Classic Car Dealers in South Carolina

In South Carolina the title comes from the SCDMV, and instead of a sales tax you pay a capped Infrastructure Maintenance Fee when you title the car. Two things are worth settling before you buy: the plate type you want for an old car, and the county property tax bill that comes with registering it.

Titling the car

You have 45 days from the purchase date to title and register the car. After that the SCDMV adds a late penalty of $10 (days 46 to 60), $25 (61 to 75), $50 (76 to 135) or $75 (over 135 days) to the $15 title fee. Buying from a private seller, the seller must hold the title in their name and complete the assignment on the back: your name and address, any lienholder, the odometer reading, the sales price, the date and both signatures. If the title has no space for the price, a bill of sale must go with it, and the SCDMV requires a signed bill of sale showing the price less any trade-in on every title transaction. You then take the title, Form 400 and the fees to an SCDMV branch, or send them by certified mail. Buying from a licensed dealer, the dealer generally handles titling and registration and must submit it within 45 days of the sale.

A car from another state needs its out-of-state title, a completed Form 400, ID, insurance information, the paid SC property tax receipt and the fees. The SCDMV does not mail the new SC title until the old one clears the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, although registration is issued first. Selling a car in South Carolina without a valid title is unlawful, so a bill of sale alone is not enough. For a car with no title at all, the SCDMV has an Affidavit of Ownership (TI-021A) and a VIN verification form for titling without a previous title (TI-021B). Ask a branch how the approval works before you pay for the car.

Antique and year of manufacture plates

• Antique plates are for cars more than 25 years old, owned solely as collector's items and used for club activities, exhibits, tours, parades and similar events, never for general transportation. The fee is $10, and the plate stays valid as long as you hold the title. You apply by mail on form MV-95B, and when the car is sold the plate must be turned in, so a new owner applies for their own.
• Year of manufacture plates are for cars at least 30 years old and can be driven like a regular plate. You supply an original South Carolina plate from the car's model year, as the SCDMV does not sell them. The application (form RG-505A) takes a paid property tax receipt, proof of insurance, a photo of the plate, $30 and the regular registration fee. The plate may be used only on the car it was registered to.
• Regular plates need the paid county property tax receipt and proof of insurance, with a $40 registration fee every two years for most passenger cars.

Inspections

The SCDMV's titling and registration steps list no safety or emissions inspection for a passenger car, and the state does not run an emissions program. Confirm with the SCDMV for your particular car.

Infrastructure Maintenance Fee, property tax and trade-ins

• Most vehicles pay the IMF instead of sales tax: 5% of the price, with a maximum of $500. From a dealer it is figured on the sale price. From a private seller it is figured on fair market value, meaning the price less any trade-in, or a national used-value guide figure less the trade-in. There is no local sales tax on top.
• A car first registered in another state by the same owner who later registers it in South Carolina pays a flat $250 IMF instead. Active duty military members, their spouses and dependents are excluded. Transfers to immediate family and heirs are excluded from the private-sale fee.
• South Carolina also taxes registered vehicles as personal property every year. Before you can register the car, give the VIN to your county auditor, pay the tax bill to the county treasurer and bring the original paid receipt to the SCDMV.

Salvage and rebuilt titles

A car is branded salvage when an insurer declares it a total loss, repairs would exceed 75% of its value before the damage, or the frame or body damage makes it unsafe to operate. Brands include Salvage, Salvage Rebuilt, Salvage Flood, Salvage Fire and Junk. A salvage brand never comes off the title history, and a junk car cannot be driven on South Carolina roads. Brands from other states are carried over to the South Carolina title. Cars titled as antiques and vehicles worth $2,000 or less are exempt from the salvage designation after a total loss, so check the history yourself.

Dealers and private sellers

A dealer must hold a South Carolina dealer license. A dealer can sell a used car "as is" by using specific, conspicuous language that removes the implied warranties, and the federal Buyers Guide on the window states whether a warranty applies. The state lemon law covers new vehicles, so it does not protect a used classic. A dealer may charge a closing fee, which must appear in the ad and the contract and is never required. Consumer Affairs reviews fees above $225.

Sources: South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (titles, buying or selling a car, moving to SC, fees, antique plates, title brands, total loss claims), South Carolina Department of Revenue (Revenue Ruling 18-1), South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (auto dealers guide, lemon law FAQ) and the South Carolina Code of Laws (Titles 12, 36 and 56). Rules and fees change; confirm with the SCDMV before you buy.