Stop-as-Yield Law

2025-2026 Bill 812: Stop-as-Yield Law

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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A173, R152, S812

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Senators Rankin and Walker

Document Path: SR-0098CEM26.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2026

Introduced in the House on April 2, 2026

Last Amended on March 26, 2026

Governor's Action: May 18, 2026, Signed

Summary: Stop-as-Yield Law

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/14/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 13
)

1/14/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 13
)

3/24/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 7
)

3/26/2026

Senate

Committee Amendment Adopted (
Senate Journal-page 36
)

4/1/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 44
)

4/1/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-2 (
Senate Journal-page 44
)

4/1/2026

Senate

Unanimous consent for third reading on next
legislative day

4/2/2026

Senate

Read third time and sent to House (
Senate Journal-page 8
)

4/2/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 32
)

4/2/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 32
)

5/5/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 3
)

5/6/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 44
)

5/6/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-93 Nays-18 (
House Journal-page 44
)

5/7/2026

House

Read third time and enrolled (
House Journal-page 18
)

5/14/2026

Ratified R 152

5/18/2026

Signed By Governor

6/5/2026

Effective date 05/18/26

6/2/2026

Act No. 173

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

01/14/2026
03/24/2026
03/26/2026
05/05/2026

(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.

(A173, R152, S812)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-970, RELATING TO THE TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL LEGEND, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES AND TO PROVIDE RULES CYCLISTS MUST OBSERVE WHEN APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS CONTROLLED BY TRAFFIC-CONTROLLED DEVICES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-3530 SO AS TO PROVIDE RULES CYCLISTS MUST OBSERVE WHEN APPROACHING STOP SIGNS.

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

Cyclists approaching traffic-control devices

SECTION 1. Section 56-5-970 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 56-5-970. Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different colored lights or colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the colors, green, red, and yellow, shall be used except for special pedestrian signals carrying a word legend. Such lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:

(A) Green indication:

(1) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. But vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time such signal is exhibited.

(2) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow or such other movement as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the right of way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(3) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal, as provided in Section 56-5-990, pedestrians facing any green signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.

(B) Steady yellow indication:

(1) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter.

(2) Pedestrians facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in Section 56-5-990, are advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway.

(C) Steady red indication:

(1) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a clearly marked stop line but, if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown except as provided in item (3).

(2) Vehicular traffic facing a steady red arrow signal shall not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow, and unless entering the intersection to make a movement permitted by another signal, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line but, if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication permitting the movement indicated by such arrow is shown except as provided in items (3) and (5).

(3) Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, vehicular traffic facing any steady red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to turn right or to turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street after stopping as required by item (1) or (2). Such vehicular traffic shall yield the right of way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(4) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in Section 56-5-3110, pedestrians facing a steady circular red or red arrow signal alone shall not enter the roadway.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic-control device, then the driver may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver:

(a) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for one hundred twenty seconds; and

(b) exercises due care as provided by law, otherwise treats the traffic-control device as a stop sign, and determines it is safe to proceed.

(6)(a) If a cyclist approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic-control device, then the cyclist may proceed with caution through the intersection on a steady red light only if the cyclist:

(i) makes a complete stop at the steady red traffic-control light before entering the intersection; and

(ii) yields the right of way to all oncoming traffic that constitutes an immediate hazard during the time that the cyclist is moving across or within the intersection.

(b) A cyclist may make a:

(i) right turn at a steady red traffic-control light without stopping after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic that constitutes an immediate hazard; or

(ii) left turn onto a one-way road at a steady red traffic-control light after stopping and yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic that constitutes an immediate hazard.

Cyclists approaching stop signs

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

Section 56-5-3530. (A) A cyclist approaching a stop sign shall:

(1) slow down;

(2) if required to avoid an immediate hazard, stop at the stop sign before entering the intersection; and

(3) cautiously enter the intersection and yield the right of way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

(B) If a cyclist meets the requirements provided in (A)(1) of this section, then the cyclist may cautiously make a right or left turn, or proceed through the intersection without stopping at the stop sign.

Time effective

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

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 18th day of May, 2026.

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This web page was last updated on
June 2, 2026 at 12:33 PM