<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-06-12</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000093319</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>STANDARD COMMERCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>STW</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001211758</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SULLIVAN DANIEL M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-06-12</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>173</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>17.37</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>7586</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2002-06-11</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F5"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1300</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1300</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>BY SPOUSE</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>NON-QUALFIED STOCK OPTION - RIGHT TO BUY</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>17.4</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-06-12</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1500</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>17.4</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2004-06-12</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-06-11</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1500</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1500</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>NON-QUALFIED STOCK OPTION - RIGHT TO BUY</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>18.9</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2002-08-13</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1500</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>18.9</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2003-08-13</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2012-08-13</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1500</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1500</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>NON-QUALFIED STOCK OPTION - RIGHT TO BUY</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>17.5</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2001-08-14</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>17.5</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2002-08-14</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-08-14</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>NON-QUALFIED STOCK OPTION - RIGHT TO BUY</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>5</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>1999-08-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1000</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>5</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2000-08-10</value><footnoteId id="F3"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2006-08-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>COMMON STOCK</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The shares underlying this option become exercisable one-fourth on each of the four anniversaries of August 13, 2002, the date of grant, subject to continued employment.</footnote><footnote id="F2">The shares underlying this option become exercisable one-fourth on each of the four anniversaries of August 14, 2001, the date of grant, subject to continued employment.</footnote><footnote id="F3">The shares underlying this option become exercisable one-fourth on each of the four anniversaries of August 10, 1999, the date of grant, subject to continued employment.</footnote><footnote id="F4">The shares underlying this option become exercisable one-fourth on each of the four anniversaries of June 11, 2003, the date of grant, subject to continued employment.</footnote><footnote id="F5">Required for electronic filing purposes only.  No transaction took place.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Robert A. Sheets, Attorney-in-fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-12</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

