ADSAP in Horry County: South Carolina's required DUI program

What ADSAP is

ADSAP, the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, is a statewide education and treatment program for people with a substance-related driving offense. Programs are certified by the state's Office of Substance Use Services. Each person is assessed individually, and a plan of education, treatment, or both is built from that assessment.

Who has to complete it

ADSAP is required after most DUI-related license actions in South Carolina:

• After a conviction for DUI or DUAC, S.C. Code § 56-5-2930 requires you to enroll in and successfully complete ADSAP.
• After an administrative suspension for refusing the test or testing 0.15 or more, § 56-5-2951 requires ADSAP if you do not request a DMV hearing, or if the suspension is upheld. You must enroll within 30 days of the notice that it was upheld.
• Drivers under 21 suspended under § 56-1-286 are also notified of the ADSAP requirement under § 56-5-2990(B).

Entering any services recommended in your plan is a requirement for the ignition interlock restricted license, which is how a conviction-based suspension ends. See the ignition interlock guide.

ADSAP in Horry County: Shoreline Behavioral Health

In Horry County, ADSAP is provided by Shoreline Behavioral Health Services, which describes itself as a South Carolina certified ADSAP provider.

• Address: 2404 Wise Road, Conway, SC 29526
• Phone: 843-365-8884
• Hours: Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Walk-in (open access) hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

How to enroll

Shoreline says you can enroll by coming in during open-access hours, no appointment needed. Bring:

• a current 10-year driving record showing the offense, obtained from the DMV within the last 30 days (it must be an official copy)
• a current picture ID
• your Social Security card
• any Medicaid or insurance cards
• a list of medications you take

What the program involves

After the assessment, you are placed in education, treatment, or both. Shoreline's education piece uses PRIME For Life, an alcohol and drug education program for ADSAP clients that focuses on choices and behavior change. How much treatment you need, if any, depends on your assessment.

What it costs

State law caps ADSAP fees, and Shoreline lists the same figures:

No one can be denied services for inability to pay. Shoreline's fees page says it asks for income documentation, and that it will renegotiate a manageable payment plan based on documented income if the original arrangement does not work. It also says payment in full is required before your license is returned, so a longer payment plan can delay reinstatement. Unpaid balances may be sent to the S.C. Department of Revenue's debt setoff program, which can take state tax refunds.

How long it takes

Because services are based on individual needs, the time varies. Shoreline says completion depends on your treatment recommendations, your progress, and payment of all fees, within one year of enrollment.

Under § 56-5-2930, the court must be notified if you do not enroll within 30 days of conviction or do not take part in your plan, and it can hold you in contempt if you cannot show why. Under § 56-5-2990, if you have not completed the program within one year of enrollment, the program must give you a hearing, and its decision can be appealed to the Office of Substance Use Services. Programs meet at least once a month, and you must attend the first one available after you enroll.

Out-of-state offenders

If you were arrested in Myrtle Beach but live elsewhere, Shoreline says its program can serve out-of-state DUI offenders, and it encourages them to contact the DMV in the state where the offense occurred, because reinstatement requirements may differ from South Carolina's. See the out-of-state guide.

The order of steps

For most people after a conviction, the order is: enroll in ADSAP, enroll in the interlock program and install a device, get the restricted license from the DMV, and file proof of insurance if required (SR-22 guide). The penalties guide shows the rest of what a conviction brings.