South Carolina CDL Endorsements
Endorsements are add-ons to your South Carolina CDL that authorize specific vehicle types or cargo. Each requires a separate knowledge test, taken through South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, and the endorsement codes are federal, so a South Carolina endorsement is recognized in every state. With automotive manufacturing, port and container freight, tire and rubber manufacturing shaping South Carolina freight, the examples under each endorsement show where that endorsement pays off locally.
Not all endorsements apply to every CDL class. Use the CDL Selector to find what you need.
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required to transport any quantity of hazardous materials that require placarding under federal HazMat regulations.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Hazardous Materials test, study shipping papers, placard and label selection, safe loading and segregation, emergency response procedures, and security-awareness requirements under federal law.
Hazardous Materials in South Carolina (SC)
- Port and container freight: placarded containers and ISO tanks coming through the ports
- Tire and rubber manufacturing: roofing, coatings, and compressed-gas deliveries to job sites
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required for vehicles designed to transport liquids or gases in a tank permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle, with individual tank capacity of more than 119 gallons.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Tank Vehicles test, study liquid surge and baffled tanks, outage allowances, inspections, high-center-of-gravity handling, and rollover prevention strategies.
Tank Vehicles in South Carolina (SC)
- Port and container freight: ISO tank containers of chemicals and food-grade liquids
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required for commercial vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver: charter buses, transit coaches, and similar vehicles.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Passenger test, study passenger safety protocols, controlled loading and unloading, emergency door operation, on-road passenger management, and distracted-driving rules.
Passenger in South Carolina (SC)
- Transit agencies, charter companies, and church or community buses across South Carolina
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required for any driver transporting school-age students in a vehicle classified as a school bus under federal or state law.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) School Bus test, study student loading zones, stop-signal arm procedures, railroad crossing rules, mirror adjustment, emergency evacuation drills, and state-specific school bus regulations.
School Bus in South Carolina (SC)
- South Carolina school districts and their contractors: every route driver needs S plus P
- Activity and athletics trips, which use the same S-endorsed drivers
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required to pull double or triple trailers where permitted by state law. Common in regional and long-haul freight operations.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Doubles & Triples test, study coupling and uncoupling double and triple combinations, pull-out stability, off-tracking behavior, full combination inspections, and safe following distance.
Doubles & Triples in South Carolina (SC)
- Port and container freight: twin-trailer LTL sets running the port and rail corridors
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), required for any vehicle equipped with an air brake system, which covers most Class A tractor-trailers and many Class B straight trucks.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Air Brakes test, study air brake components, dual-circuit systems, inspection procedures, warning devices, pressure gauges, and stopping distance at highway speeds.
Air Brakes in South Carolina (SC)
- Automotive manufacturing: the tractors and straight trucks on every plant route
- Tire and rubber manufacturing: dump trucks, mixers, and flatbed tractors on construction routes
- Aerospace components: the heavy-haul tractors and straight trucks on aerospace plant routes
- Almost every Class A and Class B vehicle in South Carolina; skip this test and your CDL carries an L restriction
When It's Required in South Carolina
In South Carolina (SC), essential for Class A drivers operating tractor-trailers, lowboys, and other multi-unit combinations over federal weight thresholds.
What to Study for the SC Test
For the South Carolina (SC) Combination Vehicles test, study coupling and uncoupling procedures, air line connections, trailer handling characteristics, off-tracking, and full combination vehicle inspections.
Combination Vehicles in South Carolina (SC)
- Automotive manufacturing: just-in-time parts loads between assembly plants and suppliers
- Port and container freight: container drayage between the ports, rail ramps, and warehouses
- Tire and rubber manufacturing: flatbed and step-deck loads of steel, lumber, and building materials
- Aerospace components: oversize aircraft sections and aerospace components on specialized flatbed and step-deck trailers
Not sure which South Carolina CDL endorsements you need?
Answer a few questions about your vehicle and operation, and the South Carolina CDL Selector Tool pinpoints the endorsements you need in South Carolina.