First Issue 1923?
Samples were generally traded between states for law enforcement to recognize style/color from other states.
Always representative of normal passenger.
Only issued as single.
See Passenger section for colors/design.

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1923

white/dark green

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1924

black/orange

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1925

white/green

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1926
"SC" inside Palmetto Tree design
red/white

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1927
"SC" inside Palmetto Tree design
green/white

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1928

black/yellow

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1929

black/white

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1930
"IODINE" vertically on right side
white/black

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1931
"THE IODINE STATE" bottom
green/gray

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1932
"THE IODINE STATE" bottom
black/yellow

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1933
"THE IODINE PRODUCTS STATE" bottom
black/white

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1934 
"APRIL 30" top or "OCTOBER 31" bottom
black/yellow(April) yellow/black(October)
believed that Samples exist for both color schemes

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1935
"APRIL 30" top or "OCTOBER 31" bottom
color variations: red/white; white/red; black/white; white/black
no rhyme or reason known as to color variations
believed that Samples exist for all color schemes

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1936
"APRIL 30" top or "OCTOBER 31" bottom
yellow/black(April) black/yellow(October)

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1937
unknown if APRIL exists - all I've seen are OCT
black/white

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1938

black/yellow

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1939

black/white

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1940
"OCTOBER 31" bottom
yellow/black

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1941

black/yellow

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1942

yellow/black

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1943
restamped from collected plates - most '42; rare unstamped exist
yellow/black

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1944
strip applied to existing 1943; weight class matched, plate number did not
yellow/green

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1945

yellow/green

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1946

silver/black

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1947

black/yellow

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1948

yellow/black

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1949

white/black

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1950

black/white

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1951

white/black

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1952

yellow/black

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1953

black/yellow

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1954

white/black

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1955

black/white

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1956

black/yellow

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1957

white/blue

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1958

blue/white

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1959

white/blue

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1960

blue/white

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1961

red/white

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1962
some experimental reflective (some debossed in E and F series)*
white/red
unknown if experimental Samples were available

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1963

white/green

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1964

white/black

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1965

black/white
unknown if normal A-00-000 format was available

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1966

white/blue
1964 was the first year 2-letter prefixes were issued on passenger plates. Two types of 1966 Samples known.

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1967

blue/white

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1968
begin reflective letters; "AUTO" bottom (passenger only)
white/black
single letter prefix also valid on passenger plates; unknown if single-letter Sample available

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1969

white/blue

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1970
"1670  300 YEARS  1970"
white/green

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1971

white/brown

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1972
begin 3-letter, 3-number format
white/black

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1973

white/blue

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1974

white/green

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1975

white/maroon

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1976-1980
"Bicentennial" base

sample stickers used

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1981-1985
State Outline base

sample stickers used

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1986-1990
Palmetto base

sample stickers used

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1991-1998
Wren (state bird) base

sample stickers used

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1999-June, 2008
"Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places" base
regular plates transitioned to flat, debossed border, beginning Sept, 2007
unknown if flat Samples were available
sample stickers used

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July, 2008-March, 2016

"Sunrise" base
sample stickers used

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February, 2016-present

"Hope" base

no stickers used on samples

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No specialty samples are issued by South Carolina. Any plates with only "000" are considered prototypes.