ADSAP in Greenwood 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 Office of Substance Use Services of the S.C. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, and a certified office exists in each of the state's 46 counties. 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. The state's brochure says offenders must enroll within 30 days of conviction.
• 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 the zero tolerance law, § 56-1-286, are also covered.
• Boaters referred by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources after a boating under the influence case must complete ADSAP to get their boating privileges back.

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 Greenwood County: Cornerstone

The state's certified-provider directory lists Cornerstone as the ADSAP office for Greenwood County.

• Address: 1612 Rivers Street, Greenwood, SC 29649
• Phone: 864-227-1001
• Website: cornerstonecares.org

Cornerstone, at 1612 Rivers Street in Greenwood (mailing address PO Box 50209, Greenwood, SC 29649), is the ADSAP provider for Greenwood County. Walk-in intake is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Cornerstone asks you to arrive by 8:15 a.m. and to allow up to three hours.

How to enroll

Call the provider before you go to ask about intake hours. Cornerstone asks you to bring a photo ID, a list of your medications, an official 10-year driving record dated within the last 30 days, and the $250 intake payment. Call 864-227-1001 if you have questions before you go.

What the program involves

When you enroll, a counselor assesses the problem areas that contributed to the offense, and goals are set to address them. Education, treatment, or both follow, aimed at lowering your risk of another violation. The state's brochure says successful completion is based on whether you have reduced that risk, not only on attendance.

What it costs

State law caps ADSAP fees, and the state's brochure gives the same figures:

No one can be denied services for inability to pay. A person who cannot pay may be required to do 50 hours of community service instead, as arranged by the program. Ask the provider how payment plans work and whether full payment is needed before it reports completion to the DMV.

How long it takes

Because services are based on individual needs, the time varies. The state's brochure says most people finish by the end of their suspension period, but it can take up to 12 months.

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.

Out-of-state offenders

If you were arrested in Greenwood but live elsewhere, the brochure says many states require you to meet either their own requirements or South Carolina's before relicensing you, so call your home state's DMV. The Interstate ADSAP Office at the Dorchester Alcohol and Drug Commission can help find a program at home that satisfies South Carolina. 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 (SR-22 guide). The penalties guide shows the rest of what a conviction brings.