New in SC Law | The Veterans Parking Meter Exemption Ends October 6

South Carolina repealed the free metered parking benefit for disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients. The change takes effect October 6, 2026. Here's what to know before then.

South Carolina is ending a longtime benefit for disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients.

For years, drivers with a disabled veteran or Purple Heart license plate issued by the DMV could park at municipal meters without paying. That exemption is going away. 

As of October 6, 2026, those drivers will pay the meter like everyone else.

The change is not in effect yet. If you carry one of these plates, you still park free through early October. But the clock is running, and it is worth knowing before the date arrives.

What changed

The exemption came from Section 56-5-2585 of the South Carolina Code. It said disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients did not owe municipal parking meter fees when their vehicle carried the DMV-issued plate.

That section was repealed as part of H.3856, a broad Department of Motor Vehicles bill signed into law on April 6, 2026. The act made a range of DMV changes, and the parking meter exemption was one line among many. It takes effect six months after signing, which puts the change on October 6, 2026.

What it means for you

If you have a disabled veteran or Purple Heart plate, here is the practical picture.

Through October 5, 2026, nothing changes. You park free at the meter as you always have.

Starting October 6, that benefit is gone. You will pay municipal parking meters like any other driver, and you can be ticketed if you do not.

The plate itself does not change. It still identifies you as a disabled veteran or Purple Heart recipient, and it still carries the other privileges attached to it. What it no longer does, after October 6, is cover you at the meter.

If this affects you

This one is a heads-up more than anything. If you or someone in your family carries one of these plates, mark the date and plan for it.

And once the change takes effect, if you believe you were ticketed in error at a meter, that is a traffic matter, and it is worth a conversation. Follow the series for more updates to South Carolina law, or get in touch.

Common Questions

Do disabled veterans have to pay parking meters in South Carolina?

Not until October 6, 2026. Through October 5, disabled veterans with a DMV-issued disabled veteran plate remain exempt from municipal parking meter fees. Starting October 6, that exemption ends and they pay like other drivers.

Do Purple Heart recipients have to pay for parking in SC?

The same date applies. Purple Heart recipients with the DMV-issued plate keep the meter exemption through October 5, 2026. As of October 6, the exemption is repealed and they pay municipal meters.

When does the South Carolina veterans parking meter exemption end?

October 6, 2026. It was repealed by H.3856, a DMV act signed on April 6, 2026, which takes effect six months after signing.