Special License Plates

2025-2026 Bill 5131: Tribal Governments Special License Plates

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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This Bill
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A159, R213, H5131

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Hartnett, M.M. Smith and Henderson-Myers

Document Path: LC-0482CM26.docx

Introduced in the House on February 10, 2026

Introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2026

Last Amended on April 29, 2026

Currently residing in the House

Governor's Action: May 15, 2026, Signed

Summary: Special License Plates

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/10/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 8
)

2/10/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 8
)

3/25/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 5
)

3/26/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.
Smith, Henderson-Myers

3/26/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 53
)

3/26/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 53
)

3/26/2026

House

Unanimous consent for third reading on next
legislative day (
House Journal-page 54
)

3/27/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 3
)

3/31/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 14
)

3/31/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 14
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 50
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Amended (
Senate Journal-page 78
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 78
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 78
)

4/30/2026

Senate

Read third time and returned to House with amendments (
Senate Journal-page 38
)

5/6/2026

House

Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (
House Journal-page 65
)

5/6/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-115 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 65
)

5/14/2026

Ratified R 213

5/15/2026

Signed By Governor

6/2/2026

Effective date 05/15/26

6/2/2026

Act No. 159

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

02/10/2026
03/25/2026
03/25/2026-A
04/15/2026
04/29/2026

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

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(A159, R213, H5131)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 56-3-780, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF PERMANENT LICENSE PLATES AND FEES FOR VEHICLES OF THE STATE, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, OR CIVIL AIR PATROL, SO AS TO CREATE PERMANENT LICENSE PLATES FOR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-3-1230, RELATING TO SPECIFICATIONS FOR AND THE ISSUANCE OF LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA REVOLUTIONARY WAR SESTERCENTENNIAL COMMISSION SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES CERTAIN INFORMATION TO BE USED TO CREATE THE LICENSE PLATE TO COMMEMORATE THE TWO HUNDRED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 56-3-4410, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SHARE THE ROAD LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "I BIKE SC" LICENSE PLATES; BY ADDING SECTION 56-3-16510 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "QUAIL FOREVER" SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 56-3-16610 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BLACKOUT SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

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

Tribal Government license plates

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," "MG," or "TG" to designate respectively state government, regional government, county government, 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.

Tribal Government license plates

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

South Carolina Revolutionary War license plates

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.

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

"I Bike SC" license plates

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

Article 44

I Bike SC License Plates

Section 56-3-4410. (A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "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 these special license plates is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of fifty-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 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 pedestrian, 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.

"Quail Forever" specialty license plates

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.

Blackout special license plates

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.

Time effective

SECTION 7. 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 2, 2026 at 11:05 AM