How to Fill Out and Submit SCDMV Form 400: Fees, Deadlines, and Where to File

SCDMV Form 400 is the single application South Carolina uses for titling a vehicle, registering it, or both. You use it whether you bought from a private seller, bought from a dealer, moved into the state with a vehicle, or need a duplicate title. The form is available at any SCDMV branch office or as a download from dmv.sc.gov, and you have 45 days from the purchase date (or the date you begin driving an out-of-state vehicle in South Carolina) to get it submitted.¹

What to Gather Before You Start

Collect every document below before you sit down with the form. A single missing item will send you home from the branch or stall a mailed application by weeks.²

The existing title, signed over to you. The seller must complete the assignment on the back, including sale price, odometer reading, date of sale, and your name and address. If anything is missing from the title itself, bring a separate bill of sale to fill the gap.
A signed bill of sale. Required on all title transactions, showing the sale price minus any trade-in and carrying the buyer’s signature.
Your South Carolina driver’s license or state ID. The name on the ID must match the name you write on Form 400. If you do not yet have an SC license or ID, also complete Form TI-006 (Statement of Vehicle Operation in South Carolina).
Proof of liability insurance from a company licensed in South Carolina. State minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage.³
The paid property tax receipt from your county treasurer or auditor. You pay the county first, then bring the original receipt (not a copy) to the SCDMV.⁴
Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, for a brand-new vehicle being titled for the first time.

If the vehicle came from another state, you also surrender the out-of-state title with your application.¹

How to Complete Form 400

The form has four sections, and not every section applies to every transaction. The printed instructions (Form 400-IS) tell you which sections to fill based on whether you are titling, registering, or doing both.⁵

Section 1: Required for Every Transaction

Check the transaction type at the top: title, registration, or both. Check the Expedite box if you want same-day title printing at a branch office (an added $20 fee).

Enter the vehicle information straight off the existing title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin: VIN, make, model, year, body style, fuel type, and empty weight. Copy it exactly.

Then fill in owner information. State law requires your full legal name as it appears on your SC license or ID, your SC residence address, your license or ID number, and your date of birth.⁶ If there is a co-owner, choose “AND” or “OR” to define how ownership is held. “OR” lets either owner sign off on future transfers alone; “AND” requires both signatures.

If your mailing address is different from your residence, enter both. You also enter the address where the vehicle is physically kept, which matters for property tax. Finish the section with a daytime phone number and the optional voter registration update.

Section 2: Title Transactions Only

Record the odometer reading at the time of the transaction. Federal law requires an odometer disclosure for vehicles model year 2011 or newer, and you certify whether the mileage is actual, exceeds the mechanical limits of the odometer, or is not the actual mileage.⁶ Older vehicles can be marked “Exempt.”

If a bank or credit union holds a lien, enter the lienholder’s name. The lien is recorded on the title, and if the lender uses South Carolina’s Electronic Lien and Title system, no paper title prints; the SCDMV holds the title electronically until the loan is paid off.⁷

This section also captures the purchase details: seller’s name and address, whether the vehicle is new or used, date of purchase, sale price, and any trade-in amount. That data drives your Infrastructure Maintenance Fee. If the transaction qualifies for an IMF exemption (family-member transfer, inheritance, active-duty non-resident military, or a bona fide gift), check the matching box in the IMF/Sales Tax area.⁵

Section 3: Registration Transactions Only

If you want a license plate, indicate whether you need a new plate, are transferring a plate from another vehicle you own, or are exchanging plate types. Enter the gross vehicle weight for any property-carrying vehicle, and certify the insurance company providing your liability coverage.⁵ For vehicles over 26,000 pounds and bus common carriers, the SCDMV also collects your Social Security number or Federal Employer Identification Number.⁸

Section 4: Signature

Every Form 400 must be signed by the owner or owners. If someone signs on behalf of the owner, they need a valid power of attorney. The form also offers an optional donation to Donate Life SC.

What You Will Pay

A standard title-and-registration transaction for a regular passenger vehicle runs $305 when the vehicle is first titled in South Carolina:⁹

Title fee: $15¹⁰
Registration and license plate fee: $40
Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: $250 for a standard passenger vehicle, charged when the vehicle is first titled or registered in South Carolina. Higher gross vehicle weight can push the IMF higher.¹¹
Expedited title (optional): add $20 for same-day printing, branch only.¹⁰

These amounts do not include the vehicle property tax, which you pay separately to your county treasurer before visiting the SCDMV. The property tax depends on your county and the vehicle’s assessed value.

Where to Submit the Form

You can file Form 400 in person at any SCDMV branch office or by mail. In person, you can pay with cash, check, money order, or credit card, and you can request same-day expedited title printing. Branch visits also handle problems that are hard to work out by mail, such as title corrections or unusual documentation.

To file by mail, send the completed Form 400, all supporting documents, and a check or money order payable to “SCDMV” to:¹²

SCDMV, Titles
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0024

Do not mail cash. Keep copies of everything you send; if the packet goes missing, you will need to rebuild it.

The 45-Day Deadline and Late Penalties

You have 45 days from the date of purchase, or from the date you begin operating an out-of-state vehicle in South Carolina, to complete titling and registration.¹ Miss the window and penalty fees stack on top of the normal costs:⁵

Operating a vehicle past the 45-day period without proper registration is also a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $100 on conviction.¹⁴ The late fees are the consequence most people actually meet, but the misdemeanor exposure matters if you have been putting the paperwork off for months.

Gifts and Family Transfers

A gift or family transfer uses the same Form 400, but you may qualify for an IMF exemption. Section 2 includes checkboxes for transfers from a family member, transfers to a legal heir or beneficiary, and bona fide gifts.⁵ Checking the correct box saves you the $250 IMF.

You still need a properly assigned title from the person giving you the vehicle, a bill of sale (even at a sale price of $0), your SC license or ID, and the other standard documents. The $15 title fee and $40 registration fee still apply.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Title

If your title is lost, stolen, or damaged, request a duplicate on the same Form 400 by checking the Duplicate Title box in Section 1. The fee is $15, and you can apply online, by mail, or in person.¹² Same-day expedited duplicates are available in person only, for an added $20. If there is an active lien, the duplicate goes to the lienholder rather than to you.

Before you request a duplicate, verify your current address with the SCDMV. A title mailed to a stale address only triggers another round of delays. For mailed requests, send the completed Form 400, acceptable identification, and a $15 check or money order to the same PO Box 1498 address.

Moving to South Carolina With a Vehicle

If you are new to the state or bought a vehicle titled elsewhere, you must surrender the out-of-state title when you apply. The 45-day deadline runs from the date the vehicle is first operated in South Carolina. If your out-of-state registration has already expired, you need to title and register immediately rather than wait out the 45 days.¹

The SCDMV cost for a standard passenger vehicle is the same $305: $250 IMF, $15 title, and $40 registration and plate.⁹ County property tax is separate. If you have not yet obtained a South Carolina license or ID, complete Form TI-006 and submit it with your Form 400.

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 56 – Chapter 3
2
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. SCDMV – Titles
3
South Carolina Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance
4
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew My Registration
5
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Form 400 Instructions
6
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-19-240 – Application for Certificate; Form and Contents
7
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Electronic Lien and Title
8
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-240 – Contents of Application
9
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Moving To SC – Vehicle
10
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Fees
11
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-627 – Infrastructure Maintenance Fee
12
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Replace a Title
13
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-840 – Delinquent Registration Penalties
14
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-210 – Time Period for Registration