Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced today the availability of 84 types of license plates online through the DMV website at www.scdmvonline.com.
The new online service allows customers to exchange their current license plate for a specialty plate or to replace a lost, stolen or damaged plate with the same design, provided the desired plate is one of the 84 designs available through the web.
"It couldn't be easier," said Executive Director Kevin Shwedo. "Go to the website, pick your plate, pay for it and get it in the mail a few days later. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home, provided that your vehicle is already registered. The service is not available for a first time plate."
To exchange a license plate for a different plate design, customers may choose one of the 84 plates available to the public without special requirements.
Examples include the regular South Carolina "Sunrise" plate, college and university plates, sports plates and some organizational plates.
Military license plates, such as the Veteran and Purple Heart plates, cannot be processed online because they require documented proof of service. Likewise, plates requiring memberships, such as the Fraternal Order of Police and Shriners plates, cannot be processed online at this time.
So what's available? Some of the state's most popular designs, such as the In God We Trust, Endangered Species, Public Education, USC and Clemson plates are now available online.
Customers who need to replace a lost, stolen or damaged license plate may now request a new one online.
A replacement plate must be the same design as the license plate it is replacing. The numbers and letters on the plate, however, will be different. Once a specific sequence is used on a plate, it cannot be reissued. This policy protects customers from the fraudulent use of a lost or stolen license plate.
There are some requirements for using the new online service, but customers will be guided through the process.
- Customers must have a valid license plate and vehicle registration.
- The address on the vehicle registration must be current because the new plate will be mailed to that address.
- Customers may exchange a non-permanent plate for a specialty plate as long as the current decal will not expire within 90 days.
Also, expired or suspended plates cannot be exchanged or replaced.
The cost of exchanging a plate depends on the specialty plate the customer chooses.
Specialty plate fees range from free to $70.00 and do not include regular registration fees.
To replace a lost, stolen or damaged plate, the fee is $6.00.
DMV accepts VISA, MasterCard and Discover credit cards online, and the plates are shipped at no additional charge to the customer.
"When you get ready to exchange or replace your current plate online, you should have your current vehicle registration and credit card in front of you," said Executive Director Shwedo. "It will make the process much easier if you have everything right there."
Once the customer completes the transaction, he will receive a confirmation number and delivery instructions. Plates will be delivered by mail in five to seven business days. The DMV Contact Center will handle all customer inquiries by phone at (803) 896-5000 or by email at help@scdmvonline.net.