To fill out a South Carolina car title, the seller completes the assignment section on the back with the odometer reading, date of sale, sale price, and signature, and the buyer prints their name and address, lists any lienholder, and signs. The buyer then takes the completed title to the SCDMV within 30 days of the sale, along with a bill of sale, a Title Application (Form 400), and the fees. Every field has to be legible and error-free. Cross-outs and white-out will get the paperwork rejected.
Seller’s Fields on the Back of the Title
All of the seller’s entries live in the first assignment section on the back of the title.
Odometer reading. Write the exact mileage from the dashboard at the time of sale. Do not round. Check the box that describes the reading: “actual,” “not actual” (if the odometer has been replaced or is known to be wrong), or “exceeds mechanical limits.” A false odometer statement is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both, on top of any federal penalties.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 19 – Protection of Titles to and Interests in Motor Vehicles
Date of sale and sale price. Enter the date the transaction takes place and the agreed purchase price. If the assignment section on your title does not include a field for the sale price, a separate bill of sale has to accompany the paperwork.2SCDMV. Buying or Selling a Car
Seller’s signature. Print and sign your name exactly as it appears on the front of the title. If two people are listed on the front joined by “and,” both must sign. If they are joined by “or,” one signature is enough.3SCDMV. Titles
Buyer’s Fields on the Back of the Title
The buyer fills in the lower portion of the assignment section.
Name and address. Print your full legal name and current mailing address. If two people are buying together, choose whether the title will read “and” or “or.” That choice controls whether both owners have to sign for future transactions or just one.2SCDMV. Buying or Selling a Car
Lienholder. If you are financing the vehicle, write the lender’s name and address in the lienholder section. The SCDMV records the lien on the new title and the lender holds it until the loan is paid off. Buying outright? Leave the section blank.3SCDMV. Titles
Signature. Sign the buyer’s signature line on the title. Your signature also goes on the bill of sale, which is a separate document.3SCDMV. Titles
If You Make a Mistake
Do not use white-out. Do not write over an entry. Do not scratch anything out. The SCDMV will reject a title with any of those marks.
If the seller writes something wrong in the first assignment section (a misspelled name, wrong date, wrong odometer number, or a signature in the wrong spot), the seller has to complete a Title Error Acknowledgement, SCDMV Form TEA-1, to void that assignment. The seller then fills out the second assignment area on the back of the title with the correct information and signs again.4South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Error Acknowledgement TEA-1
If the seller accidentally assigned the title to the wrong person, that person has to provide a signed and dated statement explaining what happened and confirming they never took possession of the vehicle.4South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Error Acknowledgement TEA-1
When the Odometer Field Is Exempt
Not every sale requires a mileage entry. Federal regulations exempt older vehicles by model year. A 2010 or earlier model year vehicle is exempt once it is at least 10 years past January 1 of its model year. A 2011 or later model year vehicle is exempt once it is at least 20 years past January 1 of its model year.5eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements When a vehicle qualifies, check the “exempt” box instead of writing a number.
For a sale in calendar year 2026, any 2006 or older vehicle is exempt under the 10-year rule, and no 2011 or later vehicles have hit the 20-year threshold yet.
If the Title Still Shows a Lien
Check the front of the title before you start writing anywhere on the back. If a lender is listed as lienholder, the seller has an active loan against the vehicle, and no transfer can happen without the lender’s involvement.3SCDMV. Titles
The seller pays the loan off and the lender releases the lien, usually electronically through the SCDMV’s electronic lien system, though some lenders sign off directly on the title. Until that release happens, the SCDMV cannot issue a clear title to a new owner. A security interest recorded on the title stays valid against later buyers and creditors, so a buyer should never accept a title that still shows an active lien unless the payoff is happening at the same time as the sale.6South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Section 56-19-620 – Security Interest Invalid Against Third Parties Unless Properly Perfected
Gift Transfers
Gifting a vehicle uses the same fields with two differences. Write “gift” where the sale price would go, and if the title has a “Bonafide Gift” checkbox, mark it. The seller still completes the odometer entry and signs.
Gifts between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild) may qualify for an exemption from the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee. To claim it, the recipient typically completes an Affidavit of Immediate Family Relationship, SCDMV Form TI-021A. Gifts to friends, cousins, or other non-immediate family members generally still owe the IMF.
What to Bring to the SCDMV
Once the title is filled out, the buyer takes it in. You can submit at any SCDMV branch or by mail. Bring:
- The completed title, with all seller and buyer information, signatures, odometer reading, and sale price.
- A Title Application (SCDMV Form 400), available at any branch or on the SCDMV website.
- A bill of sale showing the total sale price minus any trade-in value.
- The $15 title fee. Expedited titles are $35 and only available in person.
- The Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: 5% of the purchase price, capped at $500. Most private sales owe the IMF rather than traditional sales tax, and the SCDMV determines which applies.
2SCDMV. Buying or Selling a Car7SCDMV. Fees
If you want to drive the vehicle, you will also register it and get a plate at the same visit, which requires a paid property tax receipt from your county treasurer and proof of liability insurance. Handle the county property tax step before you go to the SCDMV.
The 30-Day Deadline
South Carolina gives buyers 30 days from the date of sale to apply for registration at the SCDMV.8South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 3 Section 56-3-1270 – Procedures Upon Transfer of Ownership of Vehicle Missing the window triggers a delinquency penalty on a sliding scale that starts at $10 and rises to $75 for filings 90 or more days late.9South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Section 56-3-840 – Delinquent Registration and License Penalties The dollar amounts are modest, but driving an unregistered vehicle more than 30 days past the required date is a misdemeanor.
Two Situations That Start Differently
If the seller cannot find the original title, the sale cannot go through on that document. The titled owner has to request a duplicate from the SCDMV first, using Form 400 and a $15 fee ($35 for a same-day expedited duplicate in person). Only the titled owner or their authorized agent (with Form MV-80) can request it.10SCDMV. Replace a Title Do this before the buyer is standing in front of you.
If the titled owner has died, the person signing as seller is not simply the next of kin. A Probate Court either appoints a personal representative or issues a Small Estate Affidavit. The personal representative signs the back of the title as seller, writing their name followed by “(PR).” Under a Small Estate Affidavit, the vehicle can only be titled in the name of the person the Probate Court designates.11SCDMV. Inheriting a Vehicle