two qualifying items before making the trip.

Name Change Documents

If your current legal name doesn’t match the name on your birth certificate or passport, bring proof of every name change along the way. A marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order with the name change is what the SCDMV wants to see.⁴ Multiple changes usually mean multiple documents unless a single record shows both the old and new names.

The 45-Day Deadline

The 45-day clock starts the day you permanently move to South Carolina. After that, your out-of-state license is no longer valid for driving in the state.¹ Driving past the deadline can bring a charge of driving without a license, a misdemeanor. A first offense is a fine of $50 to $100 or up to 30 days in jail. A second is a $500 fine, 45 days in jail, or both. A third or later offense means 45 days to six months.⁵

There is one narrow safety valve. If you were cited but can show the court you actually held a valid license at the time of the stop, the charge must be dismissed.⁵ Don’t count on it as a plan.

REAL ID or Standard License

At the counter the SCDMV asks whether you want a REAL ID license (marked with a star) or a standard license marked “Not for Federal Identification.”⁴ Federal REAL ID enforcement has been in effect since May 7, 2025, so a REAL ID, a passport, or another approved federal ID is now required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings.⁶

Identity and SSN requirements are the same either way. The address proof differs: a REAL ID needs two, a standard license needs one.⁴ Since transferring in usually means you already have both address documents, the REAL ID adds no paperwork. If you fly with a passport anyway, the standard license is fine.

What Happens at the Branch

Transfers must be done in person. You hand over your documents, complete the application, sit for a photo, and sign. The SCDMV will also take your out-of-state license; once South Carolina issues yours, any other state’s license is canceled.⁷

Every applicant takes a basic vision screening at the counter, checking for 20/40 or better. If you can’t pass on site, a licensed eye care professional has to certify that your vision meets the state’s standard.⁸

If your out-of-state license is currently valid, the written knowledge test and the road test are both waived. That’s the usual path. But if your out-of-state license has been expired for nine months or more, the waiver is gone and you must pass both tests before South Carolina will issue yours.¹ The knowledge test is $2 per attempt.²

The Fee

A standard eight-year South Carolina license is $25.² The SCDMV takes credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, personal checks, money orders, and cash.⁹

If You’re Military or a Student

Active-duty military members and students who are in South Carolina temporarily do not have to swap licenses, and neither do their dependents, so long as the out-of-state license stays valid.¹ Active-duty members who do choose to get a South Carolina license are exempt from the vision screening.⁸

If You’re Not a U.S. Citizen

Lawfully present non-citizens follow a different checklist, SCDMV Form MV-94, rather than the MV-93.¹⁰ Generally that means bringing your valid passport, your I-94 arrival/departure record, and any status documents like an I-20 for students or an I-797 for status changes. Legal presence is verified through the federal SAVE system. If you don’t have a Social Security number, you may need to apply for one or bring a refusal letter from the SSA. The MV-94 spells out the requirements by immigration category, and it’s worth reading before your visit.

Your Vehicle Is a Separate Errand

The license transfer covers you as a driver. Your car is its own process with its own paperwork, its own fees, and the same 45-day deadline to transfer the title and registration.¹¹ Before you register, you’ll need SC-compliant auto insurance meeting the state minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage,¹² and you’ll need to pay county property taxes on the vehicle before the SCDMV will finish registration. Plan for at least two trips and budget well above the $25 you’ll spend on the license itself.

1
SCDMV. Moving to SC – License
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SCDMV. Fees
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. United States Citizens’ Checklist (SCDMV Form MV-93)
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SCDMV. Driver’s License
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 1 Section 56-1-440 – Penalties for Driving Without License
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Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Surrender Agreement (SCDMV Form DL-49)
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SCDMV. Vision Tests
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SCDMV. More Payment Options Come to SCDMV Offices
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SCDMV. Lawfully Present Non-US Citizens
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SCDMV. Moving To SC – Vehicle
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South Carolina Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance