Transferring the title of a South Carolina vehicle requires you to take different steps at your local South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). Here are some of the steps you’ll need to take:
- Complete and sign the vehicle title and certificate (the vehicle’s seller and the buyer must sign the title certificate)
- Complete a bill of sale (if applicable)
- Complete the vehicle title application form
- Submit the above to the SCDMV
Be advised you may be required to submit additional documents and payments at the time of the vehicle title transfer.
Smog Certification/Vehicle Inspection
South Carolina does not require their residents to subject their vehicle(s) to vehicle emissions testing requirements because this state meets all US government air-quality standards that are outlined in the Clean Air Act.
How to Transfer Your Vehicle Title in South Carolina?
Whether you are buying or selling a vehicle in South Carolina, you are required to transfer the vehicle’s title. The same guidelines apply whether you are purchasing a vehicle from a private seller or dealership.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title As a New Resident of South Carolina
When you move to South Carolina, you have 45 days to complete a vehicle title transfer with the SCDMV.
To apply for an SC vehicle title, you need to submit the following to your local SCDMV office:
- A completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration for Motor Vehicle or Manufactured Home/Mobile Home (Form 400)
- The out-of-state vehicle title and registration certificates
- Proof of identification (ex. Driver’s license, valid passport, etc.)
- Proof of paid vehicle property tax
- Proof of a valid SC vehicle insurance policy
- Payment for the SC vehicle title transfer fee and $250 infrastructure maintenance fee
You can submit the following documentation and payment(s) in person at your local SCDMV office or by mail to the following address:
Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016
Unless you don’t plan on driving your vehicle, you are also required to register your vehicle. You can register your vehicle when you title it.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Private Seller
If you purchase a vehicle from a private seller, you need to head to your local SCDMV office with:
- The current vehicle title certificate, signed over to you by the previous owner
- Bill of sale if the original vehicle title was issued before June 19, 1989
- A completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration for Motor Vehicle or Manufactured Home/Mobile Home (Form 400)
- Lien information (if applicable)
- A Power of Attorney, if you’re signing on behalf of someone else
- Receipt for paid vehicle property tax
- Payment for all applicable SC vehicle title transfer fees and taxes
All SC vehicles must display a license plate while being driven on SC’s public roads. You can obtain a temporary license plate to display before you title and register your vehicle.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Dealership
If you purchased a vehicle from a non-leased vehicle dealership, the dealer must complete your vehicle title and registration application on your behalf. The vehicle dealer will collect all applicable sales tax and vehicle titling fees.
If you leased a new vehicle, you need to take the following documentation and payment(s) to your local SCDMV branch:
- A completed Application for Certificate of Title and Registration for Motor Vehicle or Manufactured Home/Mobile Home (Form 400) Section E on the vehicle’s title must be completed by the leasing company. The odometer reading must also be completed.
- A properly assigned title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin
- Proof of a valid SC vehicle insurance policy
- Power of Attorney (if you are signing on behalf of someone else
- Vehicle property tax receipt
- Payment for all applicable vehicle title fees and taxes
Make sure you have all payments and required documentation before heading to your local SCDMV branch to avoid unnecessary penalties and delays.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle You’re Selling in South Carolina
When you sell a vehicle in South Carolina, it is the vehicle buyer’s responsibility to complete the vehicle title transfer process. However, as the seller of the vehicle, you are required to:
- Complete the vehicle title assignment on the vehicle title certificate
- Provide a bill of sale if the vehicle title was issued before June 19, 1987
- Submit a completed Notice of Vehicle Sold (Form 416) to the SCDMV
Make sure all the forms are completed properly, including all required signatures.
How to Transfer a Vehicle Title When the Owner is Deceased?
When the owner of a vehicle passes away, and you are the beneficiary, and you wish to keep the vehicle, gift it to a relative, or sell it, you need to transfer the title of the vehicle. You can be the joint-owner, surviving spouse, or beneficiary, and maintain the authority to transfer the vehicle title to another person after the owner of the vehicle passes away.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle That Is Part of a Probated Estate
When a vehicle owner passes away, the process you need to follow to transfer the title of a vehicle varies depending on whether the vehicle’s title was in the individual’s name as the descendant or joint ownership. If the vehicle title was solely in the descendant’s name, you need to know if the estate is being probated.
Probate occurs when there is no living spouse or beneficiary provided in the will. This legal process involves administering the estate of an individual who has passed away. The probate proves the last will and testament are legitimate and checks out the deceased person’s assets and property. The Probate Court determines how you need to proceed with the individual’s belongings. During this process, the deceased person’s property will be distributed according to their will.
If the vehicle in question is part of a probated estate, you need to follow these steps to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual:
Contact Probate Court or an Attorney
A vehicle’s title can’t be transferred until the probate process is complete, which means the executor or administrator of the deceased needs to contact the Probate Court or an attorney as quickly as possible to receive instructions on how to proceed through the probate process.
When the probate process is complete, the heir receives the vehicle, unless the executor was given the vehicle. If the executor was given the vehicle, they can choose to sell the vehicle.
Gather the Necessary Documentation
The documents that are required to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual vary from one state to the next, but in South Carolina, you need to have all the following documents and payment to transfer the vehicle’s title:
- Death certificate
- Odometer disclosure statement
- Order from Probate Court to transfer the vehicle
- Certificate of the title
- Transfer fee
Visit the Title Office
As the beneficiary of the vehicle or the administrator of the deceased individual’s estate, you can visit your local SC title office with the above-mentioned documents and payment to initiate the vehicle title transfer.
How to Transfer a Car Title Without Probate
In the state of South Carolina, the deceased person’s property can’t exceed a specific amount and a certain amount of time needs to have passed since the person passed away before the vehicle title transfer can be initiated.
If you happen to be the beneficiary, administrator, spouse, or joint-owner, you may only be required to provide a death certificate and the title of the vehicle to your local SC title office, and they will retitle the vehicle’s title. Attorneys and court orders are not required.
Transferring the Title of an Inherited Vehicle in South Carolina
If you are the surviving owner of a vehicle, and your name and the deceased individual’s name are separated by “or” on the vehicle title, you are allowed to sign as the sole owner for a vehicle title transfer.
If the names on the vehicle title were separated by “and”, or if there was only one vehicle owner on the title, distribution of the vehicle is required to be determined by the Probate Court. Depending on the determined form of distribution, the court will issue one of the following:
- An Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property Pursuant to Small Estate Proceedings
- Personal Representative with an original Certificate of Appointment
- Probate Court order
In order to successfully complete an SC vehicle title transfer, you need one of the above-listed documents in addition to the Application for Certificate of Title and Registration for Motor Vehicle or Manufactured Home/ Mobile Home (Form 400)
How to Transfer Ownership of a Vehicle Without a Title in South Carolina?
In the state of South Carolina, you can’t transfer the title of a vehicle without the vehicle’s title. If you have lost or damaged the original vehicle title, you must request a duplicate South Carolina vehicle title.
Can I Gift a Car to a Family Member?
Good news! You can gift a vehicle to a relative as long as you have the required documentation. If you are the recipient of a gifted vehicle, or the vehicle is being transferred from a relative, you must complete a vehicle title transfer at your local SCDMV office. You will follow the same steps to transfer the vehicle’s title as you would if you were buying or selling a vehicle in South Carolina.
Make sure you write “0” in the “price” section of the vehicle’s title. The person receiving the vehicle may be exempt from paying the vehicle sales tax. Like you would with a private vehicle sale, you are required to complete the transfer of ownership sections on the back of the original vehicle title.
Although the vehicle is being gifted to a family member, they may still owe a tax on the current market value of the vehicle when it’s time to register it. The vehicle title needs to be signed and taken to the city clerk to have the application for a new SC vehicle title completed.
Transferring a Vehicle Title When You Have an Out-of-State Title
If you are transferring the title of an out-of-state vehicle in South Carolina, you must meet different requirements. The following out-of-state vehicle title transfer paperwork is required to correctly transfer the vehicle title from one state to South Carolina:
- The original out-of-state vehicle title
- Proof of identification (ex. A valid driver’s license)
- A completed application for a certificate of ownership
- Proof of a valid SC vehicle insurance policy
- A completed South Carolina vehicle registration application
If your lien holder is in possession of the vehicle title, you are required to complete an application for the release of the vehicle title, which will be sent to the SCDMV. Be advised, you may be required to submit additional documentation.
Requesting a Duplicate Vehicle Title in South Carolina
If you lost or damaged your SC vehicle title, you are required to apply for a duplicate vehicle title.
To apply for a duplicate South Carolina vehicle title by mail or in person, you must:
- Complete a Lost/Stolen or Destroyed Certificate of Title Report (Form TI-004A)
- Complete an Application for Certificate of Title and Registration for Motor Vehicle or Manufactured Home/Mobile Home (Form 400) You must include the current odometer reading for the vehicle
You can submit both forms to your local SCDMV or by mail to the following address:
SCDMV
P.O. Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016
There is an SC duplicate vehicle title fee of $15. If you are applying for a duplicate vehicle title in person, you will be required to provide proof of identity, which can include your valid passport, ID, current permanent residency card, or valid SC credential.
Transferring a Vehicle Title With a Lien
Paying off a vehicle loan is surely something to celebrate! When you pay off your vehicle loan, the lender can release the lien on your vehicle title, which allows you to complete an SC vehicle title transfer.
In South Carolina, a lender can release the lien:
- Electronically (if there is an electronic title)
- By completing the lien release section on the vehicle title certificate
- By submitting a letter written on their letterhead (this letter must include the vehicle owner’s name, VIN, title number, and a signature of an authorized company representative)
How Much Does a Title Transfer Cost in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, there are different fees that are associated with vehicle title transfers.
The titling, sales tax, and vehicle title transfer fees in South Carolina are as follows:
- Original vehicle title: $15
- Vehicle title transfer: $15
- Infrastructure maintenance fee: 5% of the purchase price ($500 maximum)
Where Can I Go to Transfer a Vehicle Title in South Carolina?
There are different DMV locations in South Carolina where you can transfer a vehicle’s title.
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
3071 Highway 21
Fort Mill, SC 29715
(803) 547-8350
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (8:30 AM – 5 PM)
Wednesday (9:30 AM – 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles – Abbeville Office
1331 Haigler Street Ext.
Abbeville, SC 29260
(864) 459-2147
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (8:30 AM – 5 PM)
Wednesday (9:30 AM – 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles – Aiken Office
1755 Richland Ave East
Aiken, SC 29801
(803) 641-7752
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (8:30 AM – 5 PM)
Wednesday (9:30 AM – 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
How to Fill Out the South Carolina Title and Title Transfer Forms
In order to make sure you complete the South Carolina vehicle title and title transfer forms, you need to ensure you have the required signatures of the vehicle’s seller and buyer in the provided areas on the vehicle’s title. You are also required to create a bill of sale that provides information about the vehicle, such as its make, year, model, color, and vehicle’s VIN.
If you sold a vehicle instead of gifting it, the correct sales tax needs to be added to the vehicle’s total price. In the “transfer of title by seller” section of the vehicle’s title, provide an accurate odometer reading, and make sure the recipient of the vehicle signs the vehicle’s title in the provided spaces. It’s fine if you estimate the vehicle’s mileage.
Keep in mind, you may be required to provide additional documentation, including a valid South Carolina vehicle insurance policy that meets or exceeds the state’s minimum coverage limits. You may also be required to provide a valid government-issued photo ID or a foreign passport for proof of identification.
My Vehicle Title Was Signed But Never Transferred. What Do I Do?
When a vehicle’s title is signed but not transferred, the vehicle has an open title. With an open vehicle title, the vehicle’s seller didn’t transfer ownership of or register the vehicle in their name, which means they are not legally liable for anything associated with the vehicle, such as taxes, fees, penalties, or similar instances.
If the vehicle’s seller has lost the title, they can apply for a duplicate SC vehicle title (Form 400) and sign it over to you for you to put in your name. Be advised, the individual who is listed on the vehicle’s title is responsible for requesting a duplicate vehicle title.