For folks living in South Carolina, there are an abundance of DMV offices around every major city, town, and county, and through the official South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) website, you can find the phone number, email, and address for each one. However, for car owners who need to contact the South Carolina DMV itself, we have you covered.
Whether you’re a resident or a business across The Palmetto State, here’s everything you need to know about how to contact them, their opening and closing hours, what sort of services you can get, as well as how you could visit them or even make an appointment:
1) Contact Information
- Phone Number: 1-803-896-5000
- Email Address: [email protected]
- Address: SCDMV Headquarters, 10311 Wilson Boulevard, Building C, Blythewood, SC 29016
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
As you can see, there are many ways to contact the South Carolina DMV office, including a centralized customer service phone number for general inquiries, in addition to being able to email them or go through their active social media accounts. Therefore, depending on your preferred method of contact, there are many ways to reach out to the South Carolina DMV.
If you are calling in to the South Carolina DMV main office’s phone number though, all calls to the main number, as noted earlier, will typically start with an automated menu system, which you can then direct to the relevant department for your specific inquiry or service.
2) Opening And Closing Hours
- Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (only for limited services)
- Sunday: Closed
For folks dropping on by the South Carolina DMV main office, it’s a good idea to ring up their phone number to schedule an appointment beforehand. As you can imagine, as with a lot of other DMV offices, wait times can be quite significant, as are the long queues.
If you are visiting in person, I’d highly recommend against visiting during the mid-morning, at around 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, as well as the late afternoon, around 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It’s often their busier hours, so visiting during these hours could result in extended wait times and long queues.
On the other hand, I’d instead advise you to visit the South Carolina DMV main office during the early morning or mid-afternoon, preferably mid-week. These hours (and days) tend to be far less crowded and busy, and particularly if you’ve already made an appointment prior, it should result in shorter wait times and a far smoother experience.
3) Services Provided
When you visit the South Carolina DMV main office and headquarters, here are some of the services that they offer:
- Issuing, renewing, and replacing driver’s licenses (incl. stolen or lost licenses)
- Issuing beginner’s permits
- Performing the relevant tests and issuing Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) licenses
- Issuing REAL ID
- Issuing state ID cards
- Performing any address or name changes
- Performing vision tests (relevant to taking driving tests)
- Offering driving tests (incl. scheduling any road tests)
- Issuing new vehicle registrations, renewals, or transferring out of state
- Issuing new vehicle titles, replacements, or providing lienholder information
- Issuing or replacing license plates
- Providing registrations for drivers/people with disabilities
- Issuing apportioned plates for commercial vehicles
When you’re done at the South Carolina DMV, they accept various payment options such as credit cards, debit cards, cash, checks, and some SCDMV locations may even accept mobile payment solutions (i.e. Apple Pay).
4) Visiting The South Carolina DMV
- Directions: The main South Carolina DMV (SCDMV) office is located in Blythewood (check the specific address up above), and it’s easily accessible via major highways.
When it comes to parking, there is more than sufficient parking that is available at most DMV locations and offices, including the SCDMV’s headquarters, which includes spaces for disabled parking, too. One important thing to note; all the details mentioned here are for the main South Carolina DMV headquarters, or else, refer here for the addresses of their other offices.
Regardless, for most routine services, walk-ins are welcomed at the SCDMV, but it’s advisable to always book an appointment beforehand. As such, be sure to refer back to the earlier South Carolina DMV phone number or other contact methods if you need to make an appointment. This is particularly so for driving tests or CDL applications, in order to minimize wait times.
Another handy tip is to ensure that you bring the necessary documents and other paperwork relevant to whichever service you’re going after. These include your proof of identity or your residence, insurance papers, and so on. You could also check the SCDMV’s website to find a complete list of the required documents for each specific type of service.
5) Making An Appointment At The South Carolina DMV
If and when you need to make an appointment at the South Carolina DMV, they can easily be scheduled online through the SCDMV’s official website. All you need to do is select the service you need, then choose your preferred location (among the SCDMV’s many offices throughout the state), and then you’re able to pick a suitable date and time for a visit.
Thankfully, the appointment slots at the South Carolina DMV are generally available within a few days or up to a week prior to the date that you’re visiting, which should offer you a lot of options. However, this depends on the service required and the location in question.
While appointments are usually recommended for quicker service, walk-ins are still accepted by the South Carolina DMV. As expected, walk-in visitors may experience longer wait times, especially during peak hours. So, I’d still highly recommend making an appointment.