First-principles band structure calculations of all the structurally different stacking faults that can be introduced by glide along the (0001) basal plane in 3C-, 4H-, and 6H-SiC are performed, based on the local-density approximation within the density-functional theory. Our calculations, using supercells containing 96 atoms, have revealed that both types of stacking faults in 4H-SiC and two of the three different SFs in 6H-SiC give rise to quasi-2D energy band states in the band gap at around 0.2 eV below the lowest conduction band, and are electrically active. The corresponding wave functions are strongly localized around the stacking fault plane. These results imply that stacking faults in these SiC polytypes are efficient planar traps for electron capture and responsible for subsequent electron-hole recombination. This can therefore have a profound influence on bipolar SiC technology