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Free government phone in South Carolina

South Carolina residents who qualify for Lifeline can get free or discounted phone service. Here is who qualifies, where to apply, and which companies serve the state.

In short

  • Lifeline takes up to $9.25 a month off internet or a phone plan with data, or up to $5.25 off phone-only service. On Tribal lands it is up to $34.25.
  • South Carolina also has its own program, Lifeline South Carolina.
  • Apply at getinternet.gov, the FCC's National Verifier site, or through a Lifeline company. Both lead to the same check.
  • In May 2026, 14 companies gave Lifeline cell phone service in South Carolina. The most customers were with Infiniti Mobile, AirTalk Wireless and TAG Mobile.
Updated · Last checked . Confirm the current rules on the official South Carolina Lifeline page before you apply.

Who qualifies in South Carolina

Under the federal rules, either one of these is enough:

Each household can get only one Lifeline benefit.

What to know in South Carolina

Check if you qualify with our quick tool, or read the full rules.

Lifeline South Carolina

Official Lifeline South Carolina page

How to apply in South Carolina

In South Carolina, the National Verifier checks who qualifies. It is the federal system for Lifeline. You can apply on your own, or through a provider. Both lead to the same check.

Apply at getinternet.gov. This is the FCC's official National Verifier site. Have proof of who you are ready, and proof of your income or your benefit.

Companies that give Lifeline service in South Carolina

In May 2026, 14 companies gave Lifeline cell phone service in South Carolina. These are the 8 with the most customers. The counts come from USAC, which runs Lifeline. They show who serves South Carolina, not who is best.

CompanyLifeline customersFree plan data
Infiniti Mobile30,813
AirTalk Wireless27,5565GB
TAG Mobile14,316Up to 16GB
SafeLink Wireless11,754*Not stated
Assurance Wireless6,93110GB
Gen Mobile5,028
StandUp Wireless3,7355GB
TruConnect3,542At least 4.5GB

* SafeLink Wireless: This count also includes Lifeline customers of Straight Talk, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile and TracFone. USAC counts them together with SafeLink.

Free plan data is from each company's own site. We show it for the companies we have a page on.

Some local phone companies give Lifeline on a home phone instead. In South Carolina, 24 companies did this, with 2,925 customers in all.

Not every company serves every part of South Carolina. To see who serves your address, enter your ZIP code in the official company finder.

If you don't qualify

Lifeline is only for households that get one of the benefits above or have a low enough income. If yours doesn't, you can still get a phone line for little or nothing. These are this month's picks from our plans page:

Each one has a catch, and the plans page says what it is. Our guides compare more options: plans that are genuinely free and free trials. The plans page also lists every plan at $15 or less.

If you applied and were turned down, read why Lifeline applications are denied first. It covers each reason and the document that fixes it.

How many people use Lifeline in South Carolina

Phone companies claimed Lifeline for 111,644 subscribers in South Carolina in May 2026, down 0.4% since May 2025 (USAC). That is the 22nd highest count among the 50 states and DC. Lifeline enrollment in every state.

Other states