Immigration Status on Driver's License

2025-2026 Bill 872: Immigration Status on Driver's License - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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This Bill
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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
S. 872
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Goldfinch, Climer, Zell, Garrett and Alexander
Document Path: SR-0500KM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 29, 2026
Introduced in the House on April 30, 2026
Last Amended on April 28, 2026

Currently residing in the House Committee on
Education and Public Works
Summary: Immigration Status on Driver's License
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/29/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 6
)

1/29/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 6
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Transportation
(
Senate Journal-page 43
)

4/28/2026

Senate

Committee Amendment Adopted (
Senate Journal-page 47
)

4/28/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 47
)

4/28/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 47
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Read third time and sent to House (
Senate Journal-page 34
)

4/30/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 156
)

4/30/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 156
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/29/2026
04/15/2026
04/28/2026

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Amendment Adopted

April 28, 2026

S. 872

Introduced
by Senators Goldfinch, Climer, Zell and Garrett

S. Printed 4/28/26--S.

Read the first time January 29, 2026

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
56-1-80
, RELATING TO AN APPLICATION FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE OR PERMIT,
SO AS TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT A CITIZEN, THEN
THE DRIVER'S LICENSE MUST CONTAIN A "NC" DESIGNATION INDICATING THAT THE
LICENSEE IS A NON-US CITIZEN; BY AMENDING SECTION
56-1-3350
, RELATING TO
ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS, SO AS TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO PROVIDE THAT
IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT A CITIZEN, THEN THE IDENTIFICATION CARD MUST CONTAIN A
"NC" DESIGNATION INDICATING THAT THE HOLDER OF THE IDENTIFICATION CARD IS A
NON-US CITIZEN; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
7-13-710
, RELATING TO PROOF OF THE
RIGHT TO VOTE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SOUTH CAROLINA DRIVER'S LICENSE OR
IDENTIFICATION CARD WITH A "NC" DESIGNATION CANNOT BE USED TO VOTE.

Amend Title To Conform

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
56-1-140
(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
A) Upon payment of a fee of
twenty-five dollars for a license that is valid for eight years, the department
shall issue to every qualified applicant a driver's license as applied for by
law. The license must bear on it a distinguishing number assigned to the
licensee, the full name, date of birth, residence address, a brief description
and unobstructed photograph of the licensee's face, any marking otherwise
required or in compliance with law, and a facsimile of the signature of the
licensee. No license is valid until it has been
so
signed
by the licensee.
Qualified applicants who are not citizens
of the United States must have "Limited Term" conspicuously included on the
driver's licenses or identification cards issued to them.
The license
authorizes the licensee to operate only those classifications of vehicles as
indicated on the license.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
7-13-710
(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
A) When a person presents himself to
vote, he shall produce a valid and current:

(
1)
South Carolina driver's license
that does not contain the
words "Limited Term"
; or

(
2)
other form of identification containing a photograph issued by the Department
of Motor Vehicles
that does not contain the words "Limited
Term"
; or

(
3)
passport; or

(
4)
military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal
government; or

(
5)
South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter
pursuant to Section
7-5-675
.

S
ECTION 3.
C
hapter 1, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
56-1-235
. Whenever any person becomes a citizen of the United States after
previously providing the Department of Motor Vehicles with documentation that
he was not a citizen of the United States, such person shall notify the
Department of Motor Vehicles of the change and provide documentation
substantiating his citizenship status. The Department of Motor Vehicles must
provide one driver's license or identification card at no charge reflecting the
applicable change. Subsequent modified cards are at the expense of the person
for the same fee provided in Section
56-1-200
or Section
56-1-3350
.

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on April 28, 2026 at 6:06 PM