How to Get A South Carolina Driving Record (A Complete Guide)

Is your auto insurance company asking for your driving record?

Maybe it’s the court or a potential employer asking for it…

Or did you recently receive a citation and wonder if you’re about to lose your driving privileges?

Whatever the situation, you’ll need to get a copy of your driving record.

But how do you obtain that?

Let’s walk you through the different channels on how to get a South Carolina driving record.

We’ve outlined the different types of driving records available in the state, too — as well as help you improve a less-than-ideal record and understand the point system.

So let’s go!

Types of Driving Records in South Carolina

Motor vehicle records (or driving records) in South Carolina show the following information:

Your driving history
The traffic violations committed
Traffic accidents in which you were involved
Instances of license suspensions
Points assessed against your license

Now, there are 2 types of SC driving records.

The main difference between the two is the amount of information they show. One covers 3 years, while the other covers 10.

These also come in two kinds — certified and non-certified.

The latter is typically for personal use, like when you want to check how many points you have.

Certified copies, on the other hand, are usually for official use — and it’s what insurance and government agencies, courts, and prospective employers check.

How to Get My Driving Record in South Carolina

Regardless of the driving record type you need, you have 3 ways to request it:

Online
By Mail
In Person

Here are the steps for each one.

How to Get Your SC Driving Record Online

Most drivers prefer completing transactions online.

After all, who doesn’t love the convenience of it all?

If you usually have a full calendar — or you’re just lazy to go out — requesting your SC driving record online might be the best option.

Here’s what you need to do:

Go to the SCDMV’s page and select ‘Obtain Your Official Certified Driver Record’ OR ‘Driver Record Points Summary’.

Provide the following information:
1. Driver’s license, beginner’s permit, or ID number. Alternatively, you can use your customer number.
2. Date of issuance (if using your driver’s license or similar credentials)
3. Your Social Security Number
4. Your birth date

Select the driving record type you need (whether 3 or 10 years).

Follow the prompts that appear on your screen.

Pay the $6 fee through a credit card. The Driver Record Points Summary is for FREE.

Wait for your certified official driving record to arrive through the mail. Driver Record Points Summary can be viewed online.

NOTE: The DMV grants access to an unofficial PDF version of your driving record once you complete your transaction. However, remember that this is not the certified version.

How to Get Your SC Driving Record By Mail

Although requesting your driving record online is popular among South Carolina drivers — it just isn’t for everyone.

Fortunately, you don’t need to use this platform if you’re uncomfortable or it’s inaccessible.

If you’re looking for an option that won’t require you to go to a DMV office, perhaps requesting your driving record by mail is worth considering.

For this, you must do the following steps:

Download a copy of Form MV-70 (Request for Driver Information) and fill out the necessary fields.

NOTE: You only need to fill out Part 3 if making multiple requests. If requesting someone else’s driving record, you must ensure the owner completes the Consent section after Part 2.

Prepare a check or money order for $6, made payable to SCDMV.

Enclose everything in one envelope and send it to the address below:

Alternative Media

PO Box 1498

Blythewood, SC 29016-0035

Wait for your driving record to arrive via mail.

How to Get Your SC Driving Record In Person

Let’s say you need your SC driving record right away.

The best method for a quick turnaround is to get it at an SC DMV office.

Here is what you need to do:

Print out an MV-70 Form (Request for Driver Information) and complete it.

NOTE: You can also get someone else’s record in person, but don’t forget to have the owner fill out and sign the consent segment of the form.

Decide which DMV office you prefer to visit.

NOTE: You can walk in for driving record requests, but ensure you check your preferred location’s operating hours.

Submit the filled-out Request for Driver Information Form and pay the $6 fee.

NOTE: You have more payment options for in-person transactions. Besides checks, money orders, and credit cards, you can also pay in cash.

Get a copy of your SC driving record.

How to Improve Your South Carolina Driving Record

So now you have a copy of your driving record…

What if it’s not as clean as you wanted?

Fortunately, you can use several strategies to improve your South Carolina driving record.

Here are some you can consider…

Attend a Defensive Driving Course

Each time you commit a traffic violation, the DMV assesses points against your license.

Attending a defensive driving course from the National Safety Council can reduce your total points by four.

You can also look for driving schools that offer defensive driving courses while keeping the following reminders in mind:

You must take the course in South Carolina.
You must attend eight hours of classroom training unless it’s the National Safety Council’s virtual program (no other online course is accepted)
You cannot take the course until after the DMV has assessed the points on your license.

Remember, you can only take advantage of this point reduction once every three years, so use it wisely.

If your license is about to be suspended, ensure you complete the course before the suspension begins. The reduction of points may help you avoid it.

Otherwise, once it takes effect, the point reduction cannot cancel it.

Wait for Your Points to Expire

The points on your license eventually expire, but it happens in phases — the first after 12 months from when you received them, the next after another 12 months.

For example, if you committed a traffic violation worth six points, it’ll be reduced to three after a year. After another 12 months, the remaining three points will expire.

However, note that this option only works if you avoid adding points to your driving record. If not, you won’t see a significant improvement.

Also, if you accumulate excessive points before these expire, you may still lose driving privileges.

Understanding the South Carolina Point System

Most drivers know that the number of points increases each time they commit a traffic violation.

But did you know some incidents give you more points than others?

Knowing the specifics may help increase your awareness, which turns you into a safer driver.

Here is a table of the various traffic violations in South Carolina and their corresponding points:

6 Points	4 Points	2 Points
Reckless driving Passing a stopped school bus Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage Exceeding the allowable speed limit by 25 mph or more	Exceeding the allowable speed limit by 11 to 24 mph Failing to obey a traffic control device or a traffic officer Not yielding the right-of-way Driving on the wrong side of the road Unlawful passing or turning Tailgating *Causing injury to a highway worker	Exceeding the allowable speed limit by 1 to 10 mph Switching lanes without signaling Improper parking Failing to dim lights Driving an unsafe vehicle Endangering highway worker

If you reach 12 points, you’ll receive a letter from the DMV regarding your license suspension.

The suspension duration depends on your total points:

12 to 15 points: 3-month suspension
16 to 17 points: 4-month suspension
18 to 19 points: 5-month suspension
20 points or more: 6-month suspension

However, the point limit is lower if you hold a beginner’s permit, conditional license, or special restricted license. 6 points already result in a 6-month suspension.

The Wrap Up

Whether you need it for official purposes or just to check your points, you now know how to get a South Carolina driving record.

Remember, you have three request options — online, by mail, and in person.

Online is the most convenient, for sure.

But if that isn’t accessible to you, then you can go for mail-in requests.

If you need the record right away, then we suggest going to an SC DMV office.

Whatever the case, the steps are all VERY easy.

And, if you see that your SC driving record is not ideal, remember there are ways to improve it.

Keep the strategies we included in mind — this way, you’re more likely to maintain your safe driver status.