Car registration fees in South Carolina
Registering a car in South Carolina costs about $40, on top of a dealer doc fee averaging $525 and a vehicle sales-tax rate of 5%. Together these are part of the real cost of putting a car on the road here — see the calculator below with South Carolina’s tax pre-filled.
Your South Carolina car payment, with tax
Monthly payment
$950.80
$47,450 financed at 7.5% for 60 mo
Total interest
$9,598
Sales tax
$2,450
Total of payments
$57,048
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $8,126 | $3,283 | $39,324 |
| Year 2 | $8,757 | $2,652 | $30,566 |
| Year 3 | $9,437 | $1,972 | $21,129 |
| Year 4 | $10,170 | $1,240 | $10,959 |
| Year 5 | $10,959 | $450 | $0 |
The numbers behind this estimate
Sourced figures last verified 2026-11-07| Figure | Value | Source · verified |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle tax (IMF)Infrastructure Maintenance Fee: 5% of price, capped at $500 (SC Code §12-36-2647; secondary). New residents flat $250. | 5% | Tax Foundation — State & Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2026 · 2026-07-06 |
| Average dealer doc feeNo statutory cap; dealer files its own maximum. | $525 | CarEdge — State of Dealer Fees 2026 · 2026-11-07 |
| Registration feeRegistration $40 every 2 years (biennial); title $15. | $40 | South Carolina DMV — Fees · 2026-11-07 |
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