Vehicle Licensing and Citizenship

2025-2026 Bill 5276: Vehicle Licensing and Citizenship - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5276
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Long
Document Path: LC-0296HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Education and Public Works
Summary: Vehicle Licensing and Citizenship
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/26/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 11
)

2/26/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 11
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/26/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION
56-3-240
, RELATING TO APPLICATIONS
FOR VEHICLE LICENSING AND REGISTRATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT VEHICLE OWNERS'
SOUTH CAROLINA DRIVER'S LICENSE INFORMATION BE INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION; AND
BY AMENDING SECTION
56-3-350
, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR
VEHICLES TO REFUSE TO REGISTER AND LICENSE A VEHICLE, SO AS TO ADD TO THE
GROUNDS FOR REFUSAL APPLICANTS' LACK OF UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP OR CURRENT
AUTHORIZATION TO LIVE, WORK, OR STUDY IN THE UNITED STATES.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
56-3-240
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
56-3-240
.
E
very such application shall contain:

(
1)
The name, bona fide residence and mail address of the owner or business address
of the owner if a firm, association or corporation
,

and
the county, municipality, if applicable,
and
school district in which the applicant resides
, and the owner's South Carolina driver's license information
;

(
2) A
description of the vehicle including insofar as such data may exist with
respect to a given vehicle, the make, model, type of body, number of cylinders,
serial number and engine or other number of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is
new or used and the date of sale by the manufacturer or dealer to the person
intending to operate such a vehicle and, in the event a vehicle is designed,
constructed, converted or rebuilt for the transportation of property, a
statement of the load capacity for which it is to be registered;

(
3)
Such further information as may reasonably be required by the Department of
Motor Vehicles to enable it to determine whether the vehicle is lawfully
entitled to registration and licensing;

(
4)
In addition to the information required by item (2), whenever the application
is for a motor vehicle which has been transferred from a previous registrant to
the applicant, the applicant will complete the odometer disclosure statement on
the application which shall be in compliance with federal guidelines and as
prescribed by the department.

(
5)
In addition to other registration requirements the department shall collect a
federal employer identification number or social security number when a vehicle
is registered with a gross vehicle weight of more than twenty-six thousand
pounds or as a bus common carrier.

A
dditionally, for a
commercial motor vehicle with a gross weight of more than twenty-six thousand
pounds that operates with an apportioned license plate, the department may
determine the manner, including the standard for measuring distance, such as
miles or kilometers, application process, and filing deadlines for applications
under the International Registration Plan, and must be provided:

(
a)
the United States Department of Transportation Number of the motor carrier
responsible for safety, as defined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration; and

(
b)
a current MCS 150 form for the motor carrier responsible for safety, as defined
by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This form also must be on
file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Except where the
International Registration Plan permits an applicant to use average per-vehicle
distance, an application may contain the actual distance that the fleet being
registered was operated during the report period. In accordance with the
International Registration Plan, if the fleet did not accrue any actual
distance during the reporting period, an applicant may use average per-vehicle
distance. The expiration date of apportioned registration for all apportioned
vehicles in a fleet must be the same date.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
56-3-350
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
56-3-350
.
T
he Department of Motor Vehicles shall
refuse to register and license or transfer registration upon one or more of the
following grounds:

(
1)
The application contains a false or fraudulent statement or the applicant has
not furnished required information or reasonable additional information
requested by the department.

(
2)
The vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated or moved upon the
highways.

(
3)
The department has reasonable ground to believe the vehicle is stolen or the
registration and licensing or transfer is a fraud against the rightful owner of
the vehicle.

(
4)
The registration and license of the vehicle is canceled, suspended, or revoked
as provided in this chapter or other motor vehicle laws of this State.

(
5)
The required fee has not been paid.

(
6)
For a vehicle purchased outside this State, satisfactory evidence of payment of
the South Carolina use tax has not been presented.

(
7) The applicant is not a United
States citizen or a person currently authorized by the United States Department
of Justice, the United States Department of Homeland Security, or the United
States Department of State to live, work, or study in the United States on a
temporary or permanent basis.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM