Vehicle registration plates of South Carolina
The U.S. state of South Carolina first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1917. Plates are currently issued by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required since 1975.
Passenger baseplates
1917 to 1975
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 issue was the first South Carolina license plate that complied with these standards.| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1917 | Embossed black serial on light yellow plate; "SC 17" at right | none | 12345 | 5001 to approximately 41000 | ||
| 1918 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "SC 18" at left | none | 12345 | 5001 to approximately 61000 | ||
| 1919 | Embossed blue serial on white plate with border line; "S.C. 1919" centered at bottom | none | 12-345 | 5-001 to approximately 73-000 | ||
| 1920 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "S.C. 1920" centered at bottom | none | 12-345 | 5-001 to approximately 98-000 | ||
| 1921 | Embossed red serial on black plate with border line; "S.C. 1921" centered at bottom | none | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1922 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "SC 22" at right | none | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1923 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "SC 23" at right | none | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1924 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "24" and "SC" monogram at right | none | A123-456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1925 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "SC" monogram and "25" at right | none | A123-456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1926 | Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "SC" at right, with letters separated by embossed Sabal palmetto containing debossed "26" | none | A123-456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1927 | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "SC" at right, with letters separated by embossed Sabal palmetto containing debossed "27" | none | A123-456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1928 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 1928" at bottom | none | A123-456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | First use of the full state name. | |
| 1929 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 1929" at bottom | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1930 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 1930" at bottom | Vertical "IODINE" at right | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | The slogan referred to the high amounts of iodine found in South Carolina's produce. Similar slogans were used through 1933. | |
| 1931 | Embossed green serial on gray plate with border line; "S.C.", slogan and "31" at bottom | "THE IODINE STATE" between state abbreviation and year | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1932 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate with border line; "S.C.", slogan and "32" at top | "THE IODINE STATE" between state abbreviation and year | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| January – October 1933 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "SC 33" at right | "THE IODINE PRODUCTS STATE" at bottom | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| November 1933 – April 1934 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "SC · EXPIRES APR 30 · 34" at top | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| May – October 1934 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "SC · EXPIRES OCT 31 · 34" at bottom | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| November 1934 – April 1935 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "SC · APRIL 30 · 35" at top | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| May – October 1935 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "SC · OCTOBER 31 · 35" at bottom | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| November 1935 – April 1936 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "SC · APRIL 30 · 36" at top | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| May – October 1936 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "SC · OCTOBER 31 · 36" at bottom | none | A-12-345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| November 1936 – October 1937 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "SC · OCTOBER 31 · 37" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1937–38 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 38" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1938–39 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 39" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1939–40 | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate; "SC · OCTOBER 31 · 40" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1940–41 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 41" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1941–42 | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 42" at top | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1942–44 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 43" at bottom | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | Revalidated for 1944 with green tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. | |
| 1945 | Embossed yellow serial on green plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 45" at top | none | A·12·345 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1946 | Embossed silver serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 46" at bottom | none | Letter corresponds to weight class | |||
| 1947 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 47" at top | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1948 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 48" at bottom | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1949 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 49" at top | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1950 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 50" at bottom | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1951 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 51" at top | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1952 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 52" at bottom | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1953 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 53" at top | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1954 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 54" at bottom | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1955 | Embossed black serial on white plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 55" at top | none | A·123·456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1956 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 56" at bottom | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1957 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 57" at top | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1958 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 58" at bottom | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1959 | Embossed white serial on blue plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 59" at top | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1960 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "SOUTH CAROLINA 60" at bottom | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1961 | Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 61" at top | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1962 | Embossed white serial on red plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 62" at bottom | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1963 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 63" at top | none | A-123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1964 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 64" at bottom | none | A-123456 AB-1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | Two-letter serial format introduced for each weight class, though the one-letter format continued to be used. | |
| 1965 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 65" at top | none | A-123456 AB-1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1966 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA 66" at bottom | none | A 123456 AB 1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1967 | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" and "1967" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | A 123456 AB 1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1968 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" and "AUTO" centered at top and bottom respectively; "19" at bottom left and "68" at bottom right | none | A 123456 | Letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1969 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" and "1969" centered at top and bottom respectively | none | A 123456 AB 1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1970 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top | "300 YEARS" centered at bottom, with "1670" to the left and "1970" to the right | A 123456 AB 1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | Commemorated the 300th anniversary of the settlement of South Carolina. | |
| 1971 | Embossed white serial on brown plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top and "1971" centered at bottom | none | A 123456 AB 1234 | First letter corresponds to weight class | ||
| 1972 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top and "1972" centered at bottom | none | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to approximately TOW 250 | For each three-letter series, only the numbers 101–250 were issued. This practice continued through 1975. | |
| 1973 | Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top and "1973" centered at bottom | none | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to approximately VEP 250 | ||
| 1974 | Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top and "1974" centered at bottom | none | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to approximately WJC 250 | ||
| 1975 | Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "SOUTH CAROLINA" at top and "1975" centered at bottom | none | ABC 123 | AAA 101 to approximately WRC 250 |