The Greenville News reports that 16 businesses have been cited for violations under South Carolina’s E-Verify law, but almost all have been waived under the law’s provision for first-time offenders. As previously reported, the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act requires employers with 100 employees or more to participate in E-Verify or only hire employees who possess or qualify for a South Carolina driver’s license (or other state license with similarly strict requirements). The law will expand to include all South Carolina employers in July 2010.

According to yesterday’s article, the SC Department of Labor has been checking up on organizations since July, citing approximately 16 businesses out of 600. The violations spotted are across the map: ranging from a company not having any verification system at all, to not verifying all of the new hires in the required time period, to accepting non-approved documents as proof of employment eligibility.

The citations totaled more than $60,000 in penalties, almost all of which were waived. Lawmakers predict that the state will eventually collect sufficient funds for enforcement from repeat offenders and other willful violators.