CharlestonCounty.org

How do I register my vehicle in Charleston County?

Before you can register your vehicle with the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you must first pay the property taxes that are required in the county in which you reside. If you are a resident of Charleston County, you can file your vehicle with the Charleston County Auditor’s Office (to get a tax bill) and pay your vehicle's taxes to the Charleston County Treasurer at the same time by visiting one of our convenient service center locations.

What To Bring

If you are registering a vehicle for the first time in South Carolina, you will need to bring one of the following documents to the Auditor's Officeor email them to motorvehicle@charlestoncounty.org

Registration; or
Title; or
Bill of Sale

Note: If your vehicle has been previously registered in South Carolina, contact the Auditor’s Office at (843)958-4200 to determine what documentation you need to bring.

Remote Requests

If you are unable to visit the Auditor's Office in person, please, feel free to utilize our online request option by clicking the "Request My Vehicle Tax Bill" button below.

Request My Vehicle Tax Bill

Recently moved to Charleston from out of state
Need a license plate for a vehicle that is new to you

Paying Your Tax Bill

You can pay your property tax bill to the Treasurer's Office with cash or check. You can also pay by credit card online at https://sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com/ under "Tax Records Search and Payment".

Registering Your Vehicle With The S.C. DMV

After you have paid your tax bill, you can register your vehicle with the S.C. DMV. For more information about what you must bring to the DMV to register your vehicle and for DMV office locations, visit http://scdmvonline.com/Locations or call (803)896-5000.

Locations

East Cooper Service Center

1189 Sweetgrass Basket Pkwy, Suite 400
Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

Phone: (843)856-1200
Fax: (843)856-1204

Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 5pm

North Area Service Center

Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building
4045 Bridge View Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405

Phone: (843)202-6691
Fax: (843)202-6698

Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 5pm

Ravenel/St. Paul's Service Center
5962 Highway 165, Suite 300
Ravenel, SC 29470

Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8am - 4:30pm
Closed for lunch from 12:30pm - 1:30pm

You can also visit the Auditor and Treasurer's main offices in downtown Charleston:

Auditor's Office

O.T. Wallace County Office Building
101 Meeting Street, Room 105
Charleston, SC 29401

Phone: (843)958-4200
Fax: (843)958-4222

Treasurer's Office

O.T. Wallace County Office Building
101 Meeting Street, Suite 240
Charleston, SC 29402

Phone: (843)958-4360
Fax: (843)958-4370