South Carolina Bill of Sale Forms

A South Carolina bill of sale is a form that records a sale or trade of personal property between a buyer and a seller according to state law. You can use it when conveying ownership of an animal, a firearm, a boat, or a vehicle. Both parties should sign it so the buyer can use the document as proof of ownership.

Bill of Sale – By Type (5)

A form to buy or sell a motor vehicle in South Carolina. In many states, a bill of sale is required to register a vehicle at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Vehicle Bill of Sale

A document to transfer ownership of recreational water vehicles (such as motorboats, sailboats, yachts, and jet skis) in the state of South Carolina.

Boat Bill of Sale

A form to buy or sell a trailer (or any non-motorized vehicle pulled by another vehicle) in the state of South Carolina and register it at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Trailer Bill of Sale

A document to transfer ownership of a gun (such as a handgun, rifle, or shotgun) in the state of South Carolina, and avoid legal or criminal issues involving the weapon after it is sold.

Firearm Bill of Sale

A form to record the transfer of a motorcycle in the state of South Carolina. By detailing information about the bike being sold, you can protect yourself from fraudulent sales.

Motorcycle Bill of Sale

Requirements

If you buy a vehicle through a private sale and the title does not include the selling price and the odometer reading, you must provide a bill of sale to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) to register that vehicle. A bill of sale is also necessary to transfer license plates.

Sellers must notify the SCDMV of vehicle sales. They can mail a completed Notice of Vehicle Sold (SCDMV Form 416) to:

SCDMV, Mail-in Registration
PO Box 1498
Blythewood, SC 29016-0036

This form does not constitute a legal transfer of ownership, but it aims to protect the last registered owner before the real transfer of ownership is complete. Additionally, if the buyer is making payments on the vehicle, the seller is considered the lien holder, and therefore, the purchaser must complete section D of the Title Application (SCDMV Form 400).

The seller does not turn over the title to the buyer until payments are made in full.

Vehicle Registration Forms

• Bill of Sale
• A completed Title Application (SCDMV Form 400)
• Certificate of Title
• Completed Statement of Vehicle Operation in South Carolina (SCDMV Form TI-006)
  • Required only if you do not have an SC Driver’s License or ID.
• Title and registration fee [1]
• Proof of insurance: [2]
  • $25,000 per person for bodily injury in one accident
  • $50,000 for all bodily injuries in one accident
  • $25,000 for all property damage in one accident
• Power of attorney (if someone else is acting on the vehicle owner’s behalf)
• Payment of an infrastructure maintenance fee (this fee replaces the former property tax) [3]
  • The fee will be the lesser of $500 or five percent of the sales price.

Boat Registration Forms

• Bill of Sale
• An original title in the seller’s name must be submitted to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)
  • Alternatively, a manufacturer’s statement of origin if the buyer bought the boat from a dealership.
• A completed watercraft title registration application for watercraft and outboard motors (This is the only boat bill of sale South Carolina will accept, and it must be signed and notarized.)
• Proof of payment of registration fees [4]
• A copy of the buyer’s driver’s license
• A pencil tracing or picture of the boat’s hull identification number if the boat was titled in another state
  • If applicable, provide the same for the motor’s serial number
• If the boat has an existing South Carolina title, the buyer must present a property tax receipt from their county of residence
  • If the boat has a title from another state, it will be assessed taxes after the buyer registers it.

Sample