Roadway Protection and Safety Act

2025-2026 Bill 4292: Roadway Protection and Safety Act

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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A148, R195, H4292

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Martin, Terribile, M.M. Smith, Robbins, B.L. Cox, Brewer, Holman, Duncan, Sanders, Bailey, Lawson, Pope, Ligon, Davis, W. Newton, Guffey, Gilreath, Long, Wooten, Teeple, Montgomery, C. Mitchell and Yow

Document Path: LC-0216CM25.docx

Introduced in the House on April 3, 2025

Introduced in the Senate on April 1, 2026

Last Amended on March 31, 2026

Currently residing in the Senate

Governor's Action: May 15, 2026, Signed

Summary: Roadway Protection and Safety Act

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

4/3/2025

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 15
)

4/3/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 15
)

4/8/2025

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Teeple

4/9/2025

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Montgomery

4/30/2025

Scrivener's error corrected

3/25/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: C.
Mitchell, Yow

3/26/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 3
)

3/31/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

3/31/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 246
)

3/31/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 246
)

3/31/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-1 (
House Journal-page 251
)

4/1/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 15
)

4/1/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-102 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 15
)

4/1/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

4/1/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 17
)

4/1/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 17
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 17
)

5/5/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 41
)

5/5/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-46 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 41
)

5/6/2026

Senate

Read third time and enrolled (
Senate Journal-page 82
)

5/14/2026

Ratified R 195

5/15/2026

Signed By Governor

5/26/2026

Effective date 05/15/26

5/26/2026

Act No. 148

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

04/03/2025
04/30/2025
03/26/2026
03/31/2026
03/31/2026-A
04/01/2026
04/29/2026

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A148, R195, H4292)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "ROADWAY PROTECTION AND SAFETY ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-3910 SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, TO PROVIDE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO PARTICIPATE IN, BE AN ORGANIZER OF, OR BE AN AIDER OR ABETTOR OF A STREET TAKEOVER, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.

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

Roadway Protection and Safety Act

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Roadway Protection and Safety Act."

Unlawful street takeover

SECTION 2. Article 31, Chapter 5, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Section 56-5-3910. (A) As contained in this section:

(1) "Street takeover" means the unauthorized deliberate and coordinated obstruction of a public roadway, street, highway, intersection, public vehicular area, private property without owner consent, or parking lot for illegal vehicle exhibitions including, but not limited to, burnouts, drifting, doughnuts, speed contests, stunts, wheelies, or other driving maneuvers that show a wilful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

(2) "Participant" means an individual operating a vehicle, riding as a passenger, or engaging in activities with the intent to contribute to a street takeover.

(3) "Organizer" means a person who intentionally plans, promotes, or facilitates a street takeover, including using social media, messaging applications, text messages, telephone calls, or another form of communication. This includes a person who coordinates meeting locations, times, or other logistical details that contribute to the occurrence of a street takeover.

(4) "Aider or abettor" means a person who assists in planning, coordinating, or physically aiding a street takeover including, but not limited to, blocking roads, selling concessions, collecting entry fees or spectator ticket fees, or directing vehicles.

(5) "Driving maneuvers" means a specific, skillful movement of the vehicle.

(6) "Burnout" means the operation of a motor vehicle where the motor vehicle is kept stationary, or is in motion, while the wheels are spun, resulting in friction which causes the motor vehicle's tires to heat up and emit smoke.

(7) "Drifting" means the operation of a motor vehicle where the motor vehicle is steered so that it makes a controlled skid sideways through a turn with the front wheels pointed in a direction opposite to that of the turn.

(8) "Doughnut" means the operation of a motor vehicle where the front or rear of the motor vehicle is rotated around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion which may cause a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on the driving surface or the tires to heat up and emit smoke from friction, or both.

(9) "Speed contest" means the operation of one or more motor vehicle(s) in a competitive attempt to outgain another motor vehicle or improve one's speed or time, including racing, timed acceleration, or attempts to outperform another motor vehicle.

(10) "Wheelie" means the operation of a motor vehicle where the motor vehicle is ridden for a distance with the front wheel or wheels raised off the ground.

(11) "Stunt" means a burnout, drifting, doughnut, wheelie, or other dangerous motor vehicle activity.

(B) A participant in a street takeover:

(1) for a first offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned not more than one year, or both; or

(2) for a second or subsequent offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than three thousand dollars, imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(C) An organizer of a street takeover:

(1) for a first offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned not more than one year, or both; or

(2) for a second or subsequent offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than three thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(D) An aider or abettor of a street takeover:

(1) for a first offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars, imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both;

(2) for a second or subsequent offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned not more than sixty days, or both.

(E) A person convicted of a crime contained in subsection (B) or (C) who, during the commission of the crime, also:

(1) fled a law enforcement officer during a street takeover is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned not more than one year, in addition to the punishment provided for with the principal crime;

(2) endangered pedestrians, law enforcement officers, or other drivers is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined up to an additional three thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than one year, in addition to the punishment provided for with the principal crime;

(3) inflicted bodily injury upon another person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined an additional ten thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than five years, in addition to the punishment provided for with the principal crime; or

(4) caused the death of another person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined an additional twenty-five thousand dollars, and imprisoned not more than ten years, in addition to the punishment provided for with the principal crime.

(F) Any vehicle used by a participant, organizer, or an aider and abettor during a street takeover, shall be seized by the responding law enforcement agency. Within ten days of seizure of such vehicle, the seizing agency shall provide written notice of such seizure to any owner or lienholder of the vehicle. Upon request, the seized vehicle may be returned to the owner or lienholder of the vehicle at the discretion of the responding law enforcement agency. Prior to release, the owner or lienholder shall pay any fees associated with the seizure of the vehicle, to include, but not be limited to, reasonable towing and storage fees. If the owner or lienholder of a seized vehicle fails to claim the vehicle and pay outstanding fees within thirty days of receipt of notice of seizure from the seizing agency, the vehicle shall be forfeited to the seizing agency and title to the vehicle shall transfer to the seizing law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agency may use the vehicle within the agency or sell the vehicle and use the proceeds to fund law enforcement activities.

(G) Any seized vehicle that was used by an individual convicted of a crime contained in this section shall be forfeited and title to the vehicle shall transfer to the law enforcement agency that initiated charges against the individual. The law enforcement agency may use the vehicle within the agency or sell the vehicle and use the proceeds to fund law enforcement activities.

(H) Any vehicle with illegal street racing modifications is not legal to operate on a public roadway, street, highway, intersection, public vehicular area, or parking lot. Such a vehicle shall immediately be forfeited to law enforcement upon a conviction for use of that vehicle in a street takeover.

(I) No political subdivision may by ordinance, policy, or regulation reduce any penalty contained in this section.

(J) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, 22-3-550, and 14-25-65, an offense punishable under this section, unless the person is charged with subsection (E) along with an underlying offense, may be tried in magistrates or municipal court.

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 15th day of May, 2026.

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This web page was last updated on
June 11, 2026 at 2:59 PM