Provisional and temporary alcohol licenses

Key points

1. A six month provisional license may be possible after a first offense DUI or DUAC suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-21

   “If your driving privileges are suspended for first offense Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration (DUAC), you may be eligible for a six-month provisional driver's license”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-21

2. For violations on or after October 1, 2014, your BAC must have been 0.14 percent or less.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-21

   “If the DUI or DUAC violation was on October 1, 2014, or later, you must have had a BAC of 0.14 percent or less.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-21

3. You must be enrolled in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP) and pay $100.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-21

   “You must be enrolled in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP). You must pay $100 for a provisional license.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-21

4. The provisional license is not available for any DUI or DUAC on or after May 19, 2024.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-21

   “The provisional DL is not available for any DUI or DUAC that takes place on or after May 19, 2024.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-21

5. If approved, a route restricted license costs $100.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-22

   “If approved, a route restricted license costs $100.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-22

6. A Temporary Alcohol License may be possible if you requested an administrative hearing within 30 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-23

   “have filed for an administrative hearing within 30 days”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-23

7. While the hearing is pending, you may get a TAL for $100.

   Source: Handbook p. 1-23

   “While the results of your hearing are pending, you may receive a TAL for $100.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 1-23

Numbers to know

3 questions from the South Carolina practice test

1. 1. For which suspension may a South Carolina driver potentially qualify for a six-month provisional driver's license?

   1. Every speeding suspension
   2. Any parking-ticket suspension
   3. A routine expired-registration suspension
   4. A first-offense DUI or DUAC suspension
   Show answer

   A first-offense DUI or DUAC suspension. The provisional license is a limited option for a first-offense Driving Under the Influence or Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration suspension, if the applicant satisfies the manual's additional conditions. It is not presented as a general remedy for parking, registration, or every speeding suspension. Those choices ignore the narrow alcohol-related trigger. Remember that the manual also lists eligibility requirements, a 100-dollar fee, and a cutoff for violations taking place on or after May 19, 2024.

2. 2. What BAC limit applies to a South Carolina provisional license after a DUI on or after October 1, 2014?

   1. The driver must have had a BAC of 0.14 percent or less
   2. 0.08 or less
   3. Any BAC qualifies
   4. 0.20 or less
   Show answer

   The driver must have had a BAC of 0.14 percent or less. To qualify for a provisional license after a DUI or DUAC violation that occurred on or after October 1, 2014, the driver must have had a BAC of 0.14 percent or less, must have met all requirements for prior suspensions, must be enrolled in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, and must pay $100. The provisional license is not available for offenses on or after May 19, 2024.

3. 3. While the results of a Temporary Alcohol License hearing are pending, what may an eligible driver receive?

   1. A six-month license for $25
   2. A permanent license at no charge
   3. A TAL for $100
   4. A commercial license for $100
   Show answer

   A TAL for $100. While the hearing results are pending, an eligible driver may receive a Temporary Alcohol License for $100. The TAL remains usable until the SCDMV receives the hearing results, so it is a temporary privilege rather than a permanent replacement license. The free permanent license and the $25 six-month option are not the terms stated in this passage. A commercial license is a different credential entirely. The memory cue is hearing pending plus a $100 TAL, followed by returning it when the suspension outcome is resolved.

Source: the South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 1: The Driver's License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.