Traffic safety

2025-2026 Bill 4770: Traffic safety - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4770
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Dillard
Document Path: LC-0366CM26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Traffic safety
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 85
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 85
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY REPEALING
SECTION
56-7-35
RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKETS FOR
SPEEDING OR DISREGARDING TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, INCIDENTS TO AND
CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH TRAFFIC STOPS, THE USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE, AND
EXCEPTIONS FOR TOLL COLLECTION VIOLATIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION
56-5-710
,
RELATING TO POWERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT
PROHIBITS A LOCAL AUTHORITY FROM ISSUING A UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET BASED UPON
PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
56-5-70
, RELATING TO CERTAIN
VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS SUSPENDED DURING STATES OF EMERGENCIES, AND DECLARATIONS
OF EMERGENCY TRIGGERING FEDERAL RELIEF, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT
ALLOWS THE ISSUANCE OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS BASED UPON PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1. Section
56-7-35
of the S.C. Code is repealed.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
56-5-710
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
56-5-710
.
(
A)
Subject to the limitations prescribed in Section
56-5-930
, the provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to prevent local
authorities with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and
within the reasonable exercise of the police power from:

(
1)
regulating the standing or parking of vehicles;

(
2)
regulating traffic by means of police officers or traffic control signals;

(
3)
regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages on the highways;

(
4)
designating particular highways as one-way highways and requiring that all
vehicles thereon be moved in one specific direction;

(
5)
regulating the speed of vehicles in public parks;

(
6)
designating any highway as a through highway and requiring that all vehicles
stop before entering or crossing it or designating any intersection as a stop
intersection and requiring all vehicles to stop at one or more entrances at
such intersection;

(
7)
restricting the use of highways as authorized in Sections
56-5-4210
and
56-5-4220
;

(
8)
regulating the operation of bicycles and requiring the registration and
licensing of them, including the requirement of a registration fee;

(
9)
regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles or specified types of
vehicles at intersections;

(
10)
altering the prima facie speed limits as authorized herein; or

(
11)
adopting such other traffic regulations as are specifically authorized by this
chapter.

(
B) Nothing in subsection (A) may be construed to permit a local
authority to issue a uniform traffic citation for violating a local ordinance
or the traffic laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control
devices based in whole or in part upon photographic evidence whether gathered
in conjunction with radar speed detection devices and whether the camera or
other electronic device capturing the photographic evidence was attended or
unattended at the time it captured the photographic evidence.

S
ECTION 3.
S
ection
56-5-70
(E) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(E) Citations for violating a local ordinance or the traffic
laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control devices based in
whole or in part on photographic evidence, whether gathered in conjunction with
radar speed detection devices and whether the camera or other electronic device
capturing the photographic evidence was attended or unattended at the time it
captured the photographic evidence, only may be issued for violations that
occur while relief from regulations pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 390.23 has been
granted due to an emergency. A person who receives a citation for violating
traffic laws relating to speeding or disregarding traffic control devices based
in whole or in part on photographic evidence must be served in person with
notice of the violation within one hour of the occurrence of the violation
unless a collision occurred and fault cannot be determined immediately or the
party who caused the collision is not immediately accessible due to medical
treatment. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to toll collection
enforcement.

S
ECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM