DUI in South Carolina: the law, the limits and the device
Verified · next review
South Carolina calls it DUI — driving under the influence, and you will see drunk driving used for the same offense. What follows is what this state sets, taken from its own published rules rather than from a national summary.
What South Carolina law actually requires
Since the All Offender Law took effect on 19 May 2024, every DUI conviction in South Carolina means a device if you want to drive at all. Drivers convicted of a first DUI below 0.15% whose offense predates that day may still choose. Decline to enroll and the suspension runs indefinitely — there is no waiting it out.
- First offense: Set by the offense under the All Offender Law; drivers who decline to enroll simply stay suspended indefinitely rather than serving a fixed term
- Lockout threshold: Emma’s Law requires a camera device, and tampering with it or covering the lens is separately punishable; data is downloaded at a service center at least every 60 days
- Program run by: SC Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, with SCDMV holding the record
Source: www.dppps.sc.gov, checked 2026-08-23
DUI vs DUI in South Carolina
In South Carolina there is one offense and one label. If you have seen DWI, OWI or OVI used elsewhere, that is another state’s vocabulary for the same conduct — nothing about the seriousness changes when you cross a state line, only the letters on the paperwork.
Whatever it is called, the licensing consequence is the same shape: a suspension, then the device as the condition of driving again. All six abbreviations, side by side →
Can you get a DUI on a bike or a horse in South Carolina?
It turns on one word in the statute. Where the law says “vehicle”, no engine is required and the charge can reach a bicycle, a horse or a mobility scooter. Where it says “motor vehicle”, the analysis is different. This is decided by your state’s own wording, not by national custom, and it is the first thing to check before assuming a bike ride home is safe.
How often this happens in South Carolina
Federal crash records show the scale the state is legislating against, and how it compares with the country.
Cases are heard where the stop happened, and volume shapes local practice. These SC counties record the most:
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2020–2022. Counts crashes where police recorded that a driver had been drinking, which is narrower than the federal 0.08 measure and therefore understates the real figure. South Carolina runs above the national share.
What it costs to get driving again in South Carolina
South Carolina does not publish a price cap we could verify, so the quote is the number and your only leverage is a competitor nearby. The national reference points are installation and a monthly fee, with calibration visits every 30 to 60 days.
South Carolina costs, providers and all 53 cities with centers →
The two clocks in South Carolina
The court case and the licensing case run separately. The licensing side moves first, and in the strictest states the window to request a hearing is measured in days — it runs whether or not you have hired anyone.
South Carolina cities
The county that hears your case is set by where the stop happened, and local practice differs across the state.
DUI questions in South Carolina
Is it called DUI or DUI in South Carolina?
South Carolina uses DUI — driving under the influence. You will also see drunk driving used for the same thing. The label follows the state, not the seriousness of what happened, so paperwork from elsewhere may say something different about identical conduct.
What is the legal limit in South Carolina?
0.08% for drivers 21 and over, as in every state except Utah, which sits at 0.05%. Below the limit you can still be charged if an officer documents impairment. The reading that triggers the interlock here is a separate number: Emma’s Law requires a camera device, and tampering with it or covering the lens is separately punishable; data is downloaded at a service center at least every 60 days
How long does the interlock stay on after a first offense in South Carolina?
Set by the offense under the All Offender Law; drivers who decline to enroll simply stay suspended indefinitely rather than serving a fixed term The program is run by SC Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, with SCDMV holding the record.
Can you get a DUI on a horse or a bicycle in South Carolina?
The answer is in whether the statute says “vehicle” or “motor vehicle”. Where it says vehicle, no engine is needed and the charge can reach a bike or a horse; where it says motor vehicle, it cannot. This is one of the most searched questions in the whole subject and one of the most confidently answered wrongly — the wording of your own state decides it.
A second DUI here →A first DUI here →When a DUI is a felony in South Carolina →
When a charge becomes a felony → The test and the refusal → SR-22 and FR-44 →
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.