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South Carolina

Car Titles | Lien Release | South Carolina

Your vehicle title is your proof of ownership. You need this document for everything from selling your car or transferring ownership to someone else (including donating it to a charity), to obtaining a lien release after a car loan is paid off. You will also need the vehicle title if you need to complete a deceased owner car title transfer. If you are needing to obtain a copy of your car title, or if you need to file a new car title, we can help. CarTitles.com has experts ready to walk you through this process, taking the work off your plate so you can focus on other things. If you want to go through the title recovery process on your own, follow the steps we outlined below. But if you decide this is more than you want to take on, click the link below to talk with our team.

South Carolina Car Title Requirements

  • Application for Certificate of Title and Registration (Form 400) for:
    • Damaged car title replacement
    • Out-of-state vehicle title transfer
    • Duplicate car title
    • Replacement car title
    • Lost car title
    • Deceased owner car title transfer
  • Notice of Sale (SCDMV Form 416) (if you are the seller)
  • Signed title with odometer reading, purchase date, and price
  • Bill of Sale
  • Proof of South Carolina liability insurance
  • Out-of-state title, registration, and proof of paid South Carolina sales tax (if applicable)

South Carolina title-related fees may include:

  • Title fee ($15)
  • Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF) (5% of purchase price, up to $500)
  • Registration / license plate fee ($40)
  • Lienholder fee ($10)
  • Title penalty (varies if not filed within 45 days of purchase)
  • For private sales or gifts, the $15 title fee applies and IMF is based on fair market value or purchase price

South Carolina Lien Release

After you pay off a car loan, you need a lien release. This process is generally handled with the lender submitting the information to the SCDMV electronically, through the ELT system. Once the SCDMV processes the information, you will take your existing title to your local DMV to request a new, clear title. If your lender does not use the ELT system, then they will trigger a lien release document to you, and you will take this and your car title to the DMV for the new title. In the event that your lender is no longer in business, you may need to request a letter of non-interest in lieu of the lien release.

We Help with Car Titles

From new and replacement car title requests to lien release acquisition, CarTitles.com is ready to help. Our team is familiar with South Carolina’s requirements, and we can alleviate the burden of navigating these processes alone. We put all of the documents and fee information into one easy-to-follow packet. You just sign and return using the included self-addressed return envelopes. Click the link below to get started today.