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TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-210(A) OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE, TO PROVIDE THAT, WHEN A PERSON WHO IS SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER RENEWS HIS LICENSE, THE LICENSE SHALL EXPIRE ON THE DATE RECOMMENDED BY THE LICENSED OPHTHALMOLOGIST OR OPTOMETRIST CONDUCTING THE VISION SCREENING OR FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE IT WAS ISSUED, WHICHEVER IS EARLIER; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-220 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO VISION SCREENINGS REQUIRED FOR DRIVER'S LICENSES, TO REQUIRE A VISION SCREENING TO RECEIVE AN INITIAL LICENSE AND A RENEWED LICENSE, AND TO REQUIRE THE SCREENING OPHTHALMOLOGIST OR OPTOMETRIST TO CERTIFY THAT MINIMUM STANDARDS HAVE BEEN MET.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 56-1-210(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 56-1-210. (A) A license issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2017, expires on the licensee's birth date on the eighth calendar year in which it is issued. When a person who is sixty-five years of age or older renews his license, the license shall expire on the date recommended by the licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist conducting the vision screening required by Section 56-1-220 or five years from the date the license was issued, whichever is earlier."
SECTION 2. Section 56-1-220 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 56-1-220. (A) The department shall require vision screening for all persons obtaining an initial license and upon license renewal. The vision screening may be waived upon the submission of a certificate of vision examination dated within the previous twelve months from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state.
(B) The renewal license forms distributed by the department must be designed to contain a certification that the vision of the person screened meets the minimum standards required by the department or have been corrected to meet these requirements if a screening is required. The certification must be executed by the person the ophthalmologist or optometrist conducting the screening. The minimum standards of the department shall not require a greater degree of vision than 20/40 corrected in one eye. Persons using bioptic lenses must adhere to the provisions contained in Section 56-1-222.
(C) A person whose vision is corrected to meet the minimum standards shall have the correction noted on his driver's license by the department.
(D) It is unlawful for a person whose vision requires correction in order to meet the minimum standards of the department to drive a motor vehicle in this State without the use of the correction.
(E) Unless otherwise provided in this section, any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on February 7, 2018 at 3:29 PM