Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
Proof of identity, lawful presence, a Social Security number and two proofs of a South Carolina address for the SCDMV
Your out-of-state licence or ID, which is surrendered on issue

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers and the SCDMV will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website — the visa sticker in your passport is a different document entirely.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, and many banks accept it. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Exchange your licence within 45 days
SCDMV requires a permanent new resident to obtain a South Carolina licence or ID within 45 days of moving. Bring proof of identity and lawful presence, your Social Security number and two documents proving a South Carolina address, and expect to hand over the old licence.
In personWho: YouWithin 45 days
5
Ask for the REAL ID version at the same visit
Since 7 May 2025 a credential without the star cannot be used at an airport security checkpoint. The SCDMV issues both; taking the REAL ID version at the first appointment costs nothing extra beyond bringing the full document set, and coming back later means queueing twice.
In personWho: You
6
Find your hurricane evacuation zone before you need it
South Carolina evacuates the coast by lettered zone and reverses the lanes on I-26 out of Charleston when it does. Your zone depends on the exact address, not the town. Look it up in week one, agree where the household goes, and note that a mandatory order gives you far less notice than the forecast suggests.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Proof of identity, lawful presence and your Social Security number
Two documents proving a South Carolina residential address

Things most newcomers don’t know

Forty-five days, and it applies to the car on the same clock.

South Carolina gives a new permanent resident 45 days for the licence and 45 days to transfer vehicle registration. Most states split the two — Virginia runs 30 and 60, Idaho 30 and 30 — so people arriving here look for the shorter deadline and find both are the same. Late vehicle registration also carries a penalty fee on top of the normal charge.

Source: SCDMV — moving to South Carolina

You give up the old licence; you do not keep both.

SCDMV requires you to turn in the out-of-state licence or ID when the South Carolina one is issued. People who expect to keep a home-state credential as a backup are surprised at the counter, and anyone whose old licence carries an endorsement they want should sort that out beforehand.

Source: SCDMV — moving to South Carolina

Students and military are carved out of the requirement.

Someone here temporarily as a student or on active-duty orders, and their dependents, may keep a valid out-of-state licence rather than converting. In a metro with the College of Charleston, The Citadel, MUSC and Joint Base Charleston, that exemption applies to a large slice of newcomers.

Source: SCDMV — moving to South Carolina

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. Overstaying that date carries consequences the visa expiry does not.

Source: CBP — retrieve your I-94 admission record

Common mistakes to avoid

Missing the 45-day window because you assumed the deadline ran from your licence's expiry, not your move.
Arriving at the SCDMV with one proof of address when two are required.
Expecting to keep your old state's licence alongside the South Carolina one.
Taking the non-REAL-ID credential and having to queue a second time before a flight.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.
Not knowing your hurricane evacuation zone until a storm is already named.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.