Watch the following video to learn how to get the most out of your visit to SC.GOV.
SC.GOV contains a wealth of information and resources to help you understand and engage with South Carolina government. We understand that different people have different preferences for how they use a website, so we have provided a number of different ways for you to find what you are looking for.
Browsing for Information and Resources
Browsing for information is done by clicking links and buttons within the content of pages or by using the standard navigation which is included on each SC.GOV page.
Main Navigation
The main navigation for SC.GOV appears at the top of each page. If you are browsing using a desktop computer or tablet, you will see the main navigation as a list of links as shown below.
If you are browsing using a smartphone or another device with a small screen, the main navigation will be accessible through the menu icon in the upper right corner of the page as shown below.
Regardless of your browsing device and screen width, the main navigation will provide you access to the same navigation options. These navigation options are summarized below.
Government - The Government area of the SC.GOV website contains information and resources related to how South Carolina government is structured, the functions it provides, and the people that represent you in the government.
Online Services - South Carolina government lets you conduct many transactions electronically through SC.GOV or state agency websites. The Online Services Directory allows you to browse online services by topic or search for services by keyword.
Topics - The Topics area of SC.GOV allows you to find information and services most important for specific types of users -- such as Residents, Visitors, Businesses, and State Government Employees. Topics are also included for specific subjects -- including Health, Safety, Tickets Fees and Fines, Education, Employment, Courts & Legal, Military & Veterans, and Moving to South Carolina.
My Account - My Account is a special area of SC.GOV that provides a personalized digital assistant that helps make interacting with the government more convenient. In the My Account area, you can register for an account, store payment information, keep track of coming events, receive notifications, and store documents for easy access.
Get Help - We are here to help you as you use SC.GOV. The SC.GOV Help Center provides you self-help resources and allows you to contact the SC.GOV support team through an online form, by phone, through real-time chat with a support agent, or using our automated support agent named "Caroline".
Next to the main navigation options, you will also find a search box where you can quickly search for website pages, services, and agencies.
The SC.GOV Homepage
The SC.GOV homepage has been designed to get you to the information and services you want quickly and efficiently. The quickest way to find something is through the SC.GOV search engine. This will search all South Carolina government websites, the online service directory, and the agency directory, all using a single search. At the top of SC.GOV homepage you will find a large search box you can use to immediately search for what your want.
Below the large search box you will find three spotlight cards. Each of these cards links to popular resources. You can click on any one of these spotlight cards to be taken to that SC.GOV page or online resource.
Below the spotlight cards is the guided search feature of SC.GOV. Unlike regular search, where you are asking the search engine for what you want, in guided search we are the ones asking the questions, starting with "What do you want to do today?" Based on your answer, guided search will either ask you additional questions, or send you to where you need to be based on your responses. More about guided search can be found in the next section on search.
Finally, below the guided search you will find our recommendation section. In this area, you will find additional cards for popular resources and resources that are of particular interest for this time of the year. Both spotlights and recommendations will change throughout the year to align with relevant and timely content.
Bottom of Page Navigation
At the bottom of each page of SC.GOV is the bottom-of-page navigation, shown in the image below
On the left of the bottom-of-page navigation you can find a quick pick list of the most used pages of SC.GOV. The next column of navigation contains links to information about SC.GOV, the Digital Government Services Program, government transparency, and how to contact us and connect with South Carolina government on social media. The next column contains the SC.GOV website policies. By using this website, you are agreeing to these policies. In the right-most navigation column you will find options for finding information using a variety of techniques. For instance, we provide a link to the Help Center, agency directory, and the SC.GOV interactive map. Additional links are provided to E11 phone services, our feedback form, and the notifications page where registered SC.GOV users can sign up for new types of notifications.
Searching for Information, Agencies, and Services
SC.GOV provides a powerful search engine that allows you to search for content on SC.GOV, agency websites, the online service directory, and the agency directory. To start your search you enter what you want to search for in the large search box on the SC.GOV homepage or in the smaller search box included in the main navigation on other SC.GOV pages.
Guided Search
Another way that you can search for what you are looking for is through SC.GOV's Guided Search which is part of the SC.GOV homepage. This interactive alternative to traditional searching starts by asking you a simple question "What do you want to do today?" and provides you a list of answers. Based on the answer you provide, the guided search either asks you additional questions to guide you towards what your are looking for, or provides you a link to where you can find the thing you are looking for.
Getting Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
The SC.GOV Help Center provides a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page which lists the most commonly asked questions that visitors to SC.GOV have. For each question, we provide an answer and links to relevant resources to help you engage the government.
Visit Frequently Asked Questions Page
SC.GOV now allows you to create a user account that you can use across South Carolina government websites and services. Registering for an account is completely free, simple, and secure. Your SC.GOV account will also allow you to access the My Account portion of SC.GOV which provides advanced personalized assistance to make your interactions with the government easier and more convenient. For more information on My Account, see the next section of this guide.
Registering for an SC.GOV User Account
Registering for an SC.GOV Account is easy and free! Once you have your account, you will be able to engage with your government in new ways and the MySC area of SC.GOV will keep track of coming events, send you notifications and reminders, store your payment information, and even store your documents and receipts for easy access.
To register for an SC.GOV account, you simply select the "Sign Up" option on the bottom of the SC.GOV Sign-In screen or you can use the button below. Once you have created your account you will need to first activate it using an email sent to the email address used during registration. After account activation, you can set up your profile and authentication preferences.
To start the account registration process, press the button below:
Register for an SC.GOV Account
Using Your SC.GOV User Account
Below you will find instructions on how to sign into your SC.GOV account, logout of your account, and manage your account profile and preferences.
Signing Into Your SC.GOV Account
To sign-into your SC.GOV account, please select the "Login" option from the My Account menu in the main navigation of SC.GOV. This will bring up the SC.GOV Sign-In window where you will provide your email address you used during registration and your password. Depending on the other methods of verification enabled in your account, you may additionally be challenged for a code delivered through email, SMS, or an authenticator device.
If you wish to sign-in now, you can use the button below:
Logging Out of Your SC.GOV Account
To sign out of your SC.GOV Account, you can click on the "Logout" option from the My Account menu included in the main navigation at the top of the page.
Managing Your SC.GOV Account
To manage your SC.GOV Account, navigate to the "Settings" tab of My Account. This will take you to the settings menu. The first item, "Manage Your SC.GOV User Account" will send you to the account management tool. There are three management functions you can perform using the account management tool.
Editing Your Profile
On the left side of the tool you will see your SC.GOV user profile. This profile consists of required information, such as your name and email, and optional information such as your contact information and address. To edit this information, simply press the "Edit" button under the profile summary. You can then make changes using the profile form. When you are finished, press the "Save" button to update your profile information.
Changing Your Verification Options
By default, you will just use your email address and password to sign into SC.GOV. If you would like to enable additional security for your account, you can enable one or more additional verification options. For instance, you can choose to receive a one-time password via email or text message. Or you can connect your SC.GOV account to an authenticator device.
If you wish to enable these options, press the "Edit" button above the summary of current verification options. This will allow you to toggle individual verification options on or off. Once you have enabled the option or options you wish to use for additional verification, press the "Save" button to update your account.
Changing Your Password
To change your password, use the "Change Password" link located on the left-side menu of the account management tool. SC.GOV will then ask you to enter your old password once, and your new password twice. Please note that you must enter a password containing at a minimum a digit, a symbol (e.g. punctuation), and both upper and lowercase letters. You will be asked to create a different password if these requirements are not met. Once you have entered a valid password, press the "Change Password" button to complete the password change.
Resetting a Forgotten Password
If you forget your password, you can receive a password reset email at the email address used during registration. To initiate the password reset process, navigate to the SC.GOV sign-in screen. On the sign-in screen, select the link "Need help signing in?" to reveal the "Forgot password?" option as shown in the image below. Select the "Forgot password?" option to begin the password reset process.
To visit the SC.GOV sign-in page, use the "Login" option of the My Account menu in the main navigation, or you can use the button below.
Go to the SC.GOV Sign-In Screen
SC.GOV provides advanced features to make your interactions with the government more personalized and more convenient. To use My Account you will need to create an SC.GOV user account. For instructions on how to do this, please see the previous section of this guide. My Account provides many different features to enhance your SC.GOV experience. Each of these features is described in the sections below with instructions on how to use those features.
Dashboard
The My Account Dashboard is the default starting point for My Account and allows you to see a summary of all of your My Account information. You can then use the tabs at the top of the dashboard to see detailed information for each feature of My Account - Events, Notifications, and Documents. Also, you can use the Settings tab to view and change settings and preferences. On this page, you will see the three next events occurring on your personal timeline, recent notifications that have not been read yet, and the documents most recently added to your SC.GOV account. You can select any of these summary items to view detailed information about that event, notification, or document. Please note that the detail page will load in a new browser tab.
Events
Your personal event timeline tracks South Carolina government-related events. These events are often associated with obligations, such as making a tax payment, renewing a registration, or the expiration of a professional license. Events may also be informational, though, such as telling you when the next government holiday is or when a particular hunting season starts. You can add events to your account my subscribing to services and using online services from agencies that support adding events to your SC.GOV account.
When you select the events tab, you will be presented the full list of the events for your account. To view details and take action on an event, select the event summary tile. Please note that this will open a new browser tab to show you the detail of the event. From the event detail page, you can then take action on the event, such as deleting it or marking it as complete.
Notifications
You will receive notifications from the South Carolina government from notification services that you have subscribed to and, additionally, you will receive reminder notifications for events that are approaching. These notifications will be delivered to your My Account page and through other notification channels that you have configured. By default you will receive notifications to your email account used for registration and SMS messages if you provided a mobile phone number. To change your notification preferences, use the My Account Settings tab and select the Notification Settings option.
On the Notifications tab of My Account, you will see a complete list of notifications, including those you have already read. To view details about the notification, select the notification summary. This will open a new tab on your browser and display the notification details. At this point, the notification will automatically be marked as read. You may also choose to delete the notification from the detail screen if you wish.
Documents
SC.GOV keeps track of your South Carolina documents, including receipts for payments that you make using your stored My Account payment options. Documents will be added to your account as you conduct transactions with South Carolina online services. On the documents tab of My Account, you are presented a list of all of the documents associated with your account. You can use SC.GOV to quickly view or print these documents at any time in the future. To view a document, simply select the document from the dashboard or from the list of documents shown on the documents tab. Doing so will open up the document details and content in a new browser tab. From this document detail screen, you can delete the document if you do not want SC.GOV to continue storing it for you.
Settings
When you select the My Account Settings tab, you will presented with a menu of options which allow you to manage different types of settings for your SC.GOV account. This menu is shown below for reference.
Please refer to the sections below for further information on using each option found on the settings menu.
Manage Your SC.GOV User Account
This menu option allows you to change things about your user account. Using the SC.GOV user account management tool, you can:
- Edit your user profile including your phone number and address.
- Change how you are verified to include additional security protections by using your registered email address to send you a special code or mobile phone number to send you a code as a text message, or by connecting to an authenticator application on your phone.
- Change your password.
When you are done using the user account management tool, use the links on the left to return to your dashboard.
Manage Your Stored Payment Options
You can securely store your payment information with SC.GOV to make paying for government transactions quicker and more secure. Select this menu option to add new payment options or to view and manage credit cards and bank accounts currently associated with your account. If you have more than one credit card or bank account stored, you may designate one card and one bank account as primary using the checkbox at the top-right of the card details page. Doing so will have the designated card or bank account already selected during the payment checkout process.
Notification Settings
Your notification settings tell SC.GOV how your would like to receive your notifications. There are three options for delivery of notifications, and you can choose multiple options.
- Email Notifications: Receive notifications as an email sent to your registered email address
- Push Notifications: Receive notifications as device notifications using the Gov2Go mobile application
- SMS Notifications: Receive notifications as SMS messages sent to your mobile phone number
Using the toggle controls, you can turn off or on the channels you wish to receive notifications through.
Manage My Account Service Registrations
Using SC.GOV you can subscribe to notification services and other reminder services which will add events and/or send you notifications that you are interested in. Select this settings menu option to view a list of the services that you are subscribed to, change your subscription settings where applicable, and unsubscribe to services.
UAT NOTE: These images will be replaced with production images right before public launch since UAT-related interface changes are still being made at the time of authoring this guide.