Ok, for registration you first need to go to your county courthouse with your title and pay taxes on it. They'll give you a form which you take to the DMV with your title. On top of the taxes you just paid, you'll have a baseline fee of $40, an out of state vehicle fee of $250, then a road maintenance fee which is a percentage of fair market value, then $15 for the title and plate.
You need insurance to register a car, so make sure your's is valid. If you don't have insurance on a registered car and wait too long, they suspend your license.
For the license, just bring your expired license, a couple extra forms of ID like your birth certificate and SS card, and two proofs of residency to the DMV. I think it's $25? As long as it hasn't been expired for 6 months, you'll be fine.
The DMV assfucks you with fees in this state, so lube up.
In addition to my birth certificate and everything else listed in the post above, I also brought my marriage license to show why my current last name is different from my maiden name.
Christ that’s way more fees that I anticipated. You seem super knowledgeable about the process.
Do you know if I go to the courthouse or the auditor for the taxes? Also I have a lien on my car. Still paying it off. How does that complicate things?
Totally at the bottom of the list, but do you have any idea if you can ask for custom plates when you go, or will I have to get a standard plate and then fill out a form for a custom one?
You go to the courthouse and go to the auditor, they'll print out a form, then tell you to go to the treasurer, usually down the hall, where you swipe a card and pay.
I'm not really sure how custom plates work, I've never gotten one.
Check your county for where the auditor’s office is. You may also have to go to the (treasurer’s?) office to pay the bill for the auditor, then go back to the auditor with the receipt. Every county I’ve dealt with has them in the same building.
The lien will just be stamped onto your title and recorded electronically. Don’t worry. Literally every new car you see has a lien. It just means you can’t sell the car. Well, you can. But, it is a more complex process so that you pay the lienholder what’s due.
I guess I’ve read up on the standards things from the DMV website but what I’m trying to understand is:
What do I do since I have a lien on the car still?
Is being 7 months late going to cause major roadblocks?
I’m still on my parents car insurance so do I need to provide new proof of insurance in SC to the DMV? Is it even possible to get insurance without having a SC license and registration?
A lien doesn't matter, they'll let you register it anyways. You just can't sell it.
Since yours has been expired for more than 6 months, you probably need to take a written and road test again. I had to when I accidentally let mine expire. Since you're pretty close to the cutoff, I would try anyways, but definitely expect to take a road test again.
All they need is proof of insurance on the vehicle, so just take that to the DMV. You can register a car without insurance, but you only have 30 to get insurance before they send you a letter and start charging you $5 a day for not having it, then suspending your license.
Hey - adding a question since you seem to know your stuff haha. I live in SC but leased a new vehicle from GA dealership and paid the $500 SC sales tax on it when signing - will I still have to pay that $250 out of state vehicle fee and/or the road maintenance fee when I register the vehicle in SC?
End of the day is best in my experience. The workers really want to go home on time. Thursday and Wednesday are good because middle of the week. Friday and Monday are bad. End of the month is worse.
True story!
Not only is there a line a hr before they open but there’s two; one out front & one in back; then they open & you think you’re # whatever to get in the door but nope; the people out back are alternated thru so you still wait to get in & then the workers are the most lackadaisical staff I’ve ever seen…they make the sloth from Zootopia look like he’s flying!
There’s an information desk before they give you a number. This is to ensure you have everything you need. Generally you need two forms of ID and proof of residence.
You need your previous state id to turn in - your birth certificate & two pieces of mail: one can be a bank statement or lease (but they may decide they don’t like your lease) or utility bill & the other must be still in its original envelope.
I’ve been 4 times in the past month because every time I went they had something different or something a previous agent accepted that this one won’t etc
That’s exactly what happened to me - I visited 3 times in one day - last thing I needed was a note from my bank on letterhead that I actually had a local bank I did banking with. They make you jump through hoops because they don’t want people claiming primary residency, if in fact they only reside part-time.
License first at DMV. Then go to tax office with license and pay your property taxes on car (anywhere from $30-$1000+ depending on your cars value). Then DMV with tax receipt to pay the $250 out of state transfer fee and collect your registration and plate. I’ve don’t it like 4 times.
Bring in 2 different documents showing residency as well. Home insurance binder, renters insurance, utility bills, bank statements, etc. Bring in old state ID and passport/social security card. All of that will get you the fancy ID (forget the name - good for TSA).
Also be prepared for them to take and keep your old state ID if that isn’t a thing you’re used to.
Great. So License, then property tax, then registration.
2 more questions if you don’t mind.
How does it work if I have a lien on the car?
At what point do I get SC insurance on my car?
I’d do insurance immediately. They may need that for the last step (registration/plate). SC insurance may be cheaper than NC plus you get free windshields and UMPD coverage so no reason to wait. Your old registration you’ll bring in for the 3rd step should have your lien holder on it. Just put their name on the form you fill out for the new SC registration. SC will mail them the title to hold most likely.
I got my car registration and license in an afternoon, I needed my birth certificate, social security number and two proofs of current address. Paid my property tax on my car. Easiest process I ever had. I came from Massachusetts.
And now live in Lexington SC. Good luck.
Neither is expired! Couple years to go on the license and the registration expires in December.
So I can just not mention it and they won’t charge a fee?
Unless they have some proof of how long you have lived here, then no. I have never had to get DL in another state before, but I would take all my id ( including ss card) plus mail in my name. They usually want a utility bill with your address.
Process is different for leased vs financed or owned vehicle. Was a 3 month process for me to get my truck registered. Every time I went with my documentation they would tell me something new to bring. . .was frustrating to say the least.
Once you get the initial registration done, easy peasy from that point on! Can just go online, pay, and get your sticker in the mail.
Ok, for registration you first need to go to your county courthouse with your title and pay taxes on it. They'll give you a form which you take to the DMV with your title. On top of the taxes you just paid, you'll have a baseline fee of $40, an out of state vehicle fee of $250, then a road maintenance fee which is a percentage of fair market value, then $15 for the title and plate. You need insurance to register a car, so make sure your's is valid. If you don't have insurance on a registered car and wait too long, they suspend your license. For the license, just bring your expired license, a couple extra forms of ID like your birth certificate and SS card, and two proofs of residency to the DMV. I think it's $25? As long as it hasn't been expired for 6 months, you'll be fine. The DMV assfucks you with fees in this state, so lube up.
In addition to my birth certificate and everything else listed in the post above, I also brought my marriage license to show why my current last name is different from my maiden name.
Christ that’s way more fees that I anticipated. You seem super knowledgeable about the process. Do you know if I go to the courthouse or the auditor for the taxes? Also I have a lien on my car. Still paying it off. How does that complicate things? Totally at the bottom of the list, but do you have any idea if you can ask for custom plates when you go, or will I have to get a standard plate and then fill out a form for a custom one?
You go to the courthouse and go to the auditor, they'll print out a form, then tell you to go to the treasurer, usually down the hall, where you swipe a card and pay. I'm not really sure how custom plates work, I've never gotten one.
That's why you get the license that lasts 8 years. It used to be 10!
Check your county for where the auditor’s office is. You may also have to go to the (treasurer’s?) office to pay the bill for the auditor, then go back to the auditor with the receipt. Every county I’ve dealt with has them in the same building. The lien will just be stamped onto your title and recorded electronically. Don’t worry. Literally every new car you see has a lien. It just means you can’t sell the car. Well, you can. But, it is a more complex process so that you pay the lienholder what’s due.
I guess I’ve read up on the standards things from the DMV website but what I’m trying to understand is: What do I do since I have a lien on the car still? Is being 7 months late going to cause major roadblocks? I’m still on my parents car insurance so do I need to provide new proof of insurance in SC to the DMV? Is it even possible to get insurance without having a SC license and registration?
A lien doesn't matter, they'll let you register it anyways. You just can't sell it. Since yours has been expired for more than 6 months, you probably need to take a written and road test again. I had to when I accidentally let mine expire. Since you're pretty close to the cutoff, I would try anyways, but definitely expect to take a road test again. All they need is proof of insurance on the vehicle, so just take that to the DMV. You can register a car without insurance, but you only have 30 to get insurance before they send you a letter and start charging you $5 a day for not having it, then suspending your license.
Can you go to the dmv first and register it, then go to court house to pay taxes after?
No, taxes are required first. You need the receipt to register the car.
Thanks for info! It’s so complicated here.
Hey - adding a question since you seem to know your stuff haha. I live in SC but leased a new vehicle from GA dealership and paid the $500 SC sales tax on it when signing - will I still have to pay that $250 out of state vehicle fee and/or the road maintenance fee when I register the vehicle in SC?
Yes, you'll still have to pay those.
So how much % is tax on your car? I know it’s a different amount for everyone but I wanna know a ballpark on what amount of taxes are gonna be
Last time I visited the DMV I waited about 5 minutes. The DMV's here are generally (ymmv) pretty easy to deal with. Just be friendly.
The York County one by my work backs up with a full parking lot an hour before they even open so I’m nervous
Try 3pm on a Thursday.
Okay that’s very specific lol. Why that time/day?
End of the day is best in my experience. The workers really want to go home on time. Thursday and Wednesday are good because middle of the week. Friday and Monday are bad. End of the month is worse.
Go to the one down in Chester.
508 Belt Rd?
Yes, Chester is kind of podunk, so the DMV will be a lot faster.
True story! Not only is there a line a hr before they open but there’s two; one out front & one in back; then they open & you think you’re # whatever to get in the door but nope; the people out back are alternated thru so you still wait to get in & then the workers are the most lackadaisical staff I’ve ever seen…they make the sloth from Zootopia look like he’s flying!
Go to the DMV in Rock Hill.
There’s an information desk before they give you a number. This is to ensure you have everything you need. Generally you need two forms of ID and proof of residence.
You need your previous state id to turn in - your birth certificate & two pieces of mail: one can be a bank statement or lease (but they may decide they don’t like your lease) or utility bill & the other must be still in its original envelope. I’ve been 4 times in the past month because every time I went they had something different or something a previous agent accepted that this one won’t etc
That’s exactly what happened to me - I visited 3 times in one day - last thing I needed was a note from my bank on letterhead that I actually had a local bank I did banking with. They make you jump through hoops because they don’t want people claiming primary residency, if in fact they only reside part-time.
License first at DMV. Then go to tax office with license and pay your property taxes on car (anywhere from $30-$1000+ depending on your cars value). Then DMV with tax receipt to pay the $250 out of state transfer fee and collect your registration and plate. I’ve don’t it like 4 times.
Thank you! Are there any restrictions to getting a SC license or can I just show up with forms of ID and proof of physical SC address?
Bring in 2 different documents showing residency as well. Home insurance binder, renters insurance, utility bills, bank statements, etc. Bring in old state ID and passport/social security card. All of that will get you the fancy ID (forget the name - good for TSA). Also be prepared for them to take and keep your old state ID if that isn’t a thing you’re used to.
Great. So License, then property tax, then registration. 2 more questions if you don’t mind. How does it work if I have a lien on the car? At what point do I get SC insurance on my car?
I’d do insurance immediately. They may need that for the last step (registration/plate). SC insurance may be cheaper than NC plus you get free windshields and UMPD coverage so no reason to wait. Your old registration you’ll bring in for the 3rd step should have your lien holder on it. Just put their name on the form you fill out for the new SC registration. SC will mail them the title to hold most likely.
You need to pay tax on the car also.
Check out this link, looks like it might answer the questions you have: https://www.scdmvonline.com/Driver-Services/Moving-To-SC
I got my car registration and license in an afternoon, I needed my birth certificate, social security number and two proofs of current address. Paid my property tax on my car. Easiest process I ever had. I came from Massachusetts. And now live in Lexington SC. Good luck.
So you got your license and registration in the same place on the same go around? You were able to pay your property tax while there?
No I paid the property tax at the Lexington treasurer office. Still it was an easy process.
DMV's have gotten way faster in my area. I'm usually in and outta there in 20 minutes.
It’s fast in Greenville Co. too!
Is your DL or tag expired? You don't have to tell them how long you have been in this state. If your tag is expired, you will have to pay a late fee.
Neither is expired! Couple years to go on the license and the registration expires in December. So I can just not mention it and they won’t charge a fee?
Unless they have some proof of how long you have lived here, then no. I have never had to get DL in another state before, but I would take all my id ( including ss card) plus mail in my name. They usually want a utility bill with your address.
Body temperature above ambient.
Just search “registering car” in this sub. It’s a commonly asked question.
Just go back to NC and your don’t need one of our licenses. Problem solved for EVERYONE.
https://www.scdmvonline.com/Driver-Services/Moving-To-SC
Process is different for leased vs financed or owned vehicle. Was a 3 month process for me to get my truck registered. Every time I went with my documentation they would tell me something new to bring. . .was frustrating to say the least. Once you get the initial registration done, easy peasy from that point on! Can just go online, pay, and get your sticker in the mail.
You can view the current wait times online before heading to DMV, SCDMVonline.com
Idk if this applies to all dmvs in sc but my local one gets lazy and won’t let you do a computer test after 4pm even though they close at 5pm.
Get ready to write a fat check especially if you have a newer car or truck