How much over the speed limit is a felony in SC?
Under South Carolina law, speeding can lead to reckless driving charges when the driver exceeds 25 MPH over the posted speed limit.
In general, if a driver is operating their vehicle over 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit, they may be cited with reckless driving. However, reckless driving for excessive speed can vary based on the circumstances as well.
The Penalties for Traffic Offenses in South Carolina
If you're 10 miles over the speed limit, the fine is $15-25. More than 25 miles over the speed limit and you could pay up to $200. If you're cited for reckless driving, the fine could be as high as $445 or thirty days in jail. Points added to your driving record.
Many factors determine what sort of fine you will pay for a speeding ticket. For first-time offenders in South Carolina, you may have to pay a substantial fine. Such an offense can also result in jail time of up to 30 days, and a possible license suspension.
If you're convicted of a Super Speeder violation (75 mph or more on a two-lane road, or 85 mph or more on any road or state highway), you must pay the $200 Super Speeder fine on top of any other traffic ticket fines and court costs.
Reckless driving in SC is a misdemeanor with serious penalties. In addition to 6 points on your license and a $445.00 fine for South Carolina drivers, a reckless driving ticket in South Carolina can carry residual financial penalties, such as thousands of dollars in annual increased insurance premiums.
According to South Carolina Code Section 56-5-2920, a person is driving recklessly if they operate a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety and property of others. For a first offense, an individual may receive a penalty of up to 30 days in jail.
VIolation | FIne |
---|---|
Speeding 11-15 mph over speed limit | $128.75 |
Speeding 16-24 mph over speed limit | $180.50 |
Speeding 25 mph over speed limit | $355.00 |
Too Fast for Conditions (Code 21) | $155.00 |
How long does a reckless driving charge stay on your record in South Carolina? In South Carolina, a reckless driving charge classified as a misdemeanor charge stays on your criminal record for life.
If you hold a beginner's permit, provisional or special restricted driver's license and you accumulated six or more points, your driving privileges will be suspended for six months for Excessive Points.
Can I just pay my ticket and not go to court South Carolina?
In most cases, the ticket may be paid without an appearance, however, there are traffic charges that do require an appearance for traffic violations, regardless of age. If you have any questions regarding required appearances for traffic charges, call 864-467-6650. 10.
Even Minor Violations Can Hurt You
Although some traffic offenses are more severe than others, simply accruing 12 traffic violation points will result in the suspension of your driver's license.

If you are traveling at 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit or less, you'll get two points added to your license. However, if you're traveling at 25 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit, you'll take a hit of six points against your license.
State | Rural interstates (mph) | Urban interstates (mph) |
---|---|---|
Oregon | 65; 70 on specified segments of road trucks: 55; 65 on specified segments of road | 55 |
Pennsylvania | 70 | 70 |
Rhode Island | 65 | 55 |
South Carolina | 70 | 70 |
Yes. South Carolina and most other states report are members of the “Interstate Driver's License Compact,” which means that SC will report speeding tickets and other traffic offense convictions – including DUI (driving under the influence) and DUS (driving under suspension) - to your home state.
Radar technology is not exact, and as a general rule an officer will not pull you over for exceeding the speed limit by less than 5 mph (75 mph on a rural freeway, or 60 mph on an rural undivided road).
Penalties for Reckless Driving Conviction
However, the charges against you can be reduced or the case could be dismissed entirely without sufficient evidence to show that you were driving with “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” according to the state statute.
Pursuant to the South Carolina Code of Laws, a criminal record may only be expunged through an application to the court, which must be signed by a judge. An individual should contact the solicitor's office in the area where the charge originated to seek assistance and obtain an application, which does require a fee.
Reckless driving is typically a misdemeanor criminal offense. In most states, a reckless driving conviction carries about $50 to $1,000 in fines and up 90 days to a year in jail.
Reckless driving increases car insurance costs
On average, you can expect your insurance rates to increase by about 51% if you're charged with reckless driving in South Carolina. Reckless driving is a serious traffic offense that carries strict legal and financial consequences in South Carolina.
What is the penalty for reckless?
Reckless Driving – Fines: ₱2,000 To ₱10,000; Penalties: A 6-Month License Suspension Or Revocation. Getting into an accident while driving is called Reckless Driving. This act of driving endangers nearby motorists and pedestrians.
§ 56-5-2920 of the S.C. Code of Laws states that "any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a willfull or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving." Willfull can be defined as doing something deliberately.
Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin prohibit speed cameras via state law.
A DUI stays on your criminal record forever in South Carolina because there is no procedure for its removal. As far as your traffic record is concerned, the state uses a 10-year lookback period. If your conviction is more than 10 years old, it is probably not going to appear in a traffic record search.
Reckless driving is a serious offense in the United States, that violation could continue to impact your insurance rate for three to five years.
In South Carolina, points stay on your driving record for up to two years before being erased. After one year, points on your record are reduced by half. You can take additional driving courses in order to reduce the points on your driving license faster.
Points don't affect your insurance rates, but having too many points on your license can result in your driving privileges being taken away.
Points stay on your license for at least 12 months in South Carolina. The South Carolina DMV will remove half of your points every 12 months, and the removed points will no longer count toward your point total or toward a license suspension.
Ticket | 1st offense | Demerit points |
---|---|---|
1 - 10 mph over speed limit | $15-20 | 2 |
10 - 15 mph over speed limit | $20-$50 | 4 |
15 - 25 mph over speed limit | $50-$70 | 4 |
25+ mph over speed limit | $75-$200 or up to 30 days in jail | 6 |
Your Options. Courts in South Carolina allow you to pay minor infractions by mail or in person.
What is the statute of limitations for South Carolina?
Under South Carolina law, there is no statute of limitations for any crime. There is no criminal statute of limitations in South Carolina. A case for any felony can be started at any time. A case for any misdemeanor can be started at any time.
In most cases, the consequences for failure to appear will be limited to a bench warrant for your arrest, but there are other potential consequences including contempt of court proceedings, revocation of your bond, and even separate criminal charges for failure to appear.
If you have a valid driver's license or identification card from another state and permanently move to South Carolina, you must apply for an SC license or ID within 45 days of moving to the state. You must turn in your out-of-state license and/or ID when you get an SC license or ID.
Tickets where the North Carolina DMV WILL automatically suspend you license. In the following scenarios the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles will automatically suspend your driver's license: A conviction for speeding 15 MPH over the speed limit where you are traveling greater than 55 MPH.
The highest speed limit in the country is 85 mph (137 km/h), which is posted on a single stretch of tollway in exurban areas outside Austin, Texas. The lowest maximum speed limit in the country is 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) in American Samoa.
Motorists can receive a ticket for driving faster than the posted speed limit. When there is no posted speed limit, the speed limit is 35 mph in a municipality, 55 mph outside of a municipality's borders, and 70 mph on a highway.
Highway speed limits can range from an urban low of 25 mph (40 km/h) to a rural high of 85 mph (137 km/h). Speed limits are typically posted in increments of five miles per hour (8 km/h). Some states have lower limits for trucks, some also have night and/or minimum speed limits.
As of 2018 the highest posted speed limit in the world is 160 km/h (99 mph), applied on two motorways in the UAE. Speed limits and safety distance are poorly enforced in the UAE, specifically on the Abu Dhabi to Dubai motorway – which results in dangerous traffic, according to a French government travel advisory.
Right turns on red are usually legal in South Carolina as long as there's no sign indicating that the turn is prohibited.
Excessive Speeding
In general, if a driver is operating their vehicle over 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit, they may be cited with reckless driving.
Is speeding a crime in South Carolina?
Under South Carolina law, speeding can lead to reckless driving charges when the driver exceeds 25 MPH over the posted speed limit.
The maximum speed limit in South Carolina is 80 miles per hour. It is divided into two specific things, one is the rule of the absolute speed limit, which is 55 to 65, and there is the freeway interstate, which is 70 miles per hour. If there is no posted sign, 25 miles per hour in business and residential districts.
Speed Limits
When driving within the city limits on a normal street, the speed limit in South Carolina will be a maximum of 30 miles per hour. Unpaved country roads have a maximum speed of 40 mph.
States in the DLC share convictions for traffic tickets with other states, so that if a driver gets more convictions in another state, they can have higher penalties and more serious consequences. Georgia is one of five states that is NOT in the DLC (the others are Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin).
Defining Reckless Driving By Speed
In South Carolina, to be charged with speeding and reckless driving, an individual is driving over the highest level, which is anything over 25 miles per hour over the speed.
If you hold a beginner's permit, provisional or special restricted driver's license and you accumulated six or more points, your driving privileges will be suspended for six months for Excessive Points.
You are not required to explain why. Under South Carolina law, if you refuse the breath test your driver's license is automatically suspended. For refusing a breath test you will be required to complete the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services course.
Does expungement restore gun rights? If the crime you were convicted of causes you to lose your gun rights and you get that crime expunged, then yes.
If you are charged and convicted of a careless operation in South Carolina's municipal courts, it is also considered a 30-day misdemeanor. However, unlike a reckless driving charge, this does not result in any points on your license.
Penalties for Reckless Homicide in SC
The offense carries with it a maximum penalty of a 10 years prison sentence and a fine adding up to $5000 in South Carolina. As a result of reckless homicide, your driving license can be revoked for a period of 5 years.
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