The short answer
| Item | South Carolina answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $15 (S.C. Code §56-19-420(A)). Expedited title: $15 + a $20 expedite charge ($35), in person only. |
| Purchase tax | The Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF): 5%, capped at $500 (§56-3-627). It replaces sales tax: there is no sales tax on an IMF sale. |
| New residents | A flat $250 IMF, not 5%. |
| Deadline | Register within 45 days. No late title fee; the late initial-registration penalty is $10 to $75 by days late. |
| Plates | Plates belong to the person. Moving your own plate: $10 (§56-3-1290). |
| Typical total | $20,000 or $30,000 private-party car, own plate moved over: $525. County property tax is separate. |
Worked examples: why $20,000 and $30,000 cost the same
Private-party purchase, the buyer moves their own plate.
- $20,000 car: title $15 + IMF (5% × $20,000 = $1,000, capped at $500) + plate transfer $10 = $525.
- $30,000 car: title $15 + IMF (5% × $30,000 = $1,500, capped at $500) + plate transfer $10 = $525, identical.
Once the price passes $10,000, the cap binds and the IMF never goes above $500.
- New plate instead of a transfer: $15 + $500 + $40 registration = $555.
- New resident: $15 + $250 + $40 = $305.
- Immediate-family transfer: $25 (title + plate transfer; IMF $0).
County property tax is additional and separate in every one of these.
The South Carolina calculator starts from a $30,000 car bought from a dealer with a new registration: $15 + $500 + $40 = $555.
Title fee: $15
The same $15 covers issuing a title, transferring a title, a duplicate title, and transfer-on-death beneficiary changes (S.C. Code §56-19-420(A); the SCDMV Fees page agrees). An expedited title costs $35, in person only. That's the $15 fee plus a $20 expedite charge, not a separate title fee.
The Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: 5%, capped at $500
- Dealer sale: 5% of the gross proceeds of the sale (sales price) (§56-3-627(B)).
- Private sale: 5% of fair market value (§56-3-627(C)(1)). The law defines fair market value as the total purchase price less any trade-in, or the value in the department-adopted used-value publication less any trade-in. With no trade-in, the private-sale basis is the purchase price in practice.
- Cap: $500.
- Who pays: the buyer, at titling or registration. The DMV may not issue a title or registration until it's collected (§56-3-627(A)). A dealer with an SC retail license collects and remits it; otherwise the buyer pays the DMV.
No sales tax on the car
A sale subject to the IMF is exempt from state and local sales and use tax (§12-36-2120(83)). The old casual excise tax no longer applies to motor vehicles or motorcycles (SC DOR Information Letter #22-17). The 5% IMF replaces the sales tax, so there is no separate South Carolina car sales tax figure.
New residents: a flat $250
A vehicle first titled or registered in another state pays a flat $250 IMF, not 5% (§56-3-627(D)(1)). This doesn't apply to active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses or their dependents (§56-3-627(D)(2)).
Deadline: 45 days, and what being late costs
Register within 45 days of the purchase date (§56-3-212(D)). A private buyer's title application is due "promptly" (§56-19-360), with no separate day count. Dealers must title within 45 days (§56-19-370(B)).
There is no late title fee: SCDMV publishes none. What delay costs is the SCDMV's late initial-registration penalty:
| Days late | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 46–60 | $10 |
| 61–75 | $25 |
| 76–135 | $50 |
| Over 135 | $75 |
The table starts at day 46, right after the 45-day window. The renewal penalty table on the same Fees page is a different table. Driving in violation of the temporary-plate rules is a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $100 (§56-3-212(E)). For renewal late fees in other states, see car registration late fees by state.
Plates and registration
Plates belong to the person, not the car. Transferring your own plate to another vehicle of the same general type that you own or lease costs $10 (§56-3-1290), transferred with a paid tax receipt.
Registration is $40 every two years for most passenger cars ($38 at age 64; $36 at 65 or older or with a disability; motorcycles $10). Electric vehicles add $120 and hybrids $60 (SCDMV Fees page).
You pay your county property tax first. The SCDMV won't register the car without the paid receipt. It's calculated by the county, so there's no statewide figure, and it's left out of every total here.
Gifts and family
Transfers to immediate family are IMF-exempt by statute (§56-3-627(C)(2)(a)(i)). Immediate family is defined in §56-3-627(C)(4) as spouse, parents, children, sisters, brothers, grandparents and grandchildren, so siblings are included. Transfers to a legal heir, legatee or distributee are also excluded.
A gift to anyone else owes the IMF at 5% of fair market value, capped at $500. The $15 title fee applies to every transfer.
You claim the family exemption with SCDMV on the title application. We couldn't confirm the name or number of a separate exemption affidavit on any official page, so none is given here.
Forms
- Form 400: Application for Certificate of Title and Registration, including Section 2 for lienholder information.
- Form 416: Notice of Vehicle Sold, the seller's notification. It doesn't transfer ownership by itself.
Other states
Title transfer guides for other states: North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama.
What this guide doesn't cover
Your county's property tax amount, lien fees (SCDMV publishes none, so not available), specialty plates, trucks and commercial vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in South Carolina?
The title is $15. Add the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (5%, capped at $500) and $10 to move your own plate. A $20,000 or $30,000 private-party car comes to $525. County property tax is separate.
Does South Carolina charge sales tax on cars?
No. The 5% Infrastructure Maintenance Fee, capped at $500, replaces it. Sales subject to the IMF are exempt from sales and use tax.
Why does a $30,000 car cost the same to transfer as a $20,000 car?
The $500 cap. Above $10,000, 5% would be more than $500, so the IMF stays at $500.
Is there a late title fee in South Carolina?
No. The cost of missing the 45-day window is the late initial-registration penalty: $10, $25, $50 or $75 depending on how many days late you are.
How much is a plate transfer in South Carolina?
Exactly $10 (§56-3-1290).
What is the South Carolina new resident car registration fee?
The IMF is a flat $250 for a vehicle first titled or registered in another state, plus the $15 title and $40 two-year registration: $305. County property tax is extra. Active-duty military, spouses and dependents don't pay the $250.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your South Carolina fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (2 yrs)$40.00
- County vehicle property taxPaid to your county first; not in this totalnot available
- Title fee$15.00
- Infrastructure Maintenance Fee5% of price, capped at $500$500.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $40.00 for 2 years + items not available
5-year total: not shown, because it is a 2-year registration.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the South Carolina car registration fee calculator page.
- S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 3 – §56-3-627 (Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: 5%, $500 cap, $250 new residents, immediate family), §56-3-212 (45 days), §56-3-1290 ($10 plate transfer) – scstatehouse.gov
- S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 19 – §56-19-420 ($15 title fee), §56-19-360, §56-19-370 – scstatehouse.gov
- S.C. Code Title 12, Chapter 36 – §12-36-2120(83) (sales subject to the IMF are exempt from sales and use tax) – scstatehouse.gov
- SCDMV – Fees (title $15, expedited $35 in person; registration $40 for 2 years; EV $120, hybrid $60; late initial-registration penalties)
- SCDMV – Registration (pay county property taxes first and bring the paid receipt)
- SC Department of Revenue – Information Letter #22-17 (IMF on motor vehicles; casual excise tax no longer applies)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
Related guides
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