McMaster signs bill banning ‘Carolina Squat’ into law

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WMBF) – A popular vehicle modification that’s seen across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee will soon be banned in the Palmetto State.

The bill prohibiting the so-called “Carolina Squat” was signed by Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday.

The Carolina Squat is when the front end of a truck or SUV is higher than the back end.

MORE INFORMATION | Senate Bill 363

The new law will take effect in 180 days, and until then, only warning tickets will be issued for violations. Once the law takes effect, drivers will not be allowed to have a truck or SUV where the front fender is raised four or more inches above the height of the rear fender.

A person who is found in violation will be fined $100, a second offense will result in a $200 fine and if a person violates the law for a third time, they will to pay $300 and will have their license suspended for a year.

State Sen. Luke Rankin, who represents Horry County, sponsored the bill.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department has also been in favor of banning the Carolina Squat with officers saying the modifications make it extremely difficult for drivers to see what’s ahead of them.

“What we saw was a serious issue with visibility out of these severely seriously modified vehicles with that visibility restriction. It makes it very dangerous for these vehicles to be anywhere near pedestrians and that’s something we see a lot of here,” said Myrtle Beach police Sgt. Tom Vest.

Myrtle Beach police have been working with legislators to get the Carolina Squat banned on South Carolina roads.

“We’ve advocated for this legislation for just about two years and we can’t do it alone. We had a tremendous amount of support from lawmakers as well as other law enforcement agencies around the state, so we can’t thank everyone enough,” Vest said.

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