South Carolina is a wonderful vacation destination for millions of people looking for miles and miles of gorgeous shoreline, great food and family fun (especially if you love outdoor activities). Golfers travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina year round because it has more golf courses in one concentrated area than any other state in the country. If you will be traveling to South Carolina, or if you have chosen South Carolina as your home, you should be aware of the alcohol-related laws in the Palmetto State to avoid legal trouble.
Sale and Purchase of Alcohol in South Carolina
In South Carolina, you can sell and purchase beer, wine and hard liquor in grocery stores (beer and wine) and liquor stores (spirits) Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., but there is no sale or purchase of beer, wine or liquor on Sundays. One interesting aspect of South Carolina law regarding the sale and purchase of alcohol is that bar closing times are set by individual municipalities, and the range is from midnight to 4:00 a.m. In some bustling little towns in South Carolina, you can hang out in a nightclub or bar until the wee hours of the morning while others close their doors at 12:00 a.m.
Before heading out to a bar in South Carolina, it’s wise to check what time the bar closes and arrange for transportation if you will be drinking any alcohol. To avoid getting a DUI while on vacation, simply avoid drinking and driving altogether.
If you have not been to Myrtle Beach in over ten years and plan on going soon, you will notice that SC no longer uses the mini-bottles of alcohol you find on airplanes. In 2006, the state of South Carolina switched to 750 ml-sized bottles of alcohol for all bars, restaurants, lounges and clubs.
DUI in South Carolina
If you come to South Carolina for vacation and get arrested and charged with DUI, you will need legal representation. Many visitors to the state who get DUI plead guilty hoping that will speed up the process and minimize the penalties, but it does not. Pleading guilty to a first-offense DUI in South Carolina may result in:
- Loss of job and all future jobs
- The cost of SR-22 car insurance (for DUI offenders)
- Prison time
- Hefty fines
- Loss of your driver’s license
In South Carolina, penalties for DUI vary and depend on a variety of factors including:
- Is this your first, second, third or subsequent DUI?
- What was your blood alcohol concentration?
- Did you agree or refuse a chemical blood test?
- Were there minors in your vehicle while you were driving while drunk?
- Was anyone injured or killed due to your drunk driving?
If you find yourself in legal trouble in South Carolina for breaking an alcohol-related law, please contact a South Carolina criminal defense attorney today.
