GDL: conditional, special restricted & full licenses
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.
South Carolina's graduated driver's license program is for drivers 15 to 17. It limits nighttime and unsupervised driving at first, then lifts those limits as you gain experience without tickets or crashes.
The special restricted license with a waiver lets a 16-year-old drive alone until midnight for work or certain extracurricular activities. It never allows driving after midnight.
To get the waiver, visit an SCDMV branch and:
Complete the application, SCDMV Form 447-NC
Have a qualified adult complete Consent for Minor (Form 447CM) in front of an SCDMV employee or agent
Bring a letter from your school, church, work or activity saying why you need the waiver
Bring a letter from your parent or legal guardian allowing the waiver and saying why you need it
You earn full driving privileges at 17, or after holding a conditional or special restricted license for one year with no traffic offenses and no at-fault collisions.
You don't need to visit a branch for full privileges: SCDMV mails you a sleeve to wrap around your license, and you must keep your license in it to use full privileges.
It's July, you're 16 with a special restricted license (no waiver), and you want to drive two 16-year-old friends home at 9 p.m. Two passengers is allowed, but it's daylight saving time, so after 8 p.m. you need a licensed driver at least 21 in the car.
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.
A conditional license is available to a driver who is:
At least 15 1/2 but less than 16
At least 15 but less than 15 1/2
At least 16 but less than 17
At least 14 1/2 but less than 15
Answer: At least 15 1/2 but less than 16
If you are at least 15 1/2 but less than 16 and have met the requirements, you are eligible for a conditional license.
Under a conditional license, how many passengers under age 21 may you carry without a licensed adult present (excluding family members or students traveling to/from school)?
No more than one
No more than two
No more than three
None at all
Answer: No more than two
You cannot have more than two passengers under 21 unless you are with a licensed adult who is at least 21, except when transporting family or students to school.