South Carolina License Plates

JS - 5 Aug ’22

"Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places" base. Began 1/1/1998, Ended 6/30/2008. Embossed high: 589 XBJ Flat low: 568 XBK Numbers 101 to 999 used on flat version; embossed version ended letter series at 900. Optional letter series issued out-of-order: TAG (as in car tag), TGR (for fans of Clemson Univ. Tigers), USC (for fans of Univ. of S.Car.), UNC (for fans of Univ. of N. Car.), and UGA (for fans of the Univ. of Ga.) [Optional letter series issued numbers 101 to 999]. Ben Bunton reports that the use of the letter U on regular plates began in the Nxx series. Letters I, O, Q not used.

Ken Reager - 10 Jun ’09

"Sunrise" design. Flat (3M font) Began: July 1, 2008 Ended: unknown Low reported: AAA 103 Letter O not used. Letters I, Q, U are in use. As with the previous base, TGR, USC, and USA (see below) are issued out of order. Black month stickers indicate plate mailed directly from 3M manufacturing facility (3M printed the stickers); Red month stickers issued by DMV.

- 15 Mar ’22

Flat

Ryan - 24 May ’22

Flat. CT prefix still in use by renewal. K/T prefix began at 10001.

Ben Bunton - 30 Aug ’14

Adam Garstka - 10 Jan ’21

Went flat around CG63000.

We think this type may have been redesigned, but we do not yet have photographic evidence. Can you help?

Mark Eckels - 16 Jun ’15

  - 3 May ’22

Annual issue began 2009. The first digit after the X denotes the last digit of the expiration year.

2015 (black on gray) expiration high: X519305 2014-12-30 Ben

2014 (black on lt. yellow) expiration high: X419014 2014-04-25 Ben

2013 (black on gray) expiration high: X322440 2013-07-26 Ben

2012 (black on lt. yellow) expiration high: X219587 2012-05-01 Ben

2011 (black on gray)

2010 (black on lt. blue) expiration high: X015357 2010-05-06 Ben

2009 (black on lt. green) expiration high: X923870 2009-06-20 Ben

JS - 16 Jan ’22

Flat

Palmetto tree design in background, first issued January 2, 2010. "W" is now a suffix. Numbering began at 1001W. Smaller handicapped logo on left side.

Previous base (black/white) high: 98151. W was part of the plate number as a prefix, but not displayed as part of the serial (printed on the sticker and registration only.)

JS - 21 May ’22

After FM99999, the series started over at FM1001 (embossed). Flat low: FM4918 After FM9999, went to 10001FM (suffix instead of a prefix)

Adam Garstka - 31 Dec ’20

Now flat. We think this type may have been redesigned c. 2016 but we do not yet have photographic evidence. Can you help?

Adam Garstka - 29 Dec ’21

Now flat

After reaching ZZ 9999, the series went to a stacked Z/A format with 5 digits.

Handicapped Motorcycle 1051Z was spotted on 2014-08-27 by Ben Bunton.

Antique Motorcycle ZA 1209 was spotted on 11-09-2005 by Dennis Griesemer.

  - 16 Feb ’22

After exceeding PT99999, the series continued in PV. Ben Bunton reports seeing PV10001, which could be the first in the PV series. Changed from embossed to flat between PV36000 and PV39000. After PV99999, series changed to PT suffix, beginning at 1001PT.

Permanent Trailer originally debuted in mid 80s as TP10001 to about TP 25000, then started at PT00000. When the law changed in 1997 or 98, TP Prefix was for fleets of 7 or more trailers, but no limit is required any more.

- 19 Apr ’22

Now flat

Embossed high: SG96440

Flat low: SG96977

SG99nnn reserved for State Government Low Speed Vehicle. Format changed to nnnnnSG after SG98999.

We know that the new standard design was adopted in 2019, but we do not know which, if any, of these highs are on it. (Thanks scplates.com!)

Adam Garstka - 11 Sep ’19

We know that the design was updated c. 2015-2017, but we have not had any sightings reported on it yet. Can you help?

Dennis Griesemer - 21 Apr ’09

This design replaced the previous green/white design (see Inactive Series below) during a rolling replate throughout 2016.

- 31 Dec ’69

New design with black letter/numbers. Has "Property Carrying" across top of plate framed by a blue horizontal line on top and a red horizontal line on the bottom.

Embossed high: P393487 2012-12-31 Ken Reager

Flat low: P393513 2011-09-26 Ken Reager

JS - 1 Aug ’22

Adam Garstka - 8 May ’21

Blue on white. UP stands for Utility Permanent. Can be seen on large trailers. DMV issues according to ownership, rather than use.

Adam Garstka - 21 May ’21

Low: T1

Changed to flat around T17500

Ken Reager reports T17499 embossed.

Adam Garstka - 30 Jan ’21

Now flat

Adam Garstka - 20 Sep ’19

Has always been flat.

Adam Garstka - 17 Jan ’21

Discontinued after K9999. Most offices are out of stock as of March 2010.

The state has now decided to offer this type again. Flat plates started at K10000.

Original design was Bald Eagle 1994-2002 when Turtle design began.

New design with darker background began Oct.2012. Old design ended K10561, New design began K11000.

Adam Garstka - 25 Sep ’19

This design was replaced with a simpler design c. 2016, but we have no sightings on the new design as yet.

Ken Reager - 24 Oct ’14

Flat

Adam Garstka - 5 May ’21

This is an optional plate. No additional fee is charged for it. The series started at 100 1AA. Lowest spotted: 102 1AA.

Ken Reager spotted embossed 333 3WL, which must be a specially requested plate.

Embossed high: 394 6DT

Flat low: 490 0DT

This design was replaced with a new design c. 2016. We are unsure of the breakpoint between the old and new design, but it appears to be between HE and HS just based on Internet image searching. There may be some highs here that actually belong on the new (2017) series. If you can help narrow this down, please let us know!

Mark Eckels - 18 Dec ’15

New design introduced c. 2016. We are unsure of the breakpoint between the old and new design, but it appears to be between HE and HS just based on Internet image searching.

JS - 7 Aug ’22

This design was replaced with a simpler design c. 2016, but we have no sightings on the new design as yet.

Mark Eckels - 16 Jun ’15

Now flat

"Public Education...A Great Investment"

This design was replaced with a simpler design c. 2016, but we have no sightings on the new design as yet.

Ken Reager - 28 Oct ’14

This design was replaced with a simpler design c. 2016, but we have no sightings on the new design as yet.

Ben Bunton - 3 Nov ’14

Now flat

  - 1 Dec ’21

Veteran (handicapped): same design, but with handicapped logo above the star. High: V/T40040 (began at 40001)

Veteran (motorcycle): same design as passenger.

High: V/T80032 (began at 80001)

Stephen Lilly - 13 Jul ’22

Now flat

V/V 1 reported as a low by Dean W.

Adam Garstka - 21 Jan ’21

These plates were replaced by the standard design beginning 1/1/16. Instead of renewing these plates, registrants got new ones, so these should have all been off the road by the end of 2016. (Thanks scplates.com!)

Dennis Griesemer - 21 Apr ’04