Macular Degeneration and Your SC License: Disclosure Rules

South Carolina uses a single-letter code system printed on the front of your driver's license. Code B indicates "Daytime Driving Only" and is the most common restriction applied to drivers with macular degeneration whose acuity has declined but remains above the minimum threshold. Code A indicates "Corrective Lenses Required" and has no rating impact—most drivers over 75 already carry this designation. The restriction code is visible to law enforcement during a traffic stop and to insurance underwriters when you apply for a new policy or when your current carrier pulls your motor vehicle record at renewal. The code does not state your diagnosis—it indicates only that DMV has determined your vision requires a driving limitation. If you currently hold an unrestricted license and expect to receive a Code B restriction at your next renewal, the restriction will appear immediately on your new license. There is no grace period between the vision test failure and the restriction taking effect.

South Carolina does not require you to notify your auto insurance carrier when you receive a macular degeneration diagnosis. You are required to disclose only information requested on your application or renewal forms, and most carriers do not ask about specific medical conditions—they ask whether your license is currently restricted or suspended. If you renew your license and receive a Code B daytime restriction, you must disclose this at your next insurance policy renewal or when applying for a new policy. Failing to disclose a known restriction is material misrepresentation and can void coverage if discovered during a claim, particularly if the claim involves an accident that occurred outside your permitted driving hours. The disclosure window matters because of timing: if your license restriction appears mid-term and you notify your carrier immediately, most will apply a rate adjustment effective the date of the restriction. If you wait until your policy renewal, the rate adjustment takes effect at renewal, giving you 30–60 days to shop for alternative coverage before the increase applies. State Farm, Nationwide, and Liberty Mutual all pull MVRs at renewal in South Carolina, meaning the restriction will surface even if you don't proactively disclose it.

Rate adjustments for a Code B daytime restriction vary by carrier and depend on whether the restriction is coded as a medical limitation or a standard license condition. In South Carolina, most major carriers apply a surcharge ranging from 8% to 15% when a daytime restriction is added, though some carriers—particularly those with mature driver programs—apply no surcharge if your driving record is otherwise clean and your annual mileage is below 7,500 miles. Auto-Owners and Erie have both been reported by South Carolina drivers over 75 as applying minimal or no surcharge for daytime restrictions when paired with a defensive driving course completion. Progressive and GEICO typically apply the full surcharge but may offset it partially if you qualify for a low-mileage discount, which many drivers with macular degeneration do because they limit driving to essential daytime trips. The larger risk is non-renewal. If your macular degeneration progresses and you receive a second restriction or if your visual acuity falls close to the 20/100 threshold, some carriers interpret this as increased claim risk and may choose not to renew your policy at the end of the current term. This is legal in South Carolina as long as the carrier provides 60 days' written notice.

If your corrected acuity in your better eye falls between 20/70 and 20/100, South Carolina will issue a daytime-only restricted license. If you also demonstrate adequate peripheral vision—defined as at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian—you retain eligibility for this restricted license even as central vision continues to decline. South Carolina does not offer a restricted license for speeds under 45 mph or for driving within a radius of your home, which some states provide. The only restriction available for vision-related limitations is daytime driving. If your ophthalmologist determines that you retain sufficient contrast sensitivity and field of view to drive safely during daylight hours, the restricted license allows you to continue driving legally for work, medical appointments, and errands. If your acuity drops below 20/100 in your better eye with correction, South Carolina will not renew your license regardless of your driving record or need. At that threshold, the state considers the safety risk unacceptable. Some drivers with advanced macular degeneration explore bioptic telescope lens systems, but South Carolina does not permit bioptic driving—your measured acuity must meet the threshold using standard corrective lenses only.

If you receive a daytime driving restriction, fail to disclose it to your carrier, and are involved in an at-fault accident after dusk, your carrier can deny the claim on the grounds that you were operating a vehicle in violation of your license restrictions. This is not a coverage exclusion—it is a policy voiding action based on material misrepresentation. South Carolina law allows carriers to void a policy retroactively if they can demonstrate that the insured knowingly concealed information that would have affected the underwriting decision. A nighttime accident on a daytime-restricted license is one of the clearest cases for this action. The carrier will return your premiums paid and deny all claims filed during the policy period, leaving you personally liable for all damages. Even if the accident occurs during permitted daytime hours, the undisclosed restriction can still create claim complications. If the carrier pulls your MVR during claim investigation and discovers the restriction was in place but never disclosed, they may settle the claim but non-renew your policy immediately afterward. This makes securing replacement coverage significantly harder, as you'll be coded as a non-renewed driver in the insurance database used by most major carriers.

If you fail the vision screening at a DMV branch during license renewal, the examiner will give you Form DR-1 (Vision Specialist Report) and suspend your driving privileges until you submit a completed report from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. The form requires your eye care provider to document your best corrected acuity in each eye, your horizontal visual field measurement, and whether you have any progressive eye condition that may worsen before your next renewal. Your ophthalmologist submits the completed form directly to SCDMV, and the Vision Review Unit determines whether to issue an unrestricted license, a restricted license, or a denial. This process typically takes 10–15 business days from the date DMV receives the completed form. During this period, you may not drive unless you hold a valid license from another state. If your ophthalmologist notes on the form that your macular degeneration is progressive and likely to worsen, DMV may require you to renew more frequently than the standard 5-year cycle for drivers over 65—sometimes annually. This shorter renewal cycle increases the frequency of MVR pulls by your insurer, which increases the likelihood of mid-term rate reviews.