Despite their ugly appearance, license plates serve a valuable purpose by identifying vehicles. With them, police can better enforce traffic violations or find your car if it’s been stolen. In South Carolina, a single rear plate is all that’s required.

Read on for a guide to South Carolina license plate laws by

Jerry

, the App Store's most trusted super app for

car insurance

. We’ll cover ways to lower your

South Carolina car insurance

costs—oh, and plate requirements, exemptions, and car theft statistics, too!

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Does South Carolina require front license plates?

No—South Carolina only requires motorists to display one registration plate on the rear of their vehicles.

Section 56-3-1240

of the South Carolina Code states that “license plates issued for motor vehicles must be attached to the outside rear of the vehicle”. You don't have to display a license plate on the front of your car. However, the rear plate must be "open to view," which means it must be horizontal, upright, and mounted at least 12 inches off the ground.

Drivers also have a responsibility to maintain their rear license plate in a “clearly legible condition”. No lights, tags, covers, inscriptions, or other additions are allowed! As long as no letters or numbers are obscured, however, a custom frame or decal shouldn’t cause you any trouble.

Exemptions

In South Carolina, there are no special rules regarding the display of personalized and special license plates. If you want one, you might have to pay a fee or meet a few requirements, but one is all you need. There are only a few exceptions to the single-plate rule:

Truck tractors and road tractors: The license plate must be attached to the outside front of the vehicle rather than the rear.

Single-unit commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight of over 26,000 lbs: The license plate may be fastened on the front or rear of the vehicle.

Motorcycles:The rear license plate may be mounted vertically if the vehicle is equipped with vertically-mounted license plate brackets.

Motor vehicle trailers:A maximum of two inches of the rear license plate may be obscured by an attached trailer hitch.

Classic car owners, rejoice! You don't need to add a plate to the front of your ’68

Ford Mustang

. It might be a good idea, however, if you live in Columbia (more later).

MORE:

Classic car insurance in South Carolina

What is the penalty for driving without a license plate in South Carolina?

South Carolina considers failure to display a rear license plate a misdemeanor. You could be fined up to $100 or imprisoned for up to 30 days if convicted. So, if you’re shooting for a

clean driving record

and all the benefits that come with it, make sure your plates are clean first!

An obscured license plate is a much less serious traffic violation. It doesn’t carry a jail term, but you could be fined up to $137. In addition, an

amendment to the South Carolina Code

now prohibits police officers from stopping drivers whose license plate is obscured by a frame—unless they’ve committed a second traffic violation at the same time.

MORE:

How to get a temporary license plate in South Carolina

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Which US states do not require a front license plate?

South Carolina is one of 19 states that don’t require a front license plate. You’ll feel right at home if you take a trip to:

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Michigan

Mississippi

New Mexico

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

West Virginia

Why South Carolina requires a rear license plate

As one of the "Rugged Nineteen," Carolina joins 18 other states in only requiring drivers to display a single rear license plate. It’s considered sufficient identification during a traffic stop, accident, or theft. In the Great Nationwide Front License Plate Debate, some South Carolinians also delight in keeping their car’s front grille pristine!

Two license plates provide twice the chance of identifying your car if it's lost or stolen, but it's not a huge issue in South Carolina—unless you live in Columbia.

MORE:

Does my car insurance cover car theft?

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Which states have the highest rate of car theft?

A total of

810,400 vehicles were stolen in 2020

, totaling $7.4 billion in losses. The average loss per stolen vehicle was $9,166. Despite increasingly sophisticated techniques—including stealing smart keys, switching VINs, and fraudulently securing loans—car theft has generally been in decline.

With 14,718 vehicles gone missing, South Carolina accounted for 1.8% of all motor vehicle thefts. For comparison, you were 20 times more likely to lose your car if you parked in the Golden State that year. As if

California car insurance

costs needed another reason to go up!

Don't relax just yet, though. The Columbia metro area had one of the highest rates of vehicle theft in the country, with 382 cars stolen for every 100,000 residents. Even though it only ranked 38th on the list, it’s far above the national average of 246 thefts per 100,000 people. If you don’t want to hike up your

Columbia car insurance

, keep your keys safe and your car locked!

MORE:

The best car anti-theft devices to keep your vehicle safe

How to find cheap car insurance in South Carolina

The type of car you choose also affects your chances of becoming a victim of car theft, with pick-up truck owners suffering the biggest losses. If you can’t stand another increase to your

Ford insurance costs

, you might want to consult an insurance broker... or download one.

A licensed

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