Moving New to South Carolina? Your license and car tax steps

Step 1: get your SC driver's license within 45 days

The SCDMV says new residents must apply for a South Carolina driver's license or ID within 45 days of moving to the state. Do this first. Registering a car without an SC license takes an extra form, covered below.

What to bring:

• Your out-of-state license, which you hand in. If you no longer have it, bring a driving record from your old state.
• Proof of identity, US citizenship or lawful presence, and date of birth, such as a birth certificate or US passport.
• Your Social Security number.
• Proof of your current SC address, dated within the last nine months.

The SCDMV's document checklists are Form MV-93 for US citizens and MV-94 for lawfully present non-citizens.

REAL ID: an SC REAL ID needs two proofs of SC address. A REAL ID from another state doesn't carry over automatically, so you submit the full REAL ID documents again.

Tests and cost: you take a vision test. Knowledge and road tests are needed only if your out-of-state license has been expired for nine months or more. An eight-year SC license costs $25 (SCDMV, checked November 2026).

Step 2: register your car, county tax first

In South Carolina you pay your county's vehicle property tax before the SCDMV will register the car. The SCDMV lists this order:

1. Insurance. Switch to an SC-licensed insurer, with your SC address.
2. County auditor. Give the auditor your VIN and current registration. The auditor issues a property tax bill.
3. County treasurer. Pay that bill and keep the original paid receipt.
4. SCDMV. Bring the paid receipt and the rest of your paperwork.

What to bring to the SCDMV: Form 400 (Title Application), your out-of-state title or registration (with the lienholder's name and address if there's a loan), acceptable ID, insurance information, the paid property tax receipt, and the fees. Leased vehicles also need a Power of Attorney.

SCDMV fees: for a typical passenger vehicle, the SCDMV lists a one-time $250 Infrastructure Maintenance Fee, a $15 title fee and a $40 two-year registration and plate fee, for $305 in all (SCDMV, checked November 2026). County property tax is extra.

Your title comes later. You get your registration first. The SCDMV mails your SC title after your out-of-state title clears the national title system (NMVTIS).

How SC vehicle tax is figured

South Carolina assesses personal vehicles at 6%. The tax equals the appraised value, times 6%, times the local millage rate. Each county, school district and municipality sets its own millage, so two neighbors in different towns can get different bills for the same car.

Vehicle tax is billed in advance each year. It's due the last day of the month your registration expires, and it must be paid before plates can be issued or renewed.

County by county in the Charleston area

Berkeley County says new residents have 45 days to register their vehicle in South Carolina.

• Send your out-of-state registration or title and your Berkeley address to the Auditor by mail, fax, email or in person.
• Pay the bill at the Treasurer and keep the paid receipt. Cards carry a 2.5% fee.
• Both offices are at 1003 Highway 52, Moncks Corner. Auditor: 843-719-4249. Treasurer: 843-719-4040.
• At the DMV, bring proof of Berkeley residence (such as an electric or phone bill), proof of SC insurance, Form 400, your out-of-state registration or title (the original title if you own the car outright) and the paid tax receipt.

Dorchester County also gives new residents 45 days to register.

• Take your out-of-state registration or title to the Auditor's Office for an appraisal. It's open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 843-832-0118.
• Pay at the Treasurer's Office, then register at the DMV with the tax receipt and proof of SC insurance.
• Its out-of-state tag ordinance doesn't apply to active-duty military.

Charleston County: we couldn't confirm the county's process or contacts on its own site. The Auditor has an Out-of-State Tag Reporting Form page, so contact the Charleston County Auditor's office before your DMV trip and ask what it needs from you.

Note that the SCDMV's own new-resident page gives no day count for registering a car. The 45-day figure comes from the Berkeley and Dorchester county pages.

Pro tip some Charleston-area cities cross county lines. North Charleston is in Charleston and Dorchester counties, and Summerville sits mostly in Dorchester with parts in Berkeley and Charleston. Check which county your address is in before you call an auditor.

If you register a car before you have an SC license

You can register a vehicle without an SC driver's license, but you fill out Form TI-006C, and at least one of these must apply:

• You're active-duty military in SC.
• You're enrolled in an SC school.
• The vehicle is kept in SC at least six months a year.

Service members moving to Joint Base Lindsey Graham, formerly Joint Base Charleston, can find base contacts and PCS steps in our military PCS guide.

Register to vote

To vote in a South Carolina election, you must be registered at least 30 days before it. Mailed applications must be postmarked at least 30 days before. There's no minimum residency period, so you can register as soon as you live here.

• Online: if you have an SC driver's license or DMV ID.
• Otherwise: by mail, email or fax to your county board of voter registration, in person there, or at the DMV while you're getting other services.
• ID: if you register by mail or in person, include a copy of a current photo ID, or a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document showing your name and address in the county.

If you later move to a different SC county, you must register again in the new county.

The rest of your move

For utilities, the metro's geography and hurricane season, see our new-resident checklist for moving to Charleston. For what movers charge, see our Charleston moving cost guide, and if you're moving in summer or fall, read our guide to moving in hurricane season.

Frequently asked questions