http://www.scstatehouse.net/CODE/t56c005.htm
Taken from the above link
Check them often but these are up to date as of this posting.
These are the laws in South Carolina that cover:
· lifting and lowering
· Headlight heights
· Taillight heights
· Bumpers and tire
· Vehicle safety condition
Bottom line…Tread lightly….even on the roads in SC and more often than not you’ll get looks and not stopped.
SECTION 56-5-4445. Unlawful to elevate or lower motor vehicle; exception for "pickup trucks".
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a passenger motor vehicle on the highways of this State which has been elevated or lowered either in front or back more than six inches by a modification, alteration or change in the physical structure of the vehicle. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars. Provided, however, this shall not apply to motor vehicles commonly called "pickup trucks".
SECTION 56-5-4480. Visibility distance and mounted height of lamps.
Whenever a requirement is herein declared as to the distance from which certain lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which such lamps or devices shall render objects visible, such provisions shall apply during the times stated in Section 56-5-4450 in respect to a vehicle without load when upon a straight, level, unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions unless a different time or condition is expressly stated. Whenever a requirement is herein declared as to the mounted height of lamps or devices, it shall mean from the center of such lamp or device to the level ground upon which the vehicle stands when such vehicle is without load.
SECTION 56-5-4500. Height of head lamps from ground.
Every head lamp upon every motor vehicle, including every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle, shall be located at a height measured from the center of the head lamp of not more than fifty-four inches nor less than twenty-four inches to be measured as set forth in Section 56-5-4480. However, this section shall apply only to new vehicles sold in this State after June 30, 1949.
SECTION 56-5-4510. Tail lamps required.
Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles shall be equipped with at least one tail lamp mounted on the rear which, when lighted as herein required, shall emit a red light plainly visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear; provided, that in the case of a train of vehicles only the tail lamp on the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance specified.
SECTION 56-5-4520. Height of tail lamps.
Every tail lamp upon every vehicle shall be located at a height of not more than sixty inches nor less than twenty inches to be measured as set forth in Section 56-5-4480.
SECTION 56-5-4530. Illumination of rear registration plate.
Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate and render it clearly legible from a distance of fifty feet to the rear. Any tail lamp or tail lamps, together with any separate lamp for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
SECTION 56-5-4910. Bumpers; "private passenger automobile" defined.
For the purposes of Sections 56-5-4910 to 56-5-4940, the term "private passenger automobile" shall mean a four-wheeled motor vehicle designed for carrying ten persons or less, except a multipurpose passenger vehicle which is constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation.
SECTION 56-5-4920. Bumpers; warranty as to energy absorption system and ability to sustain shock; automobiles manufactured on and after August 1, 1972.
Every private passenger automobile manufactured on and after August 1, 1972, sold and licensed in the State of South Carolina, shall be sold subject to the manufacturer's warranty that it is equipped with an appropriate energy absorption system and that, without compromising existing standards of passenger safety, it can be driven front directly into a standard Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE-J-850) test barrier at a speed of five miles per hour, rear directly into a standard Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J-850) test barrier at a speed of two and one-half miles per hour without sustaining any damage to the automobile.
SECTION 56-5-4930. Bumpers; warranty as to energy absorption system and ability to sustain shock; automobiles manufactured on and after August 1, 1974.
Every private passenger automobile manufactured on and after August 1, 1974, sold and licensed in the State of South Carolina, shall be sold subject to the manufacturer's warranty that it is equipped with an appropriate energy absorption system and that without compromising existing standards of passenger safety, it can be driven, both front and rear, directly into a standard Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J-850) test barrier at a speed of five miles per hour without sustaining any damage to the automobile other than minor deformation of bumper parts.
SECTION 56-5-4940. Bumpers; exceptions to warranty requirements; common-law and statutory remedies not removed.
The warranty provisions of Sections 56-5-4910 to 56-5-4940 shall not be applicable with respect to any private passenger automobile as to which the manufacturer files a written certification under oath with the Department of Motor Vehicles, on a form to be prescribed by that department, that the particular make and model described therein complies with the applicable standards of Sections 56-5-4910 to 56-5-4940. Nothing in Sections 56-5-4910 to 56-5-4940 should be construed to remove any common-law or statutory remedy available against the manufacturer, distributor or ultimate vendor for a defective product.
SECTION 56-5-5040. Tires.
Every motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer operated upon the highways shall be equipped with tires of sufficient size and in sufficient number to distribute the wheel loads on the road surface so as to avoid damage to the highway, and all such tires shall be in a safe operating condition. Every solid rubber tire on a vehicle shall have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery. No person shall operate or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer having any metal tire in contact with the roadway. No tire on a vehicle moved on a highway shall have on its periphery any block, stud, flange, cleat or spike or any other protuberance of any material other than rubber (or other resilient material) which projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it shall be permissible to use farm machinery with tires having protuberances which will not injure the highway and except also that it shall be permissible to use tire chains of reasonable proportions upon any vehicle when required for safety, because of snow, ice or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid. It shall also be permissible to use upon any vehicle for increased safety, regular and snow tires with studs which project beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire not more than one sixteenth of an inch when compressed.
SECTION 56-5-5310. Condition of vehicle and vehicle equipment.
No person shall drive or move on any highway any vehicle unless the equipment thereon is in good working order and adjustment as required in this chapter and the vehicle is in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger the driver or other occupant or any person upon the highway.