South Carolina License Plate Lookup

Type the SC plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep South Carolina selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history. A South Carolina tag lookup works the same way.

1. 1. Enter the plate

   Type the South Carolina plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.

2. 2. We find the car's VIN

   The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.

3. 3. Open the full history report

   One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

• Odometer readings in miles

  Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.

  All states

• Police-reported crashes

  Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.

  All states

• Salvage and auction history, with photos

  Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.

  All states

• Title brands

  Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.

• Recalls and owner complaints

  Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.

  Model-level

• Factory specs

  Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.

  Every VIN

What SCDMV and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

Start with county taxes. In South Carolina you pay vehicle property tax to the county treasurer first, and SCDMV may not issue a registration without the paid receipt (S.C. Code 12-37-2650). Then you title and register. The seller signs the title over, you apply for your new title promptly (S.C. Code 56-19-360), and you register within 45 days of the purchase date. You pay a $15 title fee plus an infrastructure maintenance fee of 5% of the price, capped at $500. A car already titled in another state pays a flat $250 when its owner moves here. Dealers must title and register a car they sell within 45 days (S.C. Code 56-19-370). No state inspection stands between the seller and you, so book your own mechanic. Then read the brand. A car becomes Salvage when an insurer declares a total loss or repairs exceed 75% of its value before the damage. Salvage Flood covers insurer-paid total losses from water, including water that reached electrical or computer parts. A repaired car adds Rebuilt to its brand (Salvage Flood Rebuilt, for example), and S.C. Code 56-19-485 keeps the brand on the title through every later transfer. If another state used a different label, SCDMV applies the closest South Carolina brand. Run the plate before you pay.

Private sale

The seller signs the title over to you and keeps the plate. You pay vehicle property tax to your county treasurer first, because SCDMV may not issue a registration without the paid receipt (S.C. Code 12-37-2650). Then you apply for a new title promptly (S.C. Code 56-19-360) and register within 45 days of purchase, paying the $15 title fee, the 5% infrastructure maintenance fee (max $500) and the $40 biennial registration.

Dealer sale

The dealer must title and, if applicable, register the vehicle within 45 days after the sale (S.C. Code 56-19-370(B)(1)). The dealer can put a temporary plate on the car once it is sold, valid up to 60 days since October 6, 2026. The IMF is 5% of the sales price, capped at $500.

Title transfer deadline

Register within 45 days of purchase (S.C. Code 56-3-212(D)); title application due promptly (S.C. Code 56-19-360)

Source: South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles

South Carolina follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

S.C. Code 30-2-10 et seq. (Family Privacy Protection Act of 2002), with 18 U.S.C. 2721

A person or private entity may not knowingly obtain or use personal information from a state agency for commercial solicitation (S.C. Code 30-2-50), and a knowing violation is a misdemeanor. Personal information includes name, date of birth and driver's identification number. Access to DMV records also follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (S.C. Code 30-2-510(I)). The public cannot get an owner's name or address from a plate.

Source: SCDMV