Moving to South Carolina

New to South Carolina? Apply for a driver's license within 45 days of moving permanently (SCDMV). Before titling a car, pay county property tax first. Register to vote at least 30 days before an election. The steps below are in order, each from the agency that runs it.

• License45 daysSCDMV, after moving
• Car$305title, plates, IMF; plus county tax
• Voter Deadline30 daysbefore an election
• Home Tax Rate4%legal residence

Your First Steps, in Order

1. Get an SC Driver's License

   45 days from the move

   • Driver's license: apply for an SC license or ID within 45 days of moving to the state permanently. Temporary residents such as military members or students are not required to get an SC license. The out-of-state license must be surrendered. source
   • Bring in person to an SCDMV branch: proof of identity, citizenship and date of birth (for example a birth certificate or passport), Social Security number, proof of a current physical SC address dated within nine months (REAL ID requires two proofs), proof of legal name change if applicable, and all out-of-state licenses and ID cards. Forms MV-93 (U.S. citizens) and MV-94 (international) list accepted documents. source
   • Fee: an eight-year driver's license is $25. A vision test is required; knowledge and road tests are required if the out-of-state license has been expired nine months or more. source
   • Voter registration: you must be registered at least 30 days before an election; mailed applications must be postmarked at least 30 days before. Register online (needs an SC driver's license or DMV ID; update your DMV address first), by mail/email/fax to the county board, or in person at the county board or at the DMV. Must be a U.S. citizen, 18 by the next election, and an SC resident in the county and precinct. source

2. Title and Register Your Car

   pay county property tax first

   • Vehicle: before transferring title and registration, pay property taxes to the county treasurer. Contact the county auditor with the VIN and most recent registration card; the auditor generates the property tax bill; bring the original paid receipt to SCDMV. source
   • Vehicle documents at SCDMV: Title Application Form 400, out-of-state title and/or registration, acceptable ID, liability insurance company information, paid property tax receipt. source
   • Vehicle fees as published: for a regular passenger vehicle the total is $305: $250 Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (once per vehicle), $15 title fee, $40 registration/plate fee (paid every two years). County property tax is extra. source

3. Register to Vote

   30 days before an election

   • Voter registration: you must be registered at least 30 days before an election; mailed applications must be postmarked at least 30 days before. Register online (needs an SC driver's license or DMV ID; update your DMV address first), by mail/email/fax to the county board, or in person at the county board or at the DMV. Must be a U.S. citizen, 18 by the next election, and an SC resident in the county and precinct. source

4. Claim The 4% Home Tax Rate

   apply to the county assessor

   • Property tax, legal residence: Section 12-43-220 taxes an owner-occupied legal residence and up to five contiguous acres on an assessment of four percent of fair market value. The six percent ratio applies to real property not otherwise provided for, and when an owner is found ineligible for the four percent rate. source
   • To get the 4% legal residence rate, contact the county assessor's office. The owner must apply before the first penalty date for the tax year in which the ratio is first claimed, with a statement under penalty of perjury. The residence generally cannot be rented more than 72 days in a calendar year. Notify the assessor within six months of a change in ownership or use; a new owner must apply separately. source
   • Legal residence 4% rate statute detail (deadline, proof, 72-day rental limit, penalty of 100% of tax plus interest if later found ineligible): SC Code 12-43-220. source
   • Homestead Exemption: a complete exemption from tax on the first $50,000 of fair market value of a legal residence for owners over 65, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind. Contact the county auditor. For Tax Year 2026 the State temporarily authorized an additional Homestead Exemption for certain recipients; the county auditor determines if it applies (amount not stated on the page). source

5. Hunting and Fishing Residency

   domicile rules from SCDNR

   • Hunting and fishing: SCDNR says a resident is a domiciled (permanent) resident of South Carolina. A person licensed as a resident by another state for any purpose cannot hold an SC resident license. Military stationed in SC at least 30 days and full-time students at SC schools qualify for resident privileges with valid ID. source

6. Know Your Hurricane Zone

   coastal counties: Know Your Zone

   • NOAA National Hurricane Center: "The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30." The peak is September 10. source
   • SCEMD Know Your Zone: an interactive map to learn about hurricane evacuation zones and vulnerability to storm surge on the coast. The campaign started with Horry County Emergency Management, based on the 2012 state Hurricane Evacuation Study, and all coastal counties have adopted it. Find your zone by address or with the SC Emergency Manager app. source
   • Coastal counties listed on the SCEMD Know Your Zone page: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper. source
   • SCEMD publishes the South Carolina Hurricane Guide annually; the 2026 edition is in English and Spanish. Printed copies are at South Carolina Welcome Centers, Walgreens stores statewide, and certain SCDMV offices. source
   • FEMA's FloodSmart.gov is the official National Flood Insurance Program site. Standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood damage; flood insurance is a separate policy, and you can start a quote at floodsmart.gov/policy-quote. source

Next Steps

• NewNew South Carolina Resident ChecklistMoving to South Carolina? The deadlines and steps from SCDMV, SCDOR, the→
• NewRelocating to South CarolinaRelocating to South Carolina→

What We Could Not Confirm

Sources

1. Driver's license: apply for an SC license or ID within 45 days of movi
2. Vehicle: before transferring title and registration, pay property taxe
3. Voter registration: you must be registered at least 30 days before an
4. Hunting and fishing: SCDNR says a resident is a domiciled (permanent)
5. NOAA National Hurricane Center: "The Atlantic hurricane season runs fr
6. SCEMD Know Your Zone: an interactive map to learn about hurricane evac
7. SCEMD publishes the South Carolina Hurricane Guide annually; the 2026
8. FEMA's FloodSmart.gov is the official National Flood Insurance Program

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.