10 Best DUI Lawyers in Myrtle Beach, SC

This guide compares 10 law firms that defend DUI and DUAC charges in Myrtle Beach and the surrounding Grand Strand, including Conway, Murrells Inlet and North Myrtle Beach. Each firm was evaluated on four points: whether its attorneys previously worked as prosecutors or public defenders in Horry or Georgetown County, how much of their practice is actually DUI and criminal defense rather than one area among many, how regularly they appear in Myrtle Beach Municipal Court, the Horry County magistrate courts and General Sessions in Conway, and whether they handle the separate implied consent license hearing alongside the criminal charge.

When comparing these firms, three questions matter most. Has the attorney tried DUI cases in front of a jury in Horry County, or do they mostly negotiate pleas? Do they know from the prosecution side how a Grand Strand DUI case is built, including the dash and body camera video and the breath test records? And will they request and handle your administrative license hearing, which has its own short deadline? The list below is not ranked and no firm paid to be included. Firm details come from each firm’s own website, its Google Business Profile, and attorney directories such as Avvo, Justia and Nolo.

1. Axelrod & Associates, P.A.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Stuart M. Axelrod, Founder and Owner
• Headquarters: 4701 Oleander Drive, Suite A, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (additional offices at 1550 N. Oak St., Myrtle Beach; Little River; and Rock Hill)
• Phone: (843) 484-2717
• Website: gotaxelrod.com
• Practice Areas: DUI and Traffic Offenses, Criminal Defense, Bail and Bond Hearings, Criminal Appeals, Expungements, Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability, Medical Malpractice, Family Law, Business Law
• Firm Size: Mid-size, multi-office firm; founded in Myrtle Beach in 2005
• Practice Area Page: Myrtle Beach DUI Lawyer
• Social Profiles: Facebook, LinkedIn

Stuart Axelrod opened Axelrod & Associates in Myrtle Beach in 2005 after years on the defense side of Horry County’s criminal courts, including work as an assistant public defender in Horry County and as a contract attorney for the Georgetown Public Defender’s Office. He has practiced since 1998 and reports more than 200 trials, which gives the firm a working knowledge of how local DUI cases move from a magistrate or municipal courtroom to General Sessions in Conway.

The firm’s DUI team handles both halves of a South Carolina DUI case: the criminal charge and the implied consent hearing that decides whether a driver’s license suspension stands. Its attorneys regularly attend DUI defense and trial practice training, and the firm offers Spanish-language resources for clients. With offices on Oleander Drive, North Oak Street and in Little River, clients anywhere along the Grand Strand can meet with an attorney close to where the arrest happened. The firm was named in Best of South Carolina 2026.

2. Greg McCollum Complete Legal Defense Team

• Attorney/Key Figure: Greg McCollum, Managing Partner
• Headquarters: 4101 Mayfair Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (appointment offices in Summerville and Georgetown)
• Phone: (843) 626-5480
• Website: criminallawyermyrtlebeach.com
• Practice Areas: DUI Defense, Criminal Defense, Traffic Offenses
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal defense firm with three trial attorneys, all with prosecution experience
• Practice Area Page: Complete DUI Defense Team
• Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Greg McCollum began practicing in 1988 as a public defender, then spent more than five years as a felony prosecutor in Horry and Georgetown counties. In 1994 he became the first prosecutor assigned to Horry County’s centralized DUI Jury Court, and across both sides of the courtroom he has tried more than 200 cases, over 100 of them DUI trials.

What sets the firm apart is that every attorney on the team has prosecuted cases. Senior trial attorney Bill McIntosh served five years as a state prosecutor and is a member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and trial attorney Ricky Todd prosecuted DUI cases at the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office before serving as a deputy public defender in Georgetown County. The trade-off is scope: the firm is built around criminal defense, so a client who also needs help with an injury claim from the same crash will be referred elsewhere.

3. Chambers Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Trent Chambers, Managing Partner
• Headquarters: 7829 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 (second office at 314 Laurel Street, Suite B, Conway)
• Phone: (843) 449-0420
• Website: myrtlebeachcriminaldefenselawyer.com
• Practice Areas: DUI Defense (including Felony DUI and License Suspension Hearings), Criminal Defense, Traffic Violations, Speeding Tickets, Personal Injury
• Firm Size: Small firm with two attorneys; serving the Grand Strand since 1999
• Practice Area Page: DUI Defense Attorney Myrtle Beach
• Social Profiles: Facebook

Trent Chambers was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1997 and started his career as an Assistant Solicitor in the Horry County Solicitor’s Office, where he prosecuted DUI, juvenile and General Sessions cases. From 1999 to 2004 he also served as a special prosecutor for the City of Myrtle Beach, the same municipal court where many Grand Strand DUI arrests are first heard.

The firm runs offices in both Myrtle Beach and Conway, which places it near the municipal court and the county seat where felony DUI and General Sessions matters are handled. It covers the administrative license suspension hearing as part of its DUI work. As a two-attorney practice, clients get direct contact with the lawyers, though the firm has less bench depth than larger Grand Strand offices if a case needs several attorneys at once.

4. Grooms & Thomas

• Attorney/Key Figure: J. Stephen Grooms and J. Austin Thomas, Partners
• Headquarters: 4593 Oleander Drive, Unit C, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
• Phone: (843) 444-5702
• Website: groomsandthomas.com
• Practice Areas: DUI and DUAC Defense, Implied Consent Refusals, Felony DUI, Drug Charges, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death
• Firm Size: Boutique; two partners with over 25 years of combined criminal justice experience
• Practice Area Page: DUI Defense Attorney in Horry County
• Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Both partners came out of the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Stephen Grooms joined the Horry County Solicitor’s Office in 2011, was promoted to Senior Assistant Prosecutor in 2014, and handled more than 3,000 cases there. Austin Thomas served as an Assistant Solicitor and was a designated DUI prosecutor before moving on to felony cases in Horry and Georgetown counties.

The firm’s DUI practice distinguishes between a DUI charge, which rests on proof of impairment, and a DUAC charge, which rests on the breath or blood alcohol number itself, and it builds defenses around the basis for the traffic stop, breath and blood test calibration and operator certification, and the video record. It appears in Myrtle Beach and Conway municipal courts, the Horry County magistrate courts and the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Because the firm also carries a personal injury caseload, a DUI client is not working with a defense-only shop.

5. Thompson & Hiller Defense Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Lacey Thompson and Laura Hiller, Partners
• Headquarters: 604 16th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (second office at 1231 Elmwood Ave, Columbia)
• Phone: (843) 444-6122
• Website: grandstrandlaw.com
• Practice Areas: DUI and Drunk Driving, Implied Consent and Administrative License Suspension, Criminal Defense, Traffic Offenses
• Firm Size: Boutique; criminal defense only
• Practice Area Page: DUI / Drunk Driving
• Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, Justia

Lacey Thompson and Laura Hiller practice exclusively in criminal courts, handling DUI defense in magistrate, municipal and General Sessions courts. Laura Hiller has practiced since 2008 and has completed Standardized Field Sobriety Test training, the same roadside testing protocol that arresting officers are trained on.

The firm’s DUI approach centers on procedural requirements specific to South Carolina, such as the duty to videotape field sobriety tests and compliance with SLED breath testing policies, along with challenges to whether the state can prove the client was actually driving. It also handles implied consent hearings and the temporary alcohol restricted license that lets a driver keep driving until the hearing date. Because the firm also runs a Columbia office, Myrtle Beach clients should ask which partner will handle their case day to day.

6. Johnny Gardner Law, P.A.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Johnny Gardner, Founder
• Headquarters: 1310 Second Ave Upstairs, Conway, SC 29526
• Phone: (843) 248-7135
• Website: johnnygardnerlaw.com
• Practice Areas: DUI Defense, Implied Consent Hearings, DUAC Defense, Felony DUI
• Firm Size: Solo practice focused on DUI defense; more than 30 years of DUI trial experience

Johnny Gardner began his legal career in 1992 as a solicitor for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Horry and Georgetown counties, and has spent more than three decades defending DUI cases, mainly in Horry County courts. He has completed Standardized Field Sobriety Test training, and before law school he served as an infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division.

His practice is narrower than most on this list: DUI, DUAC, felony DUI and implied consent hearings. The office sits in downtown Conway, the Horry County seat, roughly 15 miles inland from Myrtle Beach, which is convenient for General Sessions matters but means a drive for clients staying on the coast. As a solo practitioner, Gardner handles cases personally, with no larger team behind him for high-volume periods.

7. McCutchen Vaught Geddie & Hucks, P.A. (Lawyers at the Beach)

• Attorney/Key Figure: Luther O. McCutchen III, Gene Palmer Vaught III, J. Scott Hucks, Luther O. “Mac” McCutchen IV and Margaret L. Evans
• Headquarters: 4610 Oleander Drive, Suite 203, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (additional offices in North Myrtle Beach and Litchfield)
• Phone: (843) 277-1667
• Website: lawyersatthebeach.com
• Practice Areas: DUI Defense, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Real Estate
• Firm Size: Mid-size; more than 140 years of combined attorney experience and over three decades serving Myrtle Beach
• Practice Area Page: Myrtle Beach DUI Attorneys
• Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube

McCutchen Vaught Geddie & Hucks has practiced along the Grand Strand for more than 30 years and fields a bench of trial attorneys across three offices. The firm is a member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys and keeps its Myrtle Beach phone line staffed around the clock for new arrests.

Its size is both the strength and the trade-off. Three offices from North Myrtle Beach to Litchfield make it easy to meet near the arrest location, and the firm can handle related matters in-house. The firm also does substantial real estate and injury work, so DUI is one part of a broad general practice rather than the core of it, and the firm’s site does not identify a dedicated DUI attorney.

8. Sutton Law Firm, PC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Robert M. “Bob” Sutton, Jr., Founder
• Headquarters: 1601 North Oak Street, Suite 405, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
• Phone: (843) 626-0708
• Website: myrtlebeachduilawyer.com
• Practice Areas: DUI and DUAC Defense, Implied Consent Hearings, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Defense, Drug Charges
• Firm Size: Solo practice; DUI and DWI make up about 75% of the practice; in private practice since 1995
• Practice Area Page: DUI/DUAC Defense
• Social Profiles: Avvo

Bob Sutton was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1993, clerked for a judge, and opened his own Myrtle Beach practice in 1995. DUI and DWI defense now account for about three quarters of his caseload. He is a long-time member of the National College of DUI Defense and a past local representative and officer of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he has lectured on DUI and criminal law to lawyers and judges. Before law school he served five years as a U.S. Army armor officer.

The firm’s DUI page walks through the specific steps of a South Carolina breath test, including the 20-minute observation period, the implied consent advisement and the DataMaster DMT instrument’s self-checks, which are the points where procedural errors tend to surface. Sutton attends the implied consent hearing for clients and explains how a South Carolina suspension is reported to an out-of-state driver’s home licensing agency, which matters for visitors arrested on vacation. He holds Avvo Clients’ Choice awards in DUI and an Avvo Superb DUI rating. As a solo practitioner, clients work directly with him, though there is no larger team to share the load in busy periods.

9. Monckton, Hembree & Humphries, P.A.

• Attorney/Key Figure: William H. “Billy” Monckton VI, Partner
• Headquarters: 1300 Professional Drive, Suite 102, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
• Phone: (843) 946-6556
• Practice Areas: DUI and DWI, Criminal Defense (including student drug and alcohol charges and state and federal drug charges), Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Wrongful Death
• Firm Size: Small firm; Monckton has practiced privately in Myrtle Beach since 1994
• Social Profiles: Avvo

Billy Monckton was licensed in 1992, clerked for a Fourth Judicial Circuit judge, and then served as an Assistant Solicitor in the Fourth Circuit, prosecuting General Sessions cases and later leading the office’s Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. He has practiced privately in Myrtle Beach since 1994 in municipal, magistrate, state circuit and federal courts, and DUI accounts for roughly a quarter of his practice according to his Avvo profile, where he holds a 9.6 rating.

His long run in Myrtle Beach courtrooms is the firm’s main draw for DUI clients, and his practice also covers student drug and alcohol charges that often accompany a DUI arrest. Because the firm splits its time between criminal defense and injury work, it is a general practice rather than a DUI-focused shop.

10. Grand Strand Law Group, LLC

• Headquarters: 401 Broadway St, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 (second office in North Myrtle Beach)
• Phone: (843) 492-5422
• Website: grandstrandlawgroup.com
• Practice Areas: DUI/DWI, Drug Charges, Traffic Violations, Suspended License, Juvenile Offenses, Criminal Domestic Violence, Real Estate, Estate Planning, Probate, Business Law, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Family Law
• Firm Size: Mid-size general practice with offices in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach
• Practice Area Page: Myrtle Beach Criminal Law Services
• Social Profiles: Facebook, X, YouTube

Grand Strand Law Group handles DUI and DWI charges alongside drug, traffic, suspended license and juvenile matters from its office near downtown Myrtle Beach on Broadway Street. Anyone who has been arrested or charged can book a free one-hour consultation with an attorney, which is longer than the brief phone screening many firms offer.

The firm’s practice also spans real estate, estate planning, probate and family law, so DUI defense is one practice among many rather than its specialty. That breadth suits a client who wants one firm for several legal needs, but someone facing a high-BAC or felony DUI may prefer a defense-focused firm with deeper trial experience in DUI cases specifically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between DUI and DUAC in South Carolina?

South Carolina treats them as separate charges. DUI (driving under the influence) requires the state to prove that alcohol or drugs impaired your driving, and it can be charged even without a breath test result. DUAC (driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration) is based on the test number itself: a reading of 0.08 or higher is enough, even if you did not appear impaired. Firms such as Grooms & Thomas and Joye, Nappier, Risher & Hardin build different defenses depending on which charge was filed.

How long do I have to challenge my license suspension after a Myrtle Beach DUI arrest?

You generally have 30 days from the arrest to request an implied consent administrative hearing. This hearing is separate from the criminal case and decides whether the suspension for refusing or failing a breath test stays in place. Requesting it also allows you to apply for a temporary alcohol restricted license so you can keep driving until the hearing. If no hearing is requested, or the suspension is upheld, you will typically need to enroll in ADSAP, even if you later win the criminal case. Thompson & Hiller and Chambers Law both list this hearing as part of their DUI representation.

What penalties does a first-offense DUI carry in South Carolina?

First-offense penalties scale with blood alcohol level. A BAC under 0.10 carries 2 to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $400; 0.10 to 0.16 carries 7 to 30 days and up to $500; and over 0.16 carries 30 to 90 days and up to $1,000. Each tier also comes with a six-month license suspension. Since May 19, 2024, South Carolina law requires a six-month ignition interlock device for first-time DUI convictions regardless of how high the BAC was, where previously it applied only above 0.15.

Which court will hear my Myrtle Beach DUI case?

That depends on where you were arrested and how serious the charge is. Arrests inside Myrtle Beach city limits usually go to Myrtle Beach Municipal Court, while arrests by state troopers or county deputies elsewhere along the Grand Strand go to an Horry County magistrate court. Felony DUI and many second or subsequent offenses are handled in General Sessions Court in Conway, the county seat. Attorneys who previously prosecuted in the Fifteenth Circuit, such as those at Greg McCollum’s Complete Legal Defense Team and Johnny Gardner Law, know how each of these courts tends to handle DUI cases.

I was arrested for DUI while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. Do I have to come back for court?

Not always. Many Grand Strand defense firms regularly represent out-of-state visitors, and in many magistrate and municipal court DUI cases an attorney can appear on your behalf for hearings, though a trial or a plea may require you to be present. South Carolina is a member of the Driver License Compact, so a conviction or suspension here is typically reported to your home state’s licensing agency. Ask any firm you consult which appearances you will need to attend in person.

Should I hire a DUI-focused firm or a general practice firm?

For a first-offense DUI with a low BAC, a general practice firm that regularly appears in Horry County courts may be enough. For a high-BAC, refusal, repeat or felony DUI, a firm whose attorneys concentrate on DUI defense and have tried DUI cases to a jury, such as Chambers Law or Thompson & Hiller, brings more specific experience with breath test challenges and field sobriety video. Firms with several offices, like McCutchen Vaught Geddie & Hucks or Axelrod & Associates, can be more convenient if you were arrested at one end of the Grand Strand and live or are staying at the other.

This article summarizes DUI and DUAC charges, first-offense penalties, the ignition interlock requirement and the implied consent hearing process as they apply in Myrtle Beach and Horry County, South Carolina. These are general summaries, not a complete statement of the law for any individual case. The outcome of a DUI case can change significantly depending on the reason for the traffic stop, how the breath or blood test was administered and recorded, whether you refused testing, and any prior DUI convictions. Nothing here is a substitute for advice from a licensed South Carolina attorney about your own situation.