South Carolina DMV form MV-13 says the law requires new vehicle owners and persons moving from another state to register within 45 days. Before the SCDMV will register the car, you pay the county property tax and bring the paid receipt in your name. The registration page does not tell you to get a safety inspection, an emissions test, or a VIN inspection first. It does say a registration cannot be issued until a title is issued.
What do I do, in order?
- Pay the county property tax and keep the paid receipt in your name. The registration page says this comes first in any circumstance.
- If you bought the car, the buying page says you have 45 days from the purchase date to register, whether you want a new plate or want to transfer one. Contact the county so it can generate the property-tax bill, pay it, and take the receipt to the SCDMV.
- If you are moving with a car you already own, use the 45-day rule on form MV-13, which names persons moving from another state. The dealer manual describes an out-of-state title as the document used to issue a South Carolina title when a new resident brings a vehicle in, and it says a new plate can be issued or a plate transferred with that title.
- Bring the ownership document. The titles page says the SCDMV titles vehicles, including items that may never be registered, and that a title can be issued without a registration. The buying page says the seller must be able to sign the title over to you.
- Carry liability and uninsured-motorist insurance at the limits below before you drive the car on a South Carolina plate.
The registration page does not list a military exemption or a student exemption. It also does not say that registration is done by the county. The county's role on that page is the property-tax bill. The SCDMV issues the plate, the decal, and the registration card you keep in the vehicle.
What papers does the DMV describe?
The pages opened November 10, 2026, do not publish one new-resident checklist with every document named. From the pages that do speak to this move, plan on:
- The out-of-state title. The dealer manual says that title lists ownership and vehicle information and is used to issue the South Carolina title for a vehicle entering from another state, including one owned by a new resident.
- The paid county property-tax receipt in your name.
- Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title and Registration, which the dealer manual says is used for a motor vehicle, with the new owner's name and lien information on a financed sale.
- Insurance at the Department of Insurance minimums. The registration page itself does not say to bring the insurance card. Confirm that with the branch.
The registration page does not print a title fee or a plate fee. Do not guess one. Ask the branch or use the SCDMV fee information it gives you at the counter. Form MV-13 refers to a late-registration schedule set by law. This guide does not copy penalty amounts from that form because the form text retrieved on November 10, 2026, showed the 45-day rule and did not display the full dollar schedule in the extract.
Which inspections apply?
The registration page, the titles page, and the buying page do not state a safety inspection, an emissions inspection, or a VIN inspection for a passenger vehicle. If a branch or a county asks for one, that request is not on these pages. Confirm it with the SCDMV before you pay a third party for an inspection the state page does not describe.
What tax is due?
The tax these pages describe is county property tax, paid before registration. They do not state a state sales or use tax on a car you already own, and they do not state a credit for sales tax paid to another state. The buying page tells a buyer to have the county generate the property-tax bill. It does not print a statewide property-tax rate, because the county sets that bill. Bring the paid receipt. Without it, the SCDMV page says it cannot register the vehicle.
What insurance is required?
The Department of Insurance FAQ says the required liability and uninsured-motorist limits are $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage per accident. Underinsured-motorist coverage is not required. The automobile-insurance page explains the same 25/50/25 liability minimums, says uninsured-motorist coverage is required at those minimums, and says there is typically a $200 deductible on that coverage. Insurers must offer underinsured-motorist coverage. You do not have to buy it.
Can I get a temporary plate?
Yes, for a traceable 60-day temporary plate. Bring the title, the bill of sale, or the lease contract from the seller, plus a completed and signed Form 60-A, to an SCDMV branch. That instruction is written for a sale or a lease. The registration page does not describe a trip permit for a car that already has plates from another state. If you need to move that car before the South Carolina plate is issued, ask the branch. The page does not say your old plates are legal for the 45 days.
What if the car is shipped here?
A shipped car arrives without you driving it across the state line. The 45-day registration period for a person moving from another state, and the county property-tax step, still apply after delivery. See car shipping to South Carolina, the cost page, and registering a car after you move. RideShipper compares quotes from licensed auto transporters. It is not a carrier or a broker, and it does not register the car or pay the county tax.