Home / States / South Carolina

South Carolina car registration fee calculator

How much does it cost to register a car in South Carolina? Registration is $40 for two years. Buying a car adds the $15 title and the one-time Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: 5% of the price, capped at $500, which replaces sales tax. Electric cars add $120 and hybrids $60 every two years. On top, you pay your county's vehicle property tax every year, before the DMV will register the car.

Your vehicle

Electric vehicles pay $120 and hybrids $60 every two years, on top of registration.
$
For a private sale the fee is 5% of the vehicle's fair market value; enter that value here.
$
Comes off before the 5%. It only changes the fee when the price less trade-in is under $10,000.
days
Renewals: $10 (1-14 days) to $75 (over 90). First registrations: $10 from day 46 to $75 after 135 days.
Estimated total
$555.00

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.

Estimate only. Rates checked October 21, 2026 · South Carolina. Confirm with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV).

South Carolina vehicle fees at a glance (2026)

Registration, passenger car$40 for 2 years ($38 age 64, $36 age 65+ or disability)
Truck$30 - $110 for 2 years by gross weight (up to 11,000 lbs)
Motorcycle$10 for 2 years
Electric / hybrid fee$120 / $60 every 2 years
Title fee$15 ($35 expedited)
Infrastructure Maintenance Fee5% of the price, max $500 (instead of sales tax); $250 for new residents
County vehicle property taxPaid yearly to your county first, not in our total

Download this fee summary (PDF)

What this estimate does and does not include

  • County vehicle property tax is not in the total. You must pay it to your county (the auditor sends the bill, the treasurer collects) before the SCDMV will register or renew. It's the vehicle's value from the Department of Revenue guide x the assessment ratio x your local millage, so there is no statewide amount. It's billed every year, while registration is every two years.
  • Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF): one time, at the first South Carolina titling. Dealer sale: 5% of the price after a trade-in, at most $500. Private sale: 5% of fair market value, at most $500. A vehicle you already registered in another state: $250. Vehicles that pay the IMF are exempt from sales and use tax.
  • Electric and hybrid fees are paid every two years with the registration. The SCDMV lists only 'Hybrids' ($60) and 'Electric vehicles' ($120); a plug-in hybrid uses fuel and electricity, so it is in the $60 group, but the SCDMV has no separate plug-in line.
  • Trucks over 11,000 lbs gross weight and electric motorcycles aren't covered by the fee table we have, so they show as not available.
  • Plate transfer: moving your own plate to another vehicle you own or lease is $10 (S.C. Code §56-3-1290). The calculator assumes a new registration, so the $10 isn't in the total.
  • Not included: specialty plates, card fees ($1 + 1.7%). The SCDMV lists no separate fee for a standard plate and no separate late title penalty.
Official sources · Last checked October 21, 2026 · Next monthly check: November 2026

South Carolina registration questions

How much is car registration in South Carolina?

$40 for two years for most passenger cars ($38 if the owner is 64, $36 at 65+ or with a disability), plus your county's yearly vehicle property tax.

How much are the fees on a $30,000 car in South Carolina?

$555 at the DMV: the $500 Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (5%, capped), $15 title and $40 registration. You also pay county property tax first.

Is there sales tax on a car in South Carolina?

No. You pay the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee instead: 5% of the price, at most $500, or $250 if you move here with a car registered elsewhere.

What does an electric car pay to register in South Carolina?

An extra $120 every two years on top of the $40 registration. Hybrids pay $60.

What is the late fee for South Carolina registration?

For a late renewal $10 (1-14 days), $25 (15-30), $50 (31-90) or $75 (over 90 days). Late first registrations start at $10 after 45 days.

South Carolina guides

Embed this calculator on your site

Free to use. Copy this code into your page; the calculator updates when our rates do. Please keep the credit link.

Preview the embedded calculator

Other state calculators