How to Register a Boat in South Carolina Without a Title

You can register a boat in South Carolina without a title by filing the SCDNR’s Watercraft/Outboard Motor Application (form BTR-1) with an acceptable substitute proof of ownership, most often a notarized bill of sale, a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin for a new boat, or prior registration paperwork from a state that doesn’t issue titles. The combined registration and title costs $20, plus a 5% casual excise tax on the purchase price capped at $500. File within 30 days of buying the boat to avoid late fees.

Proof of Ownership When There’s No Title

The BTR-1 form asks for your information and the boat’s details: make, model, year, length, construction type, propulsion type, Hull Identification Number, and primary use.¹ What you attach in place of a title depends on where the boat came from.

Bill of Sale

A bill of sale is the most common substitute, and the BTR-1 itself contains a built-in bill of sale template with a notarization section.² At a minimum, the bill of sale must describe the watercraft and any outboard motor, be dated, be signed by the seller, and state the purchase price.³ Include as much identifying detail as you can: the HIN, make, model, year, length, and any registration or title numbers from a prior state.

Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin

For a brand-new boat that was never titled anywhere, a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO) from the builder is your proof of ownership. Everyone listed as an applicant on the registration must also appear on the MSO.²

Prior Out-of-State Registration

If the boat came from a state that doesn’t issue watercraft titles, submit proof of that prior state registration together with a bill of sale from your purchase. That combination gives SCDNR a paper trail linking you to the vessel.

Homemade Boats Need a HIN First

A boat you built yourself has no title and no Hull Identification Number, so SCDNR has to assign one before it can enter the vessel into the system. Submit these items together:⁴

A completed BTR-1 with the “Homemade” box checked in the watercraft description section.
The separate Application for Hull Identification Number.
Photographs showing the right side, left side, transom, and a full view of the boat.
The $20 title and registration fee.

If someone else built the boat for you under contract, add a copy of the construction contract, a bill of sale from the builder, and the builder’s certification that the boat meets U.S. Coast Guard safety standards.⁴ That Coast Guard compliance certification is the piece applicants most often miss.

What It Costs

Registration and Title Fee

A combined new boat registration and title costs $20 for a vessel never previously registered or titled in South Carolina.⁵ Titling an outboard motor separately adds $10. The statutory title fee alone is $10 per watercraft and $10 per outboard motor.⁶

Casual Excise Tax

South Carolina charges a 5% casual excise tax on the fair market value of a purchased boat, capped at $500.⁵ If you bought the boat and motor together in one transaction from the same seller, the $500 cap covers the combined price. A motor purchased separately gets its own 5% tax with its own $500 cap.⁷ Buyers 85 or older pay a reduced 4% rate on personal-use boats, though the $500 cap still applies.⁸

Late Fees

You have 30 days from the purchase date to submit your application. After that:⁵

31 to 60 days late: $15 late fee.
61 or more days late: $30 late fee.

Where to File and Using the Boat in the Meantime

Submit the completed BTR-1 and supporting documents by mail or in person at an SCDNR regional office. For mail, send the originals (keep photocopies) to:

SCDNR Titling and Registration
P.O. Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202⁹

Pay by check or money order made out to SCDNR; cash isn’t accepted by mail. Add the $20 title and registration fee, any separate motor title fee, and the casual excise tax for your total.

You can operate the boat while your paperwork processes. South Carolina allows 60 days of use from the date of purchase under a temporary certificate of number, even with expired or out-of-state decals, as long as you keep copies of your title or bill of sale on board.⁷ Once SCDNR finishes processing, your South Carolina title, registration card, and watercraft decals arrive by mail.

Boats That Don’t Need a State Title

Before you file, confirm you actually need to. South Carolina exempts several categories of vessels from titling: boats documented by the U.S. Coast Guard, vessels propelled exclusively by human power (canoes, kayaks, rowboats), and devices such as water skis, surfboards, and windsurfers.¹⁰

The registration (numbering) rules differ slightly. Sailboats and paddle boats with no motor attached don’t need registration numbers, but they still need a $10 title.⁵ A boat numbered under another state’s federally approved system can operate in South Carolina waters for up to 60 consecutive days before needing a South Carolina number. Government vessels, lifeboats used solely for lifesaving, and boats built and used exclusively for racing are also exempt from numbering.¹⁰

1
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Title and Register a Watercraft or Outboard Motor in SC
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft/Outboard Motor Application
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Title and Register a Watercraft or Outboard Motor in SC
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Homemade Boats and Motors
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. SC Fees: Title and Register a Watercraft or Outboard Motor
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 50 Chapter 23 Section 50-23-70 – Fee for Certificate of Title; Issuance of Duplicates; Volunteer Rescue Squad Watercraft Exception
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Title and Register a Watercraft or Outboard Motor in SC
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South Carolina Department of Revenue. Chapter 4: Casual Excise Tax
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Office and Property Locations
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South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 50 Chapter 23 – Watercraft and Outboard Motors