A first DUI in South Carolina is generally classified as a Misdemeanor — fine OR imprisonment (not both); may be tried in magistrates court.
Jail: 48 hours (under 0.10) / 72 hours (0.10–0.159) / 30 days (0.16+) – 30 days (under 0.16) / 90 days (0.16+); mandatory min 48 hours, 72 hours, or 30 days by BAC tier — the court may allow public service employment instead, but may not compel it
Fine: $400–$1,000 ($400 under 0.10; $500 at 0.10–0.159; $1,000 at 0.16+. A first-offence fine may not be suspended. The statute reads fine OR imprisonment, so a first offence is not both)
License suspension: 6 months; hardship: enrolment in the Ignition Interlock Device Program under § 56-5-2941 is the route to keep driving
Ignition interlock: Required — South Carolina requires an interlock for essentially every conviction — § 56-5-2941 directs the DMV to require a device for anyone convicted under § 56-5-2930, with a narrow exception for a driver who submitted to a breath test reading 0.00, plus a medical waiver.
Alternative disposition: Enrolment in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP) is required for licence reinstatement.
The public-service alternative to the mandatory minimum must be served when it does not interfere with the person's regular employment, and the court cannot force it on an offender who would rather serve the time.
Lookback period: 10 years. § 56-5-2930(D): only violations occurring within ten years including and immediately preceding the date of the last violation count as priors. Convictions from other states, and South Carolina convictions under § 56-5-2933 (driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration), count as prior offenses.
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