It’s been a year since SC banned squat trucks. How many fined in Myrtle Beach
It’s been a year since South Carolina cracked down on the Carolina squat truck – putting into law that drivers of such vehicles could face hefty fines and possible revocation of their licenses.
In that time, Myrtle Beach has issued more tickets than any other jurisdiction in the state.
The high number follows efforts by the city’s police chief to ban the squat trucks, which could coften be seen cruising up and down Myrtle Beach’s tourist section of North Ocean Boulevard.
The law banning the vehicles went into effect on July 1, 2023, but it wasn’t until May 10, 2024, that law enforcement was able to begin writing tickets for the trendy alteration, usually found on a pickup or SUV, that lifts the front of the vehicle and lowers the rear.
Since May 10, 2024, officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department have issued 171 citations under the code 56-05-4445 for operating an elevated or lowered vehicle, according to an email from Myrtle Beach Police Lt. Allen Amick.
Statewide, 388 tickets have been written by law enforcement from May 10, 2024, through May 16, 2025, according to information provided by the South Carolina Highway Department of Public Safety through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Of those, 133 tickets were written in Horry County, making it the top county in the state for issuing citations for violating the new law.
The next highest number of tickets were written in Kershaw County with 56, followed by Florence County with 29.
The trucks have long been seen on Horry County roads, and Myrtle Beach has been a haven for squat trucks during the height of summer.
Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock played a key role in outlawing the trucks, testifying multiple times during state House committee hearings. One incident used to encourage the ban was the death of a pedestrian, who was struck and killed by a Carolina squat truck in the city during the summer of 2021.
“We continue to address this law like all laws. Our goal is always safety, and we continue to believe this law is part of making our roadways safer,” Amick said in an email. “We as well as our state and local partners have worked to educate those who live in and visit our state, to gain compliance. Since this statute went into effect, we have seen a decrease in vehicles that violate these statutes within the city limits.”
Horry County Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit also has also seen a reduction in violations since the law changed, according to Horry County spokesperson Mikayla Moskov by text.
But there are still violations, Moskov said. About two weekends ago, officers wrote 16 tickets with five of those vehicles being towed, she said.
The tickets are written under the charge of operating an elevated or lowered vehicle. The law states that vehicles cannot be elevated or lowered by more than six inches by a modification or change in physical structure, with the exception of pickup trucks. However, the height of the front fender of a pickup truck cannot be raised or lowered four or more inches greater than the height of the rear fender.
Drivers face a $100 fine for a first offense; $200 for a second offense; and $300 for a third offense as well as a license suspension by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles for 12 months from the date of the conviction.
Here is the number of tickets reported by county in the last year by the SCDPS:
Horry: 133 citations Kershaw: 56 Florence: 29 Cherokee: 16 Greenwood: 11 Aiken: 10 York: 9 Dillon: 9 Beaufort: 9 Anderson: 8 Georgetown: 7 Darlington: 7 Newberry: 7 Marion: 7 Lexington: 6 Greenville: 5 Lancaster: 5 Jasper: 5 Dorchester: 4 Edgefield: 4 Berkeley: 4 Colleton: 4 Spartanburg: 4 Hampton: 3 Lee: 3 Williamsburg: 3 Sumter: 3 Chester: 2 Chesterfield: 2 Laurens: 2 Marlboro: 1 Clarendon: 1 Charleston: 1 Richland: 1 Orangeburg: 1 Barnwell: 1 Fairfield: 1 Oconee: 1 Pickens: 1 Union: 1 Bamberg: 1
