South Carolina Code 56-1-2070. Driving commercial motor vehicle without valid license prohibited; exceptions; driving while license suspended, revoked, or cancelled; violations
(B) A person operating a commercial motor vehicle as defined in § 56-1-2030 and 49 C.F.R. § 383.5, without the proper class commercial license or permit with all applicable endorsements or restrictions as defined in § 56-1-2100 must be placed out of service and is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars and not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days and upon conviction of a second offense or subsequent offense must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars and not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned forty-five days or both.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 56-1-2070
- Commercial motor vehicle: means a motor vehicle designed or used to transport passengers or property if the vehicle:
(a) has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one or more pounds;
(b) is designed to transport sixteen or more persons, including the driver; or
(c) is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 C. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030 - Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Conviction: means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the payment of a fine or court cost, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Disqualification: means a withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Drive: means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Driver: means a person who drives a commercial motor vehicle or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Hazardous materials: means any material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 C. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Motor vehicle: means a vehicle which is self- propelled and a vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails, except a vehicle moved solely by human power and motorized wheelchairs. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- Out-of-service order: means declaration by an authorized enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local jurisdiction that a person, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out of service pursuant to 49 CFR Sections 386. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- State: means a state or territory of the United States and the District of Columbia and the federal government and a province or territory of Canada. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
- United States: means the fifty states and the District of Columbia. See South Carolina Code 56-1-2030
(C) The following persons may operate commercial motor vehicles without a commercial driver license:
(1) active duty military personnel; members of the military reserve; members of the South Carolina National Guard who are on active duty, including personnel on full-time South Carolina National Guard duty; personnel on part-time South Carolina National Guard training and South Carolina National Guard Military technicians required to wear uniforms; and active duty military United States Coast Guard personnel while operating vehicles owned or operated by the United States government or this State for military purposes. This exception does not apply to technicians in the United States Reserves.
(2) operators of a farm vehicle which is:
(a) controlled and operated by a farmer;
(b) used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies, or a combination of them to or from a farm including the transportation of hazardous materials which do not pose a substantial danger to the public health and safety including fuels, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals used in normal farming operations as exempted pursuant to 49 C.F.R Part 173.5;
(c) not used in the operation of a common or contract motor carrier; and
(d) used within one hundred fifty miles of the person’s farm.
(3) persons operating authorized emergency vehicles as defined in § 56-5-170;
(4) operators of recreational vehicles used solely for personal use.
(D) No person may drive a commercial motor vehicle on the highways of this State while:
(1) his commercial driver license or privilege to drive is suspended, revoked, or canceled;
(2) subject to a disqualification; or
(3) in violation of an out-of-service order.
(E) A person violating the requirements of subsection (D)(3) must be punished as follows, while all other violations of this section must be punished as though convicted of a violation of § 56-1-460. A person is disqualified for not less than:
(1) ninety days nor more than one year if the person is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service orders. Additionally, a person who is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than two thousand five hundred dollars;
(2) one year nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of two violations of out-of-service orders in separate incidents. Additionally, a person who, within a ten-year period, is convicted of two violations of out-of-service orders in separate incidents is subject to a civil penalty of five thousand dollars;
(3) three years nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of three or more violations of out-of-service orders in separate incidents. Additionally, a person who, within a ten-year period, is convicted of three or more violations of out-of-service orders in separate incidents is subject to a civil penalty of five thousand dollars;
(4) one hundred eighty days nor more than two years if the driver is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service orders while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. §§ 5101–5127), or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver. A driver is disqualified for a period of not less than three years nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of any subsequent violations of out-of-service orders, in separate incidents, while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver. Additionally, a driver who is convicted of violating an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. §§ 5101–5127), or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver, is subject to a civil penalty of two thousand five hundred dollars for a first violation and five thousand dollars for a second or subsequent violation.