How to Complete the South Carolina Title Application (SCDMV Form 400)

SCDMV Form 400 is South Carolina’s combined application for a vehicle title, registration, or both. You have 45 days from your purchase date, or from the day you begin driving the vehicle in South Carolina as a new resident, to file it and pay the fees. Missing that deadline adds a penalty of $10 to $75 on top of your regular charges.¹ The form is available as a PDF on the SCDMV website and in paper at any branch office.²

When You Need to File Form 400

The usual trigger is buying a vehicle. Licensed dealers typically submit the title paperwork for you; private-party buyers file Form 400 themselves. You also need it any time ownership changes hands, including gifts, inherited vehicles, and adding or removing a co-owner. New residents use the same form to convert an out-of-state title to a South Carolina title.

The form covers passenger vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, mobile homes, and other vehicle types that the state titles.

What to Gather Before You Start

The form itself is short. The supporting paperwork is where most applications get held up. Collect all of the following before you go to a branch or seal an envelope.

The previous certificate of title, signed and dated on the back by the seller. The sale price and odometer reading at time of sale must appear on the back of the title; if either is missing, bring a separate Bill of Sale.³
Proof of active South Carolina liability insurance meeting the state minimum.⁴
Your original paid personal property tax receipt from the county treasurer. The SCDMV will not issue a plate or registration decal without it.⁵
A valid driver’s license or state ID, plus your Social Security Number or Federal Employer Identification Number.
If you financed the vehicle, the lender’s full name, mailing address, and account number. Many South Carolina lenders record liens electronically through the Electronic Lien and Title program rather than on paper.⁶

If you want a title only and are not registering the vehicle for road use, you can skip the insurance and property tax receipt. A title can be issued without registration.³

How to Fill Out the Form

Use blue or black ink. No strikeovers, erasures, correction tape, or correction fluid are allowed. If you make a mistake, start over with a clean copy.²

Vehicle and Transaction Details

Check whether you are applying for a title, registration, or both. Enter the seventeen-character Vehicle Identification Number exactly as it appears on the dashboard plate or door jamb. A single wrong digit will get the application rejected. Fill in the year, make, model, body style, and current odometer reading. If the vehicle is leased, mark it under the special vehicle type options.

Owner and Lessee Information

Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your driver’s license, followed by your driver’s license number and your Social Security Number or FEIN. Add a co-owner in the co-owner fields if applicable. Provide your South Carolina residence address, including the county. County matters here because it controls where you pay property taxes.

Lien and Leasing Company Information

If the vehicle is financed, list the first lienholder’s name and mailing address. A second lien has its own set of fields. For a leased vehicle, complete the leasing company section with the company name, phone number, contact person, customer number, and address.²

Signature

Sign in ink. An authorized agent may sign on your behalf if you attach a Power of Attorney. The SCDMV also accepts electronic and digital signatures.²

Fees

Your total depends on the vehicle type and how you acquired it.

Title fee: $15. Expedited title service is $35 and only available in person at a branch office.¹
Registration for most passenger cars: $40. Applicants age 65 or older, or those with a qualifying disability, pay $36. Motorcycles and mopeds are $10.¹
Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF): a one-time fee of 5% of the purchase price, capped at $500. You pay this the first time the vehicle is registered in South Carolina, whether you bought from a dealer or a private party.⁷
Hybrid surcharge: $60 on top of standard registration.
Electric vehicle surcharge: $120 on top of standard registration.¹

For a typical passenger car bought in a private sale for $10,000, expect roughly $555 in SCDMV charges: $15 title, $40 registration, and $500 IMF (which hits the cap at that purchase price). County property taxes are separate.

Late Penalties

The 45-day clock starts on the purchase date printed on the title assignment or Bill of Sale. For new residents, it starts the day you begin driving the vehicle in South Carolina. File after that and the SCDMV adds a penalty on top of the regular fees:¹

46 to 60 days late: $10
61 to 75 days late: $25
76 to 135 days late: $50
Over 135 days late: $75

The penalty applies regardless of the reason for the delay.

How to Submit

You can file in person at any SCDMV branch or by mail. In person is faster and is the only route to expedited title processing.

In Person

Bring the completed form, your supporting documents, and payment to any branch. SCDMV offices accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards, and mobile payment options like Apple Pay.⁸ For faster turnaround, check the expedited option on the form and pay the $35 title fee.¹

By Mail

Send the completed form, all original supporting documents, and a check or money order for the total fees to:²

SCDMV
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0038

Mailed applications take longer, and expedited title service is not available by mail. Keep copies of everything you send. Originals can be difficult to replace. Once processed, the new certificate of title is mailed to the owner’s address, or to the lienholder’s address if there is a lien.

New Residents Moving to South Carolina

If you are bringing a vehicle in from another state, the IMF is different. Instead of 5% of the purchase price, new residents pay a flat $250 IMF on a vehicle previously titled and registered elsewhere.⁷ Combined with the $15 title fee and $40 registration fee, most passenger vehicles cost $305 to bring into the state, not counting county property taxes.⁹

Active-duty military members, their spouses, and dependents are exempt from the $250 IMF.⁷ You still complete Form 400 and provide your out-of-state title, proof of South Carolina insurance, identification, and a paid property tax receipt from your new county.

Leased Vehicles

Leased vehicles need a couple of extra steps. In the vehicle section, mark the type as “Lease.” Fill out the leasing company section with the company name, phone number, contact person, customer number, and full address.² The leasing company is the titled owner. You appear as the lessee.

If you sign the form on behalf of the leasing company, attach a Power of Attorney from the lessor authorizing you to sign. Without it, the SCDMV will reject the application.⁹

Mobile Homes

Form 400 also covers manufactured and mobile homes, with heavier documentation. For a new mobile home, bring the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin instead of a previous title. For a used one, bring the previous title and a Bill of Sale if the sale details aren’t recorded on the back. The $15 title fee still applies.¹⁰

If the mobile home was previously declared real property and had its title retired, you’ll need more paperwork to re-title it: a stamped copy of a Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit and an Affidavit of Security Interest of Record written by a South Carolina-licensed attorney identifying anyone with a security interest in the real property. Payment for re-titling must be by check or money order. You also need to file a copy of the completed Form 400 with the county where the home was previously located.¹⁰

1
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Fees
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Title and/or Registration Application
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Titles
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South Carolina Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. ELT Lender Requirements
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-627 – Infrastructure Maintenance Fee
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. More Payment Options Come to SCDMV Offices
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Moving to SC – Vehicle
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South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Mobile Home