S 705

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 705
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION 56-5-950, RELATING TO OBEDIENCE TO INSTRUCTIONS OF OFFICIAL
TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES, SO AS TO PROVIDE A PENALTY PROVISION; AND BY AMENDING
SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO SCHEDULE OF POINTS ASSESSED AGAINST PERSONS'
DRIVING RECORDs FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE SIX POINTS MUST
BE ASSESSED AGAINST PERSONS' DRIVING RECORDs FOR DISOBEDIENCE OF ANY OFFICIAL
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Section 56-5-950 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
    Section
56-5-950.  (a) The driver of any
vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device,
applicable thereto placed or held in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, subject to the
exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this
chapter.
    (b)
No provision of this chapter for which official traffic-control devices are
required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place
of the alleged violation an official device is not in proper position and
sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person.  Whenever a
particular section does not state that official traffic-control devices are
required, such section shall be effective even though no devices are erected or
in place.
    (c)
Whenever official traffic-control devices are placed or held in position
approximately conforming to the requirements of this chapter, such devices
shall be presumed to have been so placed or held by the official act or
direction of lawful authority unless the contrary shall be established by
competent evidence.
    (d)
Any official traffic-control device placed or held pursuant to the provisions
of this chapter and purporting to conform to the lawful requirements pertaining
to such devices shall be presumed to comply with the requirement of this
chapter, unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence.
    (e) A person who violates a provision
contained in subsection (a) must be fined two hundred dollars and court costs,
and must have six points assessed against his driving record pursuant to
Section 56-1-720.
SECTION 2.  Section 56-1-720 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
    Section
56-1-720.  There is established a point system for
the evaluation of the operating record of persons to whom a license to operate
motor vehicles has been granted and for the determination of the continuing
qualifications of these persons for the privileges granted by the license to
operate motor vehicles. The system shall have as its basic element a graduated
scale of points assigning relative values to the various violations in
accordance with the following schedule:
VIOLATION  POINTS
Reckless driving  6
Passing stopped school
bus  6
Hit and run, property
damages only  6
Driving too fast for
conditions, or speeding:
    (1)
No more than 10 m.p.h. above the posted limits  2
    (2)
More than 10 m.p.h. but less than 25
  m.p.h. above
the posted limits  4
    (3)
25 m.p.h. or above the posted limits  6
Disobedience of any
official traffic control device  46
Disobedience to officer
directing traffic  4
Failing to yield right of
way  4
Driving on wrong side of
road  4
Passing unlawfully  4
Turning unlawfully  4
Driving through or within
safety zone  4
Shifting lanes without
safety precaution  2
Improper dangerous
parking  2
Following too closely  4
Failing to dim lights  2
Operating with improper
lights  2
Operating with improper
brakes  4
Distracted driving
(second or subsequent offense)  2
Operating a vehicle in
unsafe condition  2
Driving in improper lane  2
Improper backing  2
Endangerment of a highway
worker, no injury  2
Endangerment of a highway
worker, injury results  4
SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on December 10, 2025 at 02:24 PM