SC DMV Form MV-80A, titled “Third Party Title Pick Up,” is a one-page authorization that lets someone other than the vehicle owner collect a certificate of title from a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles field office. The owner signs the form, names the person picking up the title, and that person presents it at the counter along with a valid ID.
When to Use MV-80A
Use MV-80A when a title is ready at an SCDMV field office and the owner wants a specific individual to walk in and get it instead of picking it up personally or waiting for it in the mail. Typical reasons are being out of state, a medical issue, or simply sending a spouse, parent, or friend to handle the trip.
MV-80A is not the same form as MV-80. MV-80 is the “Agent Authorization for Title Pick Up” used by companies — dealerships, fleet operators — that regularly send employees to collect titles on the business’s behalf.1South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Forms and Manuals MV-80A covers a one-off pickup by an individual acting for a specific owner. When staff process an MV-80A, they check whether an MV-80 is already on file for the party involved.
One boundary worth knowing: this is an in-person transaction. You can’t mail MV-80A to the SCDMV and have a title mailed back to a third party. If you want the title mailed, the agency already does that by default, sending it to the owner’s address on file.
How to Fill Out the Form
The form is short, but a customer service representative will verify every field against the SCDMV’s system before releasing the title, so accuracy matters.
- Vehicle Identification Number. Enter the full 17-character VIN. It appears on the dashboard at the base of the windshield, on the driver-side door jamb sticker, and on existing registration paperwork.
- Authorization type. If you’re picking up for an individual owner, complete the “I am an authorized agent for” line with the owner’s name and your relationship (spouse, parent, friend, and so on). If you’re picking up for a business, complete the “I am an authorized employee for” line with the company’s name.
- Vehicle owner. The owner prints their full legal name, signs, and dates the form. That signature is what authorizes the pickup.
- Third party. The person going to the DMV prints their name, signs, and dates the form.
Both signatures need to be on the form before the third party arrives at the field office.
At the DMV Counter
The third party hands the completed MV-80A to a customer service representative and presents a valid driver’s license or state ID. A copy of that ID is attached to the form for the agency’s records.2South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Third Party Title Pick Up MV-80A
The representative confirms that the name and signature on any South Carolina license presented match the SCDMV’s Phoenix system, checks for an MV-80 on file where one should exist, records the date and time of pickup, and initials the form. The original goes back to the customer, and a photocopy is routed to the agency’s scanning department.2South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Third Party Title Pick Up MV-80A
There is no separate fee for submitting MV-80A. It’s a release authorization, not a transaction of its own.
False Information Warning
The bottom of the form cites South Carolina Code Section 56-3-390. Under that statute, anyone who uses a false or fictitious name or address on a DMV application, knowingly makes a false statement, or conceals a material fact is guilty of a misdemeanor.2South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Third Party Title Pick Up MV-80A The person picking up the title cannot misrepresent their identity or their relationship to the owner, and the ID check at the counter is designed to catch that.
Where to Get the Form
Download MV-80A from the SCDMV forms page, or pick up a blank copy at any field office.1South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Forms and Manuals It prints on a single sheet of letter-size paper. Fill it out at home, have the owner sign, and bring it to whichever SCDMV location is holding the title.