How to Fill Out South Carolina DMV Form TI-021A: Affidavit of Ownership

South Carolina DMV Form TI-021A is the Affidavit of Ownership you use to apply for a title when no prior certificate of title exists for the vehicle. You complete the form to swear, under penalty of perjury, how you came to own a motor vehicle, trailer, or mobile home and that it is free of liens and claims. The form is one piece of a larger package: you also need four photos of the vehicle, a VIN verification performed by law enforcement or an SCDMV agent, the $15 title fee, and the applicable sales tax or Infrastructure Maintenance Fee.¹

When This Form Is the Right Path

Use TI-021A when you own a vehicle but have no title to prove it. The common situations: a private seller never handed over the title, a relative died leaving a vehicle with no paperwork, or you came into possession of a vehicle through some other transaction that broke the normal chain of title. South Carolina law requires every vehicle owner to apply for a certificate of title, and this form is the DMV’s prescribed alternative when the standard transfer process is impossible.²

Two boundaries worth knowing before you start. If you bought the vehicle at a public auction of an abandoned vehicle conducted under Section 29-15-10, you receive a magistrate’s order of sale and use that rather than TI-021A.³ And if you are a repair shop or towing operator trying to clear an unclaimed vehicle off your lot, the statutory auction process under Section 29-15-10 is your route, not this affidavit.⁴

What to Gather Before You Fill Anything Out

The DMV rejects incomplete submissions, so pull the whole package together before you touch the form. For a motor vehicle or trailer, you need:¹

Form TI-021A, completed and signed by every listed owner.
Four photographs of the vehicle, one from each side. The DMV does not return them.
A completed Form TI-021B VIN verification, performed by an SCDMV Dealer License and Audit Agent or a law enforcement officer who physically inspects the vehicle. You cannot fill this one out yourself.
Identity documentation (out-of-state credential, passport, employment authorization document, or permanent residency card) along with Form TI-006, the Statement of Vehicle Operation in South Carolina.
The $15 title fee.
The applicable Infrastructure Maintenance Fee or sales tax.

If the vehicle has no identifying number stamped on it, apply for an assigned serial number using Form 401-A before you start the TI-021A process.¹

Mobile homes carry extra documentation. You need a letter or receipt from the county treasurer showing property taxes are current, plus either seven years of property tax statements in your name or seven years of insurance records showing the home insured in your name. The same records can document ownership history for prior owners. Former deeds, installment sales contracts, or bills of sale that identify the home by make, model year, and VIN are also accepted.¹

Filling Out the Form

The form is a single page. The top asks for standard vehicle information; the middle is where applications live or die.

Vehicle and Owner Information

Enter the VIN, make, year, model, and date of purchase.¹ The VIN sits on a metal plate visible through the lower driver’s side of the windshield or on the sticker inside the driver’s door jamb. For vehicles made after 1981 it is 17 alphanumeric characters. Check every character twice. One wrong digit and the DMV cannot match the vehicle in national databases, and your application stalls.

The Narrative Explanation

The form asks you to explain why no previous certificate of title was obtained and to describe in detail how, where, and when you acquired the vehicle, who was involved, its condition, and anything else relevant.¹ This is the section the DMV reviewer actually reads closely. Be specific. Name the seller. Give the date and location of the sale. State the purchase price. Explain exactly why no title changed hands.

“I bought it from a guy” will not work. “I purchased the vehicle from John Smith at 123 Main Street, Columbia, SC on March 15, 2024 for $3,500 cash. Mr. Smith stated he had lost the title and was unable to obtain a duplicate” gives the DMV something to evaluate.

If you tried to reach the previous owner or obtain the title after the fact, describe those efforts. Certified letters, text messages, and other documented attempts strengthen your case. Keep copies of anything you reference; the DMV may ask for supporting evidence.

Signing

The form does not require notarization. You sign under penalty of perjury that the information is true, correct, and complete, and every listed owner must sign.¹ False statements about how you obtained the vehicle, or concealing a known lien, can result in criminal charges and revocation of any title issued.

The form also contains a sworn declaration that, to the best of your knowledge, the vehicle is free and clear of liens, encumbrances, and lawful claims, and is not involved in existing or pending litigation. Read that carefully. If you know or suspect someone else holds a financial interest in the vehicle, resolve that first; this is not the form for that situation.

Fees

The title fee is $15.¹ If you apply in person and want same-day processing, an expedited title is $35.⁵

On top of the title fee you owe the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee or applicable sales tax. For most passenger vehicles entering the titling system, the IMF is $250.⁶ If you are also registering the vehicle at the same time, registration is $40 for most passenger cars, $10 for motorcycles and utility trailers, with reduced rates for owners 65 and older or with a disability.⁵ Property tax to your county of residence is separate from what you pay the DMV.

Odometer Reading

Federal rules require an odometer disclosure for newer vehicles when title changes hands. Vehicles of model year 2011 or newer are subject to odometer disclosure for their first 20 model years.⁷ For 2026, that means any vehicle with a model year of 2007 or newer requires a current odometer reading. Model year 2006 or older is exempt.

Where to Submit

Submitting in person at any SCDMV branch is the practical choice. The VIN verification on Form TI-021B already requires an SCDMV agent or law enforcement officer, so you are likely at or near a branch anyway. In person you can confirm the package is complete on the spot and pay for expedited processing. Current branch locations and wait times are listed on the SCDMV website.⁸

To mail your package, send it to SCDMV headquarters at PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016.⁹ Use certified mail or a tracked service so you have proof of delivery. The Blythewood branch office has closed to walk-in customer service, so do not try to hand-deliver documents to the Wilson Boulevard street address.¹⁰

What Happens After You Submit

The SCDMV runs the vehicle through two national databases before deciding. The form has a “For Department Use Only” section where staff record the results of an NCIC check (the FBI’s stolen vehicle database) and an NMVTIS check (the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, which tracks title history across states).¹ A hit on either check — vehicle reported stolen, active title in another state, unresolved liens — stops the application until the issue is resolved.

If the checks are clean and the paperwork is in order, the DMV issues a South Carolina certificate of title in your name. Mailed applications receive the title by return mail. If the DMV finds problems (missing photos, a thin narrative, a VIN that does not match records), they will send a written request for additional information. Respond quickly and the application keeps moving.

Mistakes That Delay Processing

A vague narrative is the single most common reason applications stall. The reviewer is trying to decide whether your ownership claim is credible, and two sentences force them to come back to you with questions. Write as if you are explaining the situation to a skeptical but fair-minded stranger.

Missing the VIN verification is the next most common holdup. Form TI-021B has to be completed by an SCDMV Dealer License and Audit Agent or a law enforcement officer who physically inspects the vehicle. You cannot substitute your own reading. Schedule the inspection before you submit the rest of the package so the application does not sit idle waiting for one piece of paper.

Forgetting the photographs catches people out. You need clear, well-lit shots of all four sides, each showing the whole vehicle. And every owner listed on the application has to sign. Jointly titling with a spouse or co-owner means both signatures, or the whole package comes back.

1
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Ownership for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Mobile Home
2
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 19
3
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-5-5640 – Sale of Unclaimed Vehicles
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 29-15-10 – Liens for Repairs or Storage Sale of Articles
5
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Fees
6
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Moving To SC – Vehicle
7
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
8
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Locations and Wait Times
9
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Forms and Manuals
10
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. SCDMV to Close Branch Office in Blythewood, Relocate Staff