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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-1-218 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHOSE DRIVER'S LICENSE EXPIRES WHILE THE MEMBER IS SERVING OUTSIDE OF THIS STATE MAY APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION THAT LASTS UNTIL NINETY DAYS AFTER THE MEMBER RETURNS TO THE STATE OR THE TIME THE MEMBER IS DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMED FORCES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, TO PROVIDE THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND TO SPECIFY TO WHOM EXTENSION ELIGIBILITY APPLIES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-1-218. (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is deployed or mobilized outside of this State, or receives orders for a permanent change of station outside of this State, whose license expires while serving outside of this State or whose license expires within sixty days from the beginning of service outside of this State, may apply for an extension on the expiration of the license.
(B) The department must grant the extension if the service member provides copies of the orders that require service outside of this State and a valid military identification card. The extension shall expire ninety days after the member is discharged from the service or returns to this State. If the orders do not specify a return date, the service member is deemed to have returned on the date that the commanding officer of the unit provides as the return date to the department. The license is deemed to expire only upon the expiration of the extension.
(C)(1) The provisions of this section also apply to dependents residing with the service member.
(2) The provisions of this section do not apply to a person who receives a license from another state.
(D) While operating a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this section, a service member must possess the otherwise expired license, documentation of the extension from the department, and the orders requiring the member to serve outside of this State. While operating a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this section, a dependent of a service member must possess the otherwise expired license, documentation of the extension from the department, and the service member's orders requiring the member to serve outside of this State.
(E) The department may prescribe forms and policies to implement the provisions of this section. The department may not charge a service member for the extension allowed by this section. The department must post the application form on its website, and the application must be able to be processed by mail, electronically, or both."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on February 5, 2014 at 2:25 PM