Driving Tests

When Do Teen Driving Restrictions End in South Carolina? Full License at 17

informational·how to guide·Published July 4, 2026

When do teen driving restrictions end in South Carolina?

South Carolina teens earn full driving privileges at 17, or after keeping a conditional or special restricted license for one year, if they had no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions. You do not need to visit an SCDMV branch. The SCDMV mails you a sleeve, and you must keep your license in it to use your full privileges.

Where these South Carolina teen license facts come from

The age, one-year rule, curfew times, waiver and mailed sleeve come from the SCDMV Teenage Drivers page and the 2026 South Carolina Driver's Manual. The postponement, six-point suspension, point values, passenger limit and parent fine come from Title 56, Chapter 1 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the SCDMV (scdmvonline.com) before you drive.

Which South Carolina license ends with full driving privileges?

South Carolina has two teen licenses with limits. A conditional license is for a driver at least 15½ and under 16. A special restricted license is for a driver at least 16 and under 17, and a 16-year-old with a conditional license can move up to it. Both licenses have the same night and unsupervised driving limits. At 16, you can also ask for a special restricted license with a waiver: it costs $25 and lets you drive alone until midnight for work or certain activities, never after midnight.

South Carolina teen license driving hours until full privileges

South Carolina teen license driving hours until full privileges
Time of day	Who must ride with you
6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in daylight saving time)	No one. You may drive alone.
6 p.m. (8 p.m. in daylight saving time) to midnight	A licensed driver who is at least 21
Midnight to 6 a.m.	Only a licensed person listed in SC Code § 56-1-100(A)(1-7)

How many passengers can a South Carolina teen driver carry?

A conditional or special restricted license holder may not carry more than two passengers under 21 unless a licensed adult who is at least 21 rides along. The limit does not apply when you drive family members, or students to or from school. Test yourself with the free question on a 16-year-old who wants to drive four teammates.

How to get full driving privileges in South Carolina

1
Keep a clean record
Drive on your conditional or special restricted license with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions. You earn full privileges at 17 or after one year on the license. Try the free question on when Ana first gets full privileges.
2
Watch your mail for the sleeve
You do not have to visit an SCDMV branch. The SCDMV mails you a sleeve that wraps around your license.
3
Keep your license in the sleeve
You must keep your license in the sleeve to use your full driving privileges.

What delays or suspends a South Carolina teen license?

You are convicted of a traffic offense, or you have a collision in which you were at fault

The removal of your restrictions is postponed for 12 months. Under § 56-1-185(A), you are not eligible for a regular license until one year after the last offense or at-fault collision, or until you are 17.

You get 6 or more points on a beginner's permit, conditional or special restricted license

The SCDMV suspends your license for six months. The guide to teen driver points and the six-month suspension explains how points drop over time.

You are 15 or 16 and get 2 points, 4 points or both

The SCDMV sends you a letter that tells you to drive more carefully.

South Carolina point values for speeding and other teen tickets

Speeding no more than 10 mph over the posted limit: 2 points.
Speeding more than 10 mph but less than 25 mph over the posted limit: 4 points.
Speeding 25 mph or more over the posted limit: 6 points.
Reckless driving: 6 points.
Passing a stopped school bus: 6 points.

What do parents risk when a teen breaks a restriction?

Under Tyler's Law (§ 56-1-187), a parent or guardian who knowingly and willfully lets a dependent break a beginner's permit, conditional or special restricted license restriction faces a civil fine of up to $500. The fine can be up to $1,000 if the dependent causes great bodily injury or death while breaking the restriction. The court may suspend the fine if the parent completes public service, community service or parenting classes.

Key takeaways

Full driving privileges come at 17, or after one year on a conditional or special restricted license with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions.
Until then, you drive alone only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in daylight saving time). Later, a licensed driver 21 or older must ride with you, and after midnight only a person listed in the law.
A ticket or an at-fault collision postpones the change for 12 months, and 6 points bring a six-month suspension.
You do not visit a branch: the SCDMV mails a sleeve, and you keep your license in it.
Next step: practice on the free South Carolina Class D practice test.

South Carolina teen license limits: common questions

Can I get full driving privileges before I turn 17 in South Carolina?

Yes, if you got a conditional license at 15½ or older. Hold it for one year with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions, and you may drive at any time. State law lets the SCDMV license a 16-year-old after one year on a conditional license. For example, a conditional license at 15½ can mean full privileges at 16½.

I got my license at 16. Do I wait a full year or until 17?

You earn full privileges at 17 or after one year on the license, whichever comes first. A special restricted license is for drivers 16 and older, so your 17th birthday comes first or on the same day as your one-year date. Your record must stay clean: a traffic offense or an at-fault collision can postpone the change.

Do I have to go to the SCDMV or get a new license at 17?

No branch visit is needed to receive full driving privileges. The SCDMV mails you a sleeve, and the sleeve wraps around the license card you already have. Keep the card inside the sleeve when you drive, because you must keep your license in it to use your full privileges.

Can I drive after midnight once I have full privileges?

Yes. The midnight to 6 a.m. limit belongs to the conditional and special restricted licenses. The SCDMV says that a driver who holds a conditional license for a year with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions may drive at any time. Until then, only a licensed person listed in § 56-1-100(A)(1-7) may supervise you after midnight.

Does an at-fault crash delay my full license if I get no ticket?

Yes. The 12-month postponement in § 56-1-185(A) applies if you are convicted of a traffic offense or if you are in an accident in which you were at fault, while you drive on a conditional or special restricted license. Either one is enough to delay the removal of your restrictions.