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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-1-146 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME MUST SURRENDER HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE OR SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARD TO THE COURT WHICH MUST TRANSMIT IT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TOGETHER WITH NOTICE OF THE CRIME, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DRIVER'S LICENSE OR SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARD IS CONSIDERED REVOKED AND MUST NOT BE RETURNED TO THE PERSON UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; BY ADDING 56-1-148 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME MUST HAVE A SPECIAL CODE AFFIXED TO HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE OR SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARD THAT IDENTIFIES THE PERSON AS HAVING BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME, TO PROVIDE A FEE TO BE CHARGED FOR AFFIXING THE CODE AND FOR ITS DISTRIBUTION, TO PROVIDE THE INTENT FOR AFFIXING THE CODE, AND TO PROVIDE A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CODE; TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-80, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE CONTENTS OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE APPLICATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE APPLICATION MUST CONTAIN A STATEMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME AND, IF SO, THE CRIME, AND MUST CONTAIN A LIST OF ALL VIOLENT CRIMES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-3350, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARD BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARD MUST CONTAIN A STATEMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME AND, IF SO, THE CRIME, AND MUST CONTAIN A LIST OF ALL VIOLENT CRIMES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-1-146. A person convicted of or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60 on or after January 1, 2006, in this State must surrender his South Carolina driver's license or special identification card to the court pursuant to Section 56-1-365. The clerk of court within ten days must transmit the driver's license or special identification card, together with notice of the felony and whether or not it is a felony considered to be a violent crime, to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The driver's license or special identification card is considered revoked and the department shall keep a record of the revocation. If the felony which the person was convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to requires the suspension or revocation of his driver's license or special identification card, the driver's license or special identification card must not be returned to the person."
SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-1-148. (A) In addition to the contents of a driver's license provided for in Section 56-1-140 or a special identification card provided for in Section 56-1-3350, a person who has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony considered to be a violent crime as contained in Section 16-1-60 on or after January 1, 2006, must have an identifying code to be determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles affixed to his driver's license or special identification card at the time the person obtains or renews the driver's license or special identification card. The code must identify the person as having been convicted of a felony considered to be a violent crime. The code must be developed by the department and made known to the appropriate law enforcement officers and other judicial officials of this State.
(B) The department shall charge a fee of fifty dollars for affixing the identifying code provided in subsection (A). This fee is in addition to the fee provided for in Section 56-1-140. This fee must be assessed when a person who has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60 on or after January 1, 2006, obtains or renews his driver's license or special identification card. If the conviction or guilty plea for the crime is overturned on appeal, or if the person is subsequently pardoned for the crime, he may request the department to issue him a new driver's license or special identification card with the identifying code removed, and the department is required to comply with this request without imposing a fee.
(C) The fee collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to subsection (B) must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(D) The intent of placing a code on a driver's license or special identification card that identifies a person who has been convicted of a felony considered to be a violent crime is to promote the state's fundamental right to provide for the public health, welfare, and safety of its citizens and law enforcement officers. Notwithstanding this legitimate stated purpose, this provision is not intended to violate the guaranteed constitutional rights of persons who have violated our nations laws.
(E) When a person has been free of additional convictions of violent crimes for ten years after he has completely satisfied the terms of his sentence, the person may file an application with the Department of Motor Vehicles to have the identifying code contained on his driver's license or special identification card removed."
SECTION 3. Section 56-1-80 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 225 of 2000, is further amended to read:
"Section 56-1-80. (A) Every An application for a driver's license or permit must:
(1) be made upon the form furnished by the department;
(2) be accompanied by the proper fee and acceptable proof of date and place of birth;
(3) contain the full name, date of birth, sex, race, and residence address of the applicant and briefly describe the applicant;
(4) state whether the applicant has been licensed as an operator or chauffeur and, if so, when and by what state or country;
(5) state whether a license or permit has been suspended or revoked or whether an application has been refused and, if so, the date of and reason for the suspension, revocation, or refusal;
(6) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose a permanent medical condition which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record;
(7) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose that he is an organ and tissue donor which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record.;
(8) state whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony considered to be a violent crime as contained in Section 16-1-60 on or after January 1, 2006, and state the crime convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to; and
(9) list the violent crimes contained in Section 16-1-60.
(B) The information contained on a driver's license and in the driver's department records pertaining to a person's permanent medical condition, as provided for in item (A)(6), must be made available, upon request, to law enforcement and emergency medical services and hospital personnel; and the information and records pertaining to a person's organ and tissue donor status, as provided for in item (A)(7), must be made available, upon request, to law enforcement, emergency medical services and hospital personnel, and the South Carolina Donor Referral Network, as provided for in Section 44-43-910.
(C) Whenever an application is received from a person previously licensed or permitted in another state, the Department of Motor Vehicles may request a copy of the applicant's record from the other state. When received, the record becomes a part of the driver's record in this State with the same effect as though entered on the operator's record in this State in the original instance. Every person who obtains a driver's license or permit for the first time in South Carolina and every person who renews his driver's license or permit in South Carolina must be furnished a written request form for completion and verification of liability insurance coverage.
The completed and verified form or an affidavit prepared by the department showing that neither he, nor a resident relative, owns a motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter, must be completed and delivered to the department at the time the license or permit is issued or renewed."
SECTION 4. The first paragraph of Section 56-1-3350 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 227 of 2000, is further amended to read:
"Upon application by any a person ten years of age or older who is a resident of South Carolina, the department shall issue a special identification card as long as:
(1) the application is made on a form approved and furnished by the department; and
(2) the applicant presents to the person issuing the identification card a birth certificate or other evidence acceptable to the department of his name and date of birth;
(3) the application:
(a) states whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony considered to be a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60 on or after January 1, 2006 and the felony convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to; and
(b) lists the violent crimes contained in Section 16-1-60."
SECTION 5. The requirements of Section 56-1-140 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Section 3 of this act, must be met upon the renewal of the existing driver's licenses or special identification cards of persons convicted of felonies in this State, except as otherwise provided by Section 56-1-146 as contained in Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 6. The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.
SECTION 7. This act takes effect January 1, 2006, and applies to all persons convicted of violent crimes pursuant to Section 16-1-60 after January 1, 2006.
This web page was last updated on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 2:18 P.M.