S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-253 – Establishment of biennial registration periods

(A) Vehicles required by Chapter 3 of Title 56 to be registered biennially must be assigned registration periods as provided in this section.
1. (1) Upon the first reregistration of the vehicles by the Department of Motor Vehicles after the effective date of the implementation of biennial licensure, a biennial registration period must be implemented as follows:
  1. (a) Vehicles whose license plates end in:
    1. (i) an even number and expire between July 1, 1993, and December 31, 1993, shall obtain a biennial registration;
    2. (ii) an even number and expire between January 1, 1994, and June 30, 1994, shall reregister their vehicles for one year. At the end of this time they shall reregister their vehicles for two years and biennially after that time;
    3. (iii) an odd number and expire between July 1, 1993, and December 31, 1993, shall register their vehicles for one year. At the end of that time they shall reregister their vehicles for two years and biennially after that time;
    4. (iv) an odd number and expire between January 1, 1994, and June 30, 1994, shall obtain a biennial registration;
    5. (v) all special license plates must obtain a biennial registration upon renewal, except that official plates such as Legislative, Judicial, Commission, and Congressional must be renewed annually for one-half the biennial fee.
2. (2) Registrations are valid until the last day of the month in which the registration expires.
(B) After June 30, 1994, vehicles must be registered and licensed for twenty-four consecutive months, and registrations expire the last day of the month. The registration and license must be renewed biennially upon application by the owner and payment of fees required by law to take effect on the first day of the month following the expiration of the registration and license to be renewed. This section does not prevent the department from refusing to license a vehicle.
(C) The department shall not issue a refund of the biennial registration fee to a person who has paid the fee and moves out of the State during the biennial registration period.