Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$20,000 vehicle
$555.00
South Carolina infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, up to $500) $500.00, Title $15.00, Registration (most passenger cars) $40.00.
Not included yet: County vehicle property tax.
What a vehicle purchase costs in South Carolina, itemized and sourced.
Sales tax, title and registration for a vehicle registered in South Carolina. Every line cites the page it came from and the day we opened it.
On a $30,000.00 gas vehicle with no trade-in, the South Carolina estimate is $555.00 in taxes and fees (south carolina infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, up to $500) $500.00, title $15.00, registration (most passenger cars) $40.00).
Estimate / South Carolina
Reviewed Oct 24, 2026
- South Carolina infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, up to $500)[1] source[2] source$500.00
- Title[2] source$15.00
- Registration (most passenger cars)[2] source$40.00
Total taxes and fees$555.00
Not the full cost. This total leaves out 1 item, listed below.
Price plus these items: $30,555.00.
Costs not in this total
- County vehicle property tax. Counties bill a yearly property tax on the vehicle, and you must pay it before you can register with the DMV. The amount depends on your county and the vehicle's value, so it is not included.
Sources
- [1]Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)Supports: State sales tax rate, Trade-in rule, Local tax, Tax paid to another state
- [2]FeesSupports: State sales tax rate, Title, Registration (most passenger cars), Electric vehicle fee
- [3]Vehicle registration and property taxSupports: County vehicle property tax
What changed
- Oct 24, 2026Added state with the 5% infrastructure maintenance fee (capped at $500, paid instead of sales tax), title, two-year registration and the electric vehicle fee. The county vehicle property tax and the hybrid fee are not included.
How South Carolina works out this bill
South Carolina has no sales tax on a vehicle. Instead you pay an infrastructure maintenance fee of 5% of the price, capped at a top amount, plus a title fee and a two-year registration fee.
The infrastructure maintenance fee is 5% of the gross proceeds of the sale, up to a maximum. The value of a trade-in is not part of the gross proceeds.
Source: South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)South Carolina DMV - Fees
A sale that pays the fee is exempt from state and local sales and use taxes, so no county or city tax is added on top.
Source: South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)
A vehicle first registered in another state and later registered here by the same owner pays a flat fee, not a percentage.
Source: South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)South Carolina DMV - Fees
Counties bill a yearly property tax on vehicles, and you must pay it before registering. It is not part of this total.
Source: Greenville County Auditor - Vehicle registration and property tax
All figures this calculator uses (7)
- State rate (infrastructure maintenance fee)5%VerifiedVehicles pay an infrastructure maintenance fee of 5% of the gross proceeds of the sale, no more than $500. It is paid to the DMV when you register, instead of sales tax.South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)South Carolina DMV - Fees
- Trade-in reduces taxable priceYesVerifiedThe guide defines gross proceeds of sales as not including the value of any trade-in, and the fee is figured on the gross proceeds.South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)
- Local taxNoneVerifiedSales subject to the fee are exempt from state and local sales and use taxes.South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)
- Title$15VerifiedExpedited title is $35 in person only.South Carolina DMV - Fees
- Registration (most passenger cars)$40VerifiedPaid once every two years. Drivers aged 64 pay $38, and drivers 65 or older or with a disability pay $36.South Carolina DMV - Fees
- Electric vehicle fee$120VerifiedAdded to the registration fee. Hybrids pay $60 on top and are not modeled.South Carolina DMV - Fees
- County vehicle property taxUnknownNot verifiedGreenville County Auditor - Vehicle registration and property tax
Common questions
Is there a sales tax on cars in South Carolina?
No. Vehicles pay an infrastructure maintenance fee instead, which is a percentage of the price with a maximum amount.
Source: South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)South Carolina DMV - Fees
Does a trade-in lower the fee?
Yes. The fee is figured on the gross proceeds of the sale, which the DOR guide defines as not including the value of any trade-in.
Source: South Carolina DOR - Sales and Use Tax: Auto and Truck Dealers Guide (Dec 2025)
Is the county property tax included?
No. It is billed by your county and depends on the vehicle's value, and it must be paid before you register.
Source: Greenville County Auditor - Vehicle registration and property tax
How often is this page updated?
The data on this page was last reviewed on Oct 24, 2026. Pages get a changed-page check each month and a full re-verification each January and July.
Worked examples
Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$30,000 vehicle
$555.00
South Carolina infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, up to $500) $500.00, Title $15.00, Registration (most passenger cars) $40.00.
Not included yet: County vehicle property tax.
Electric vehicle
$45,000 vehicle
$675.00
South Carolina infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, up to $500) $500.00, Title $15.00, Registration (most passenger cars) $40.00, Electric vehicle fee $120.00.
Not included yet: County vehicle property tax.
Each example runs the same calculation as the calculator above. Local tax and county fees are left out unless the example says otherwise, because they depend on where you live. Estimates only.
What this calculator does not cover
- The infrastructure maintenance fee replaces sales tax and is capped, so expensive vehicles pay the same top amount.
- A vehicle first registered in another state by the same owner pays a flat $250 fee instead of the percentage.
- A hybrid vehicle adds $60 to registration, which is not included.