Is the South Carolina Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The SCDMV asks 30 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 24 right answers. That leaves a margin of 6 wrong. That places South Carolina near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

South Carolina lifts driving restrictions before most states

In South Carolina, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 15½, and earns a full unrestricted license at 16½.

On South Carolina's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in South Carolina, 15.6 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; South Carolina ranks 28th lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, South Carolina's road network sees 1.69 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - among the highest rates in America. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What South Carolina bans behind the wheel.

South Carolina scores 4.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 19th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers. South Carolina's seat-belt law is primary enforcement - an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 95%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In South Carolina, the average driver pays about $1,367 a year, more than the $1,282 a typical American pays. Here is where that sits next to the national average and the cheapest and priciest states.

About 10.3% of South Carolina drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $25,000 for injuries to one person, $50,000 total for injuries per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and South Carolina lands 16th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: South Carolina law makes insurers give a discount for finishing an approved defensive-driving course (for drivers 25+), good for 3 years. The same course can also knock points off your record or help dismiss a ticket.

On two wheels.

South Carolina's motorcyclist fatality rate is 12.03 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well above the 6.87 U.S. average. South Carolina's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

SCDMV's motorcycle knowledge test is 30 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the SCDMV road test is not something we have verified for South Carolina, so check with SCDMV before you count on it. Required for riders under 21.

On bigger rigs.

The South Carolina CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in South Carolina is $2. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the SCDMV.