Roadwise States South Carolina Driving lessons Beginner's permit & first-license requirements South Carolina driving lesson · Your License
Beginner's permit & first-license requirements A 3-minute lesson from the South Carolina course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Your License
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 8, 9, 10, 11 If you've never had a driver's license, you start with a beginner's permit. It lets you practice with an experienced adult beside you until you've built enough hours and time to test for a license.
First-time US citizen applicants bring original documents proving: US citizenship Identity Date and place of birth Social Security number SC address (full list: US Citizen's Checklist, form MV-93) Handbook p. 8 ↗ Know the rule
If you're not a US citizen, apply at a branch that processes international customers (International Customers' Checklist, form MV-94).
Handbook p. 8 ↗ Know the rule
To get a permit you must pass the vision and knowledge tests.
Handbook p. 8 ↗ Know the rule
From 6 a.m. to midnight you may drive only with a licensed driver who is at least 21 and has at least one year of driving experience in the front seat.
Handbook p. 8 ↗ Know the rule
After midnight you may drive only if supervised by a licensed person listed in SC Code §56-1-100(A)(1-7).
Handbook p. 8 ↗ 40 hours Practice required at ages 15 and 16, including 10 hours at night
Handbook p. 9 ↗ Who may supervise those practice hours: Your father or mother Your legal guardian Someone who has custody, care and control of you A person with written Department of Social Services approval (give SCDMV a copy) Someone standing in loco parentis for a continuous period of at least 60 days A responsible adult with notarized written permission from one of the above (give SCDMV a copy) Handbook p. 9 ↗ For a first license at 15 or 16, all of these must be true: You've held your permit more than 180 days You finished driver's ed: eight hours in the classroom and six hours driving You're enrolled in school (not suspended or expelled) with satisfactory attendance You've practiced at least 40 hours, including ten hours at night You completed form PDLA, which your driver's ed program gives you when you pass Handbook p. 10 ↗ Put it into practice
You're 16 with a permit and want to practice at 9 p.m. Your 20-year-old sister has been licensed for three years, but she's under 21, so she can't supervise you. Your 45-year-old mom, licensed for decades, can.
A useful reminder Permit hold time: 180 days if you're 17 or younger, 30 days if you're 18 or older.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the minimum age to apply for a beginner's permit in SC? 14 15 1/2 15 16 Answer: 15
You must be at least 15 years old to apply for a beginner's permit.
Handbook p. 8 ↗ A beginner's permit holder may drive with a qualified licensed adult in the front seat between which hours? 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 a.m. to midnight 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 6 a.m. to midnight Answer: 6 a.m. to midnight
You may drive from 6 a.m. to midnight if a licensed driver at least 21 years old with one year of experience is in the front seat.
Handbook p. 8 ↗ If you are 17 years old or under, how long must you hold your beginner's permit before applying for a driver's license? At least 180 days At least 30 days At least 90 days At least 120 days Answer: At least 180 days
Drivers 17 and under must hold a beginner's permit for at least 180 days before applying for a license (30 days applies only to drivers 18 and older).
Handbook p. 8 ↗ If you are 18 years old or older, how long must you hold a beginner's permit before applying for a driver's license? At least 180 days At least 30 days At least 90 days There is no minimum Answer: At least 30 days
Drivers 18 and older must hold their beginner's permit for at least 30 days before applying for a license.
Handbook p. 9 ↗ How many hours of practice driving, including night driving, must a 15- or 16-year-old complete before getting a first driver's license? 30 hours, including 5 hours at night 50 hours, including 15 hours at night 40 hours, including 10 hours at night 20 hours, including 10 hours at night Answer: 40 hours, including 10 hours at night
A 15- or 16-year-old must practice driving for at least 40 hours, including ten hours of night driving, with a qualified supervising driver.
Handbook p. 9 ↗ To get a first driver's license at age 15 or 16, how many hours of classroom driver's education are required? Six hours Twelve hours Four hours Eight hours Answer: Eight hours
The driver's education course requires eight hours in the classroom and six hours of driving practice.
Handbook p. 10 ↗ Previous lesson License classes Next lesson GDL: conditional, special restricted & full licenses About the source Roadwise’s South Carolina course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 8, 9, 10, 11. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check South Carolina’s DMV. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.