Does South Carolina require a bill of sale?

For a single, straightforward transfer the certificate of title carries the sale. But § 56-19-240(A)(7) makes a bill of sale compulsory where more than one transfer has intervened between the previous certificate of title and the new application: each intervening transfer needs a bill of sale in a form approved by the department, including a completed odometer disclosure statement.

Does a South Carolina bill of sale need to be notarized?

Section 56-19-240 lists item by item what the title application must contain or be accompanied by, and a notarial acknowledgment is not on that list. The bill of sale it requires for an intervening transfer must be “in a form approved by the department,” so ask the SCDMV for the current approved form and follow whatever it asks for on its face.

What must a South Carolina odometer statement say?

It must be made by the transferor and acknowledged by the transferee, be in compliance with federal guidelines and as prescribed by the department, and the odometer disclosure on the application form itself must also be completed by the applicant. Knowingly giving a false odometer statement is a misdemeanour carrying up to a $1,000 fine or a year, in addition to the federal penalties.

Can I buy a car in South Carolina from someone whose name is not on the title?

You can, but you are creating the intervening-transfer problem § 56-19-240(A)(7) is written for. The DMV will want the certificate signed by the owner or the owner’s attorney in fact, plus a departmental-form bill of sale with a completed odometer disclosure for every transfer after that. Collect one from each link in the chain, or expect the application to stall.

What identification does South Carolina want from the buyer?

The application must carry the owner’s South Carolina residence address, their full legal name as it appears on the identification provided, and the issuing state and number of that identification — satisfied by a South Carolina licence or ID card, or by a home-state licence plus active-duty military ID, proof of school enrolment, or an intention to principally garage the vehicle in the state for six or more months of the year.

Is this legal advice?

No. Free Contract Generator provides self-help templates and general information, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Vehicle-transfer rules are set by each state and change; confirm the current rule with the agency cited and consult a licensed attorney for advice about your situation.

South Carolina Bill of Sale — Free Template & Generator

South Carolina is one of the states that names the bill of sale in its titling statute — and it names it for the situation that trips people up. Where more than one transfer has happened between the last certificate of title and the new application, § 56-19-240(A)(7) requires, for each intervening transfer, “a bill of sale in a form approved by the department, including a completed odometer disclosure statement.” If you bought a car from someone who never titled it, that is the document the DMV will ask you for.

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South Carolina pre-selected

How it works

01
South Carolina is already selected
The governing-law clause names the state; change it only if the sale happens elsewhere.
02
Enter the item and the parties
Vehicle, boat or general item — VIN and odometer, or HIN — plus price, payment method, seller and buyer.
03
Review clause by clause
The as-is terms, the seller’s title warranty and, for vehicles, the federal odometer statement.
04
Download, then file South Carolina’s paperwork
Word & PDF on your device; the state steps and forms are listed below, each cited to the source.

What South Carolina actually requires

South Carolina rules for a private sale

Last verified September 6, 2026

No valid title, no sale Unlawful to sell or offer for sale

“It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale or mortgage in this State any vehicle of a type required to be registered and licensed in this State, or any mobile home, unless a certificate of title has been issued therefor and is currently valid.” The exception is for South Carolina dealers selling new vehicles or mobile homes covered by a manufacturer’s certificate of origin. A private seller with no current title is not permitted to advertise the vehicle at all.

S.C. Code § 56-19-210 (South Carolina Code of Laws, scstatehouse.gov)
When a bill of sale is compulsory Every intervening transfer

Section 56-19-240(A)(7) requires an odometer disclosure statement “made by the transferor of the vehicle and acknowledged by the transferee,” in compliance with federal guidelines. It then adds the rule that catches informal chains: “Where more than one transfer has intervened between the previous certificate of title and the application for a new certificate of title, it must be shown that the certificate of title has been signed by the owner or by the owner’s attorney in fact, and there must be for each intervening transfer thereafter a bill of sale in a form approved by the department, including a completed odometer disclosure statement.”

S.C. Code § 56-19-240(A)(7) (South Carolina Code of Laws, scstatehouse.gov)
What the application must show Odometer reading, seller’s name and address, date

The application must contain “a description of the vehicle, including, so far as the following data exists, its make, model, year, vehicle identification number, type of body, odometer reading at the time of application, and whether new or used,” and separately “the date of acquisition by applicant, the name and address of the person from whom the vehicle was acquired, and the names and addresses of any lienholders in the order of their priority.” Those are the same fields a bill of sale records, which is why buyers who kept one file faster.

S.C. Code § 56-19-240(A)(5)–(6) (South Carolina Code of Laws, scstatehouse.gov)
False statement penalty Up to $1,000 or a year, on top of federal penalties

“A person who knowingly gives a false statement on the application or knowingly gives a false statement concerning the odometer reading on an odometer disclosure statement is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is subject to a fine of up to one thousand dollars or imprisonment of up to one year, or both. These penalties are in addition to the penalties provided by the federal odometer law 49 U.S.C. 32701-32711.” South Carolina stacks its own penalty on top of the federal one rather than deferring to it.

S.C. Code § 56-19-240(E) (South Carolina Code of Laws, scstatehouse.gov)
Notarisation Not in the list the statute sets out

Section 56-19-240 is unusually specific about what an application “must contain or be accompanied by”: the owner’s South Carolina residence address, the full legal name as it appears on a named identification document, the vehicle description, the acquisition details, the odometer disclosure, and — under subsection (B) — the last certificate of title previously issued. A notarial acknowledgment is not among the items listed. Confirm the current signature requirements on the DMV’s own title application before you sign, since a form may ask for more than the statute.

S.C. Code § 56-19-240(A)–(B) (South Carolina Code of Laws, scstatehouse.gov)

How this document fits South Carolina’s paperwork

Official form: The bill of sale § 56-19-240(A)(7) demands for an intervening transfer must be “in a form approved by the department,” so check the current approved form with the South Carolina DMV before you file. The document generated here gives you the substance the subsection asks for — the parties, the vehicle, the price, the date and the odometer disclosure — in one signed record.

Generate the bill of sale with the odometer reading, the date of acquisition and the seller’s name and address on it — those are literally the items § 56-19-240(A)(5) and (6) say the application must contain. If the car has changed hands more than once since the last title was issued, you need one of these for each intervening transfer, in the department’s approved form, each carrying a completed odometer disclosure: that is the requirement in (A)(7), and it is why an unbroken paper trail matters more in South Carolina than the price does. Check that the seller’s certificate of title is current before you hand over money; § 56-19-210 makes selling without one unlawful.

FAQ

South Carolina bill of sale questions

Does South Carolina require a bill of sale?: For a single, straightforward transfer the certificate of title carries the sale. But § 56-19-240(A)(7) makes a bill of sale compulsory where more than one transfer has intervened between the previous certificate of title and the new application: each intervening transfer needs a bill of sale in a form approved by the department, including a completed odometer disclosure statement.
Does a South Carolina bill of sale need to be notarized?: Section 56-19-240 lists item by item what the title application must contain or be accompanied by, and a notarial acknowledgment is not on that list. The bill of sale it requires for an intervening transfer must be “in a form approved by the department,” so ask the SCDMV for the current approved form and follow whatever it asks for on its face.
What must a South Carolina odometer statement say?: It must be made by the transferor and acknowledged by the transferee, be in compliance with federal guidelines and as prescribed by the department, and the odometer disclosure on the application form itself must also be completed by the applicant. Knowingly giving a false odometer statement is a misdemeanour carrying up to a $1,000 fine or a year, in addition to the federal penalties.
Can I buy a car in South Carolina from someone whose name is not on the title?: You can, but you are creating the intervening-transfer problem § 56-19-240(A)(7) is written for. The DMV will want the certificate signed by the owner or the owner’s attorney in fact, plus a departmental-form bill of sale with a completed odometer disclosure for every transfer after that. Collect one from each link in the chain, or expect the application to stall.
What identification does South Carolina want from the buyer?: The application must carry the owner’s South Carolina residence address, their full legal name as it appears on the identification provided, and the issuing state and number of that identification — satisfied by a South Carolina licence or ID card, or by a home-state licence plus active-duty military ID, proof of school enrolment, or an intention to principally garage the vehicle in the state for six or more months of the year.
Is this legal advice?: No. Free Contract Generator provides self-help templates and general information, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Vehicle-transfer rules are set by each state and change; confirm the current rule with the agency cited and consult a licensed attorney for advice about your situation.