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South Carolina Vehicle Bill of Sale

A South Carolina vehicle bill of sale is sometimes optional and sometimes the document SCDMV insists on, depending on what's written on the back of the title. This one has South Carolina selected and the VIN checked as you type. Below it: the county property tax that comes first, the $500-capped fee and the 45-day clock.

South Carolina at a glance

  • Required if price or mileage isn't on the title
  • Buyer files Form 400
  • Fee: 5% of price, $500 maximum
  • County property tax paid first
  • Register within 45 days
Not a DMV

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Fill in your South Carolina bill of sale

Every field is optional. Anything you leave empty prints as a blank line you can complete by hand.

1Where and when
2Seller and buyer
3The vehicle
Copy it from the title, not from memory. We check the format and the check digit.
4Price and terms
5Odometer and signing
Odometer status

Your details stay in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded or saved, so print or download before you close the page.

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Vehicle Bill of Sale

State of · County of

Parties

Seller
and
Buyer
and

Vehicle

Year
Make
Model
Body style
Color
VIN
Plate

Sale

On , the Seller sold the vehicle described above to the Buyer for (), paid by . The Seller confirms receiving this amount in full.

The vehicle is sold as-is, where-is, with no warranty of any kind from the Seller, express or implied. The Buyer has had the chance to inspect it.

The Seller states that they own the vehicle, have the right to sell it, and that it is free of any lien or claim not disclosed to the Buyer in writing.

Other terms:

Odometer statement

Reading at the time of sale: miles (no tenths). To the best of the Seller's knowledge:

the reading reflects the actual mileage. the reading reflects mileage in excess of the odometer's mechanical limits. the reading is NOT the actual mileage. Warning: odometer discrepancy.

Federal law (and state law, if applicable) requires the seller to state the mileage when ownership is transferred. Failing to complete the statement or giving false information may result in fines and/or imprisonment. For a titled vehicle, the official disclosure is also made on the title.

Seller signature · date
Buyer signature · date
Co-seller signature · date
Co-buyer signature · date

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 10, 2026Checked against SCDMV's buying and selling pages and Form 400

When South Carolina requires a bill of sale

Whether you need a South Carolina vehicle bill of sale depends on the title itself. The seller's title has to be assigned to the buyer, and the price and the odometer reading at the time of sale belong on the back of it. If they're there, the title carries the deal. If either is missing, SCDMV asks for a bill of sale instead, and a signed bill of sale needs the buyer's signature as well as the seller's.

Because a missing price or mileage is easy to overlook in the driveway, a bill of sale for a car in South Carolina is the safe default, and one costs nothing to add. It also records what the title never will: the as-is terms, what was included, and both parties' contact details.

Completing the SC bill of sale

  1. Leave the state as it is (South Carolina) and type the county.
  2. Seller and buyer names go in exactly as titled. SCDMV matches them against the title assignment.
  3. Read the VIN off the title, then check it against the dashboard; the template rejects a VIN whose check digit doesn't add up.
  4. Enter the purchase price. It's the figure the 5 percent fee is figured on, so it should match the title.
  5. Enter the odometer reading. The template prints the federal mileage statement for vehicles that need one.
  6. Both of you sign, since SCDMV wants the buyer's signature on a bill of sale too.

The layout covers a South Carolina motor vehicle bill of sale for cars, trucks, vans and SUVs, so one template serves most private sales. A boat, trailer or camper has a dedicated template in our bill of sale library.

Buying a car in South Carolina: the order of steps

South Carolina's steps have to happen in a particular order, and doing them out of order means a second trip.

  1. Get the assigned title with the price and odometer on the back, or the title plus the signed South Carolina vehicle bill of sale.
  2. Pay the county property tax. SCDMV won't register the vehicle until the property tax bill is paid to the county treasurer, and you bring the original paid receipt.
  3. File the Title Application, Form 400, with SCDMV, along with the title fee and the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee.
  4. Register within 45 days of the purchase date. Past 45 days, a late penalty applies, starting at $10.

If you already have a plate, you can put it on the new vehicle by noting it on Form 400. Plates can't pass from one person to another, though, so the seller's plate isn't yours to keep.

The Infrastructure Maintenance Fee and its $500 cap

South Carolina charges most vehicles a one-time Infrastructure Maintenance Fee instead of sales tax when they're titled in the state: 5 percent of the purchase price, but no more than $500. SCDMV decides whether a vehicle owes the fee or sales tax based on its type, and vehicles bought from individuals are subject to one or the other unless they're exempt. The cap means that on any vehicle priced above $10,000, the fee stops growing at $500, which is one reason the price on the bill of sale should simply be the real one.

County property tax comes first

The step that surprises newcomers is the property tax. Before SCDMV registers the vehicle, the county treasurer has to be paid, and SCDMV wants the original paid receipt. Contact your county treasurer's office with the bill of sale for the car in South Carolina and the title details; they'll calculate the amount. Our SC registration renewal guide explains how the same property tax ties into every renewal after this one.

Selling a car in South Carolina: the seller's steps

  1. Assign the title to the buyer and write the price and odometer reading on the back.
  2. Sign the South Carolina vehicle bill of sale with the buyer if either detail didn't fit on the title, and keep a copy either way.
  3. Keep your plate. It can't be transferred to the buyer, so take it off before the car leaves. Our South Carolina tag number search guide explains what SCDMV will release about a plate afterward.

SC bill of sale PDF, Word or paper

The finished document prints on one sheet. To keep a digital copy, pick "Save as PDF" in the print window and you have an SC bill of sale PDF, the same South Carolina motor vehicle bill of sale in a file. For a version you can reword, use the Word download. Prefer a pen? Print it blank and fill it in together. It's free, needs no account, and the details you type stay on your device.

When to include a bill of sale in South Carolina

Include a South Carolina motor vehicle bill of sale whenever the price or odometer reading isn't written on the title. Keep the SC bill of sale PDF with your own records too; it's the easiest way to prove when the car left your hands if a ticket or toll arrives later.

South Carolina bill of sale FAQ

Do you need a bill of sale in South Carolina?

You need one if the price and the odometer reading at the time of sale aren't written on the back of the title. SCDMV then asks for a bill of sale, and a signed bill of sale needs the buyer's signature as well.

What is South Carolina's Infrastructure Maintenance Fee?

A one-time fee of 5 percent of the purchase price, capped at $500, which most vehicles bought from individuals owe instead of sales tax when they're titled in South Carolina.

Do I have to pay property tax before registering a car in SC?

Yes. SCDMV says you must pay the property tax bill to the county treasurer before you can register the vehicle, and bring the original paid receipt to SCDMV.

How long do I have to register a car in South Carolina after buying it?

45 days from the date of purchase. After that a late penalty applies, starting at $10.

Sources

This page explains common rules and is not legal or tax advice. SCDMV and your county treasurer have the final word.