Free South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale
The agency split is the first thing to get right in a South Carolina boat sale: vessels title through the Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) — the SCDMV that handled your car has no role here. Motorized boats, all sailboats, and outboard motors of 5 hp or more carry SCDNR titles that must be signed over, with the transfer filed within 30 days. The money side mirrors the state's vehicles: a 5% casual excise tax capped at $500 (boats do not pay the IMF itself), which genuinely rewards big-boat buyers — a $40,000 center console pays the same $500 as a $10,000 jon boat rig pays in full. South Carolina also assesses annual personal property tax on boats through the counties, the recurring cost out-of-state buyers most often miss.
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South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Boats do not pay the IMF; a boat bought from an individual owes South Carolina's 5% casual excise tax, capped at $500 (immediate-family transfers excluded), paid when titling with SCDNR.
South Carolina Boat Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Record HIN, make, model, year, length, engine HP, sale price.
- Seller signs the SC boat title over to buyer.
- Buyer submits to SCDNR with bill of sale within 30 days.
- Buyer pays the 5% casual excise tax (max $500) + SCDNR title and registration fees.
Common Pitfalls
- Going to SCDMV instead of SCDNR for boat titles — boats are handled by a different agency.
- Not titling a sailboat — every sailboat needs a title, whatever its length.
- Missing the HIN on the bill of sale.
Pro Tip
South Carolina boats: SCDNR (never the DMV) within 30 days, a 5% casual excise tax that caps at $500 — and the county's annual boat property tax arriving every year after.