Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

 

Amended

April 29, 2026

 

H. 5131

 

Introduced by Reps. Hartnett, M. M. Smith and Henderson-Myers

 

S. Printed 4/29/26--S.

Read the first time March 31, 2026

 

________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 56-3-780, RELATING TO PERMANENT LICENSE PLATES AND FEES FOR VEHICLES OF STATE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, SO AS TO CREATE A PERMANENT LICENSE PLATE FOR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS LOCATED IN THE STATE.

    Amend Title To Conform

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Section 56-3-780(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    (A) Permanent license plates must be issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles for all motor vehicles operated by the State or its political subdivisions, or tribal governments located in the State. The license fee, including registration, is two dollars. Permanent plates must bear the words "South Carolina,", the number, and a prefix "SG,", "RG,", "CG,", or "MG," or "TG" to designate respectively state government, regional government, county government, or municipal government, or tribal government. The department may issue a permanent license plate to vehicles used by state or local law enforcement agencies. The fee for the permanent plate is two dollars. A decal may be issued to designate the law enforcement agency. The department may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of the decal.

 

SECTION 2.  The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue tribal government license plates six months following approval of their design.

 

SECTION 3.  Section 56-3-1230(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

    (D) Notwithstanding subsection (C), no later than January 1, 2027, the South Carolina Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission shall submit to the department for approval a new design, emblem, seal, logo, or other symbol it desires to be used as the regular license plate to commemorate the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the American Revolution. The design, emblem, seal, logo, or other symbol submitted to the department must be imprinted with the words "Where the Revolution Was Won" and shall include, at a minimum, a flag against an indigo background together with a gorget in an upper corner of the flag, also known as the Moultrie Flag. The department must use the commission's submission pursuant to this subsection as the design for regular license plates for private-passenger vehicles and motorcycles issued by the department until December 31, 2032.

    (D)(E) Fees for regular license plates shall not exceed the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56.

 

SECTION 4.  Article 44, Chapter 3, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

Article 44

 

Share the RoadI Bike SC License Plates

 

    Section 56-3-4410. (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Share the Road" "I Bike SC"  special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 and motorcycles registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other symbol of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc. shall submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for this special license plate. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc. may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this these special license plateplates is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of thirtyfifty-two dollars.

    (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc., or another nonprofit fund designated by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc., for the promotion of bicycling pedestrian, bicycle, and other active transportation safety and education programs. Any remaining funds must be administered by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc., or another nonprofit fund designated by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition Inc. used only for efforts to promote bicyclepedestrian, bicycle, and other active transportation safety and education programs, and deposited in an appropriate nonprofit account designated by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Inc.

    (C) Before the department produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive:

       (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and

       (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department.

    (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.

 

SECTION 5.  Chapter 3, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

Article 156

 

Quail Forever Specialty License Plate

 

    Section 56-3-16510.  The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Quail Forever" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. The requirements for production and distribution of the plate are those set forth in Section 56-3-8100. The biennial fee for this plate is the regular registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional fee of seventy dollars. Any portion of the additional seventy-dollar fee not set aside by the Comptroller General to defray costs of production and distribution must be distributed to Quail Forever, and those funds will be used exclusively in South Carolina in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to further Quail Forever's mission to influence bobwhite habitat conservation to support long-term and healthy quail populations in South Carolina. The department may issue this special license plate six months following the approval of its design.

 

SECTION 6.A.  Chapter 3, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

Article 157

 

Blackout Special License Plates

 

    Section 56-3-16610.  (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue blackout special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. This special license plate is exempt from the provisions contained in Section 56-3-8100. Each blackout special license plate must have a solid black background and white characters imprinted horizontally.

    (B) Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the plate is issued. The fee for each special license plate is the regular biennial registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional biennial fee of forty dollars. The additional biennial fee of forty dollars must be credited to the State Highway Fund. The fee for each special personalized plate is an additional biennial fee of sixty dollars, which must be credited to the State Highway Fund.

 

B. The department shall produce special blackout plates within six months after the effective date of this act.

 

SECTION 7.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----