How to Reinstate Your South Carolina Driver's License After Suspension

Getting your driver's license suspended in any state can be a major setback. Many offenses in South Carolina warrant a suspension of 90 days for first time offenders. In this article, you will learn the steps that need to be completed in order to have your South Carolina driver's license reinstated after suspension.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Reinstatement After DUI Suspension

1. Keep in mind after DUI suspension, you need to wait the required time frame before attempting to drive or apply for reinstatement of your license. The amount of time under suspension depends primarily on how many times you have been caught driving under the influence of alcohol. A person caught for DUI will receive the following punishment: on the first offense, you will receive a six month suspension, on the second offense, you will receive a one year suspension, and on third and subsequent offenses, a person will receive two years suspension or more and possible jail time. The one thing to be advised of here is never try to drive under suspension, because if you do you face one or all of the following: thirty days or more in jail, fines of $1,000 or more and longer suspension times with possibility of revocation (depending upon how many times a person gets caught driving under suspension).
2. Be prepared to pay your fees before suspension is set to be lifted and complete rehab after the suspension is lifted. Fees associated with DUI in South Carolina include the actual ticket you are written by the arresting officer which carry fines of usually no less than $500 and can exceed $1,000 depending on the amount of times you have been caught driving under the influence. The reinstatement fee even for a first time offender is $550 and goes up if you repeat. If you want to drive almost immediately after suspension has been lifted, you have to have all fines paid in full. Magistrates don’t typically lift DUI fines especially with repeat offenders so don’t come to court looking for a fine reduction. Another thing required of DUI offenders in South Carolina is that they complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Awareness Program or ADSAP. The DMV will give you specific time frames associated with the rehab program.
3. Obtain SR-22 insurance. Getting this insurance is key to driving after suspension has been lifted. SR-22 insurance is a special kind of responsibility insurance that can cost you anywhere from one third to one half more that you pay for regular insurance. For example, if you currently pay 59.00 per month for regular insurance and if you get caught driving under the influence, the SR-22 insurance will cost you anywhere from $78.00 to $88.00 per month. The steepest requirement of SR-22 insurance is that you must keep it active for 3 years. You are advised to make plans to keep this insurance for 3 years, because if you don’t and you get caught driving without the insurance, the punishment can include: ticket fees of up to $500, suspension of your license until you reactivate SR-22, jail time and reinstatement fees of up to $400

Reinstatement After 12-Point Suspension

4. Accept that, if suspended under the South Carolina 12 point system, your license will be suspended and you will have to wait the required time period before you can drive or apply for reinstatement. On the South Carolina point system, if you get 6 points against your license, the South Carolina DMV will send a letter to your residence letting you know how many points are on your license and for what and remind you to drive more carefully. After you have accumulated 12 points on your license, the South Carolina DMV will send a letter once again to your residence only this time requiring you to surrender your South Carolina driver's license. If you don’t surrender your license, fees and possible jail time will follow. Waiting the required time is perhaps the hardest thing to do after a suspension under the 12 point system. However, whatever you do, do not under any circumstance drive under suspension. Driving under suspension can bring about more fees, jail time and longer suspension time.
5. Be prepared to pay your reinstatement fees before your suspension is lifted. Every time your license is suspended you will pay a fee of no less that $100 and no more than $500 to get it reinstated depending on how many suspensions you have had. The director of the South Carolina DMV will not reduce these fees; therefore you are advised to have these fees in full before going to the DMV office.
6. Beware of multiple offenses. Continuously getting traffic tickets and license suspensions against your record hurts you in a few ways including putting a hole in your pocket with fees and your insurance rates can sky rocket. Every time you get a violation that pushes your point balance over 12 the suspension times and in sometimes the fees associated with this can increase. For example, if you get 12-15 points you will be suspended for 90 days and face a $100 reinstatement fee. If you get 16 or 17 points, will get you a 120 day suspension and $100-$250 in reinstatement fees. If you get 18 or 19 points you will get a 150 day suspension and up to $300 in reinstatement fees. Finally, if you rack up 20 or more points you will be suspended for 180 days, considered for revocation and if allowed to reinstate you will face reinstatement fees of up to $500. The idea behind this system is primarily to teach young drivers (specifically those under 30) a valuable lesson after a traffic violation. This is to advise you to learn your lesson the first time. If you need further instruction on driving, defensive driving courses are available to assist violators of traffic laws. Upon completion of the defensive driving course, South Carolina driver's license holders may receive one point off their driving record every year up to three points.