Wheel ScoutWhat a South Carolina plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the South Carolina plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What a South Carolina plate looks like, and the 2026 changes
South Carolina issues one plate, attached to the outside rear of the car. A valid registration means the plate on the back, a color-coded decal on its right side, and the registration card in the car. The decal now shows the month, year and plate number, so the old left-side month sticker is no longer required. Type the plate without spaces; we find the car.
Two things changed recently:
- A new standard plate. In January 2026 SCDMV started issuing the "Where the Revolutionary War Was Won" regular plate, marking the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, with a design approved by the SC250 Commission. It replaces the "While I Breathe, I Hope" standard plate, and "While I Breathe, I Hope" plates already issued stay valid until their ten-year replacement point. A driver who gets the new plate can trade it for the "In God We Trust" plate for a $6 exchange fee.
- Temporary plates went from 45 to 60 days. A 2026 law (Act No. 115, effective October 6, 2026) made temporary plates valid for up to 60 days. Buying from an individual, you can get a traceable 60-day temporary plate at an SCDMV branch with the seller's title or bill of sale and Form 60-A, which replaced the old Form 45-A.
Plates stay with their owner. A plate can't pass to a new person unless the original person stays on the title. The seller either moves the plate to another car of the same type ($10) or surrenders it with Form 452. Either way, you drive away on your own plate or a temporary one.
South Carolina title brands: what the lookup can show
South Carolina puts a brand on the title when a car has been a total loss, and the brands are permanent: once added they can never be removed, only changed from one salvage type to another. Our $5 report reads the car's NMVTIS record, which SCDMV links buyers to, so a South Carolina or out-of-state brand shows up there.
| Salvage | An insurer declared the car a total loss, or repairs would exceed 75% of its value before the damage, or body, unibody or frame damage makes it unsafe to drive. Any car with a loss of 75% or more of fair market value must be declared a total loss. Cars worth $2,000 or less and antiques are outside the rule. |
|---|---|
| Salvage Flood | An insurer paid a total loss for water damage: water higher than the door sill, water inside the passenger, trunk or engine compartment, or water that reached the electrical or computer parts. |
| Salvage Fire | An insurer paid a total loss for fire damage. |
| Salvage Rebuilt, Salvage Flood Rebuilt, Salvage Fire Rebuilt | A salvage car that a new owner repaired and retitled. The rebuilt brand is added on top of the original one, so a repaired flood car still says flood. |
| Junk | Damage so severe the car is only worth parts or scrap. A title marked only for parts can't be driven on South Carolina roads. SCDMV's brand list also includes Salvage Non-Rebuildable. |
| Lemon Law | The maker took the car back under the lemon law. |
Getting a rebuilt title. The owner applies on Form 400-S, the Application for Salvage/Branded Certificate of Title, stating the car was rebuilt. State law lets SCDMV ask for the car's identity, the source and cost of the parts and the extent of the repairs, and an owner whose repair estimate was 75% or more of value must give SCDMV an affidavit from a rebuilder. When an owner keeps a totaled car, the insurer files Form 400-S in the owner's name with a letter saying the car was a total loss; the owner must change it to Salvage Rebuilt before it's retitled to anyone else.
What a South Carolina title transfer costs
The buyer pays SCDMV at the branch, after paying the county its property tax. Amounts below are from SCDMV's fee page and South Carolina law.
| Title fee | $15, or $35 for an expedited title in person. |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF) | 5%, capped at $500, paid in place of sales tax on most vehicles. SCDMV's page bases it on the purchase price; the law for a sale by someone other than a dealer says 5% of fair market value. Either way the most you pay is $500. Transfers to immediate family members and to heirs are excluded. |
| Property tax | Paid to your county before SCDMV will register the car. The county sets the bill, so the county has the final word on the amount. |
| Registration | $40 every two years for most passenger cars, $38 at age 64, and $36 at 65 or older or with a permanent disability. Hybrids add $60 and electric cars add $120. |
| Moving your own plate | $10 to transfer it to the car. |
| Late registration | $10 if you register 46 to 60 days after the purchase, $25 at 61 to 75 days, $50 at 76 to 135 days and $75 after 135 days. |
Example: a $12,000 used car pays the $500 IMF maximum (5% would be $600), the $15 title fee and $40 registration, plus the county's property tax. A $6,000 car pays $300 IMF.
South Carolina forms and deadlines
| Buyer's deadline | Register the car within 45 days of the purchase date. Late penalties start on day 46. |
|---|---|
| The title | The back must show buyer and seller names and addresses, any lienholder, the odometer reading, the sales price, the sale date and both signatures. If the title has no space for the price, a bill of sale must go with it. |
| Form 400 | Title Application. Note on it if you're moving a plate you already own. Without a South Carolina license or ID, also file Form TI-006C, Statement of Vehicle Operation in South Carolina. |
| Property tax receipt | Get the bill from your county, pay it, and bring the paid receipt in your name. |
| Form 60-A | Application for a 60-day temporary plate, with the title or bill of sale. |
| Seller: Form 416 | Notice of Vehicle Sold, at a branch or by mail. It protects the seller but does not itself transfer ownership. |
| Seller: Form 452 | License Plate Surrender, if the plate isn't moving to another car. The seller also cancels the insurance on the sold car. |
Paying over time? If the seller is financing the car, the seller completes Section 2 of the buyer's Form 400 and becomes the lienholder. The title is mailed to the seller, who signs off the lien when you've paid in full. You can title and register at a branch, or mail certified documents with payment to SCDMV Titles and Registration, PO Box 1498, Blythewood, SC 29016-0024.
Inspections in South Carolina
SCDMV's steps for titling and registering a used car call for no safety inspection and no emissions test. The documents are the signed title, Form 400, proof of the paid county property tax and the fees. The real gate in South Carolina is the county tax receipt, not a garage.
That puts the whole job of checking the car on the buyer. Nobody official will look at the brakes, tires or frame before or after you buy, and the state's rebuilt-title rules describe paperwork and a rebuilder's affidavit, not an inspection. Pay a mechanic you choose to inspect the car before you hand over money, and pay extra attention to rust, corrosion and water damage on any car that has spent time near the coast.
For flood cars specifically, the state's legal definition is the checklist: water higher than the door sill, water inside the passenger, trunk or engine compartment, or water that reached the electrical or computer parts. Pull up a corner of the carpet, look for silt under the seats and in the spare tire well, and check that every warning light comes on and goes off at startup.
Before you meet a South Carolina seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before any deposit. Then match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you.
- Match the VIN on the dashboard, the driver door sticker and the title.
- Make sure the title is in the seller's name. SCDMV says the seller must have the title in their own name to sign it over.
- Check the price box. If the title has no place for the sales price, get a bill of sale with the price on it.
- Check for a lender. If one is listed, no change can be made to the title without them.
- Read the brand. Salvage brands are permanent in South Carolina, so a seller can't make one disappear.
- Plan the plate. The seller's plate stays with them; get a 60-day temporary plate at a branch or move your own.
- Call your county for the property tax bill early. You can't register without the paid receipt, and the 45-day clock is running.
Where these South Carolina facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- SCDMV: Buying or selling a car
- SCDMV: Fees
- SCDMV: Title brands
- SCDMV: Total loss claims
- SCDMV: License plates and temporary plates
- SCDMV: Revolutionary new S.C. license plate to be issued in 2026
- SCDMV: License plate return
- South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 3 (registration, IMF, plates)
- South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 19 (titles, salvage and rebuilt)
- South Carolina Code 56-1-10 (title brand definitions)
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for South Carolina plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
South Carolina license plate lookup questions
How do I look up a South Carolina license plate?
Type the plate above with South Carolina selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in South Carolina?
The title fee is $15. Most cars also pay the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee of 5% capped at $500, registration of $40 every two years for most passenger cars, and the county property tax, which must be paid first.
Is there sales tax on a used car in South Carolina?
Most vehicles pay the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee instead: 5% with a $500 maximum. Transfers to immediate family members and heirs are excluded.
Does South Carolina require a vehicle inspection?
No. SCDMV's title and registration steps include no safety or emissions inspection. Get a mechanic's inspection before you buy, since no one else will look at the car.
Can a salvage brand be removed in South Carolina?
No. Salvage, Salvage Flood and Salvage Fire brands are permanent. A repaired car becomes Salvage Rebuilt, Salvage Flood Rebuilt or Salvage Fire Rebuilt, and the original damage type stays on the title.
How long is a South Carolina temporary plate good for?
Up to 60 days since a 2026 law took effect on October 6, 2026; it used to be 45. Get one at an SCDMV branch with the seller's title or bill of sale and Form 60-A. You still have 45 days from purchase to register before late penalties start.
Can I find the owner of a South Carolina plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in SCDMV records private, and no honest plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in South Carolina?
The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) issues titles, plates and registrations. Your county collects the vehicle property tax that has to be paid before SCDMV will register the car.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV).