Here’s what the new SC driver’s licenses will look like this fall

South Carolina will begin issuing a new driver’s license design this fall and perhaps the biggest change is not what it looks like necessarily but what happens at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

No longer will you walk out with your license in hand, but with a temporary certificate. The actual license will be mailed within seven to 15 business days. The certificate is valid for 30 days.

A QR code allows customers to track the status of their new card.

DMV officials said the change is a result of security enhancements to the new card causing the agency to move to a centralized card issuance process.

DMV said in a news release the method is used by 45 other states, the District of Columbia, and several federal agencies.

The new design will feature photos such as the Statehouse, the Palmetto Tree and Crescent from the state flag, and tributes to the state flower Yellow Jessamine, state bird Carolina Wren, and state reptile Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

“These new licenses and ID cards showcase the Palmetto State while providing citizens with greater protection against becoming victims of identity fraud,” Kevin Shwedo, executive director of the SCDMV, said in a news release.

DMV will begin a pilot program issuing the new cards at offices in the Shop Road office in Columbia and Lexington. Statewide rollout is expected later in the fall.

The agency also said the new cards will be issued when you renew and the cost remains the same — $25 for an eight-year license.

This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Here’s what the new SC driver’s licenses will look like this fall."