South Carolina will roll out new license plates this week. Here’s what to know.
Those getting a new license plate in South Carolina this week will see a new design, as the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles rolls out new plates commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.
The shift – from a design with the slogan “While I Breathe, I Hope,” to one that reads “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won” – comes after Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a bill that requires plates be redesigned every 10 years. The new standard plate – which depicts Sgt. William Jasper hoisting a blue Moultrie flag, bearing the word “Liberty” and a crescent moon on it – will replace the state’s current standard plate that was introduced in 2015.
The new plates will begin being issued at all DMV branch offices starting Jan. 2, 2026, according to a press release from the department, since state offices are closed for New Year’s Day. They will be issued through the end of 2032.
Drivers can keep their current plates until their renewal date. Those plates will be valid through their ten-year replacement point. When drivers go in for a new license plate, they’ll have two options: the new American Revolution plate or the “In God We Trust” plate. Both plates carry no additional cost other than standard renewal fees, the department said.
The move comes a few months after the department began rolling out new driver’s license designs.
The designs, announced in July 2025, feature enhanced security features and nods to the state’s wildlife with depictions of the state bird, the Carolina wren, and the state flower, the yellow jessamine. The DMV began issuing the newly-designed licenses at select Midlands locations in August. Existing driver licenses are valid until their expiration date.
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM with the headline "South Carolina will roll out new license plates this week. Here’s what to know.."
