South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale Form
Before selling or buying a boat in South Carolina, you should be aware of what comes next. You may need to have a South Carolina boat bill of sale signed by both parties. As a seller, you may be obligated to report the purchase to the department regulating the registration of vessels. As a buyer, you may have to register it by providing a bill of sale example and other necessary documents. Each US state has its own rules for this procedure, and if you wish to find out what they are in South Carolina, keep reading this article.
South Carolina bill of sale templates – discover more bill of sale forms for South Carolina along with instructions.
Before using any bill of sale, make sure that you know the specifics of this form.
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How to Register Your Boat in South Carolina?
The proper transaction preceeds the vessel registration process and has some specifics you should be aware of. Click here to make sure you know everything about transactions related to boats.
According to South Carolina law, a vessel must be titled and registered in the following cases:
- Motorized watercraft
- Sailboats
- All outboard motors that have 5 horsepower or greater
You do not have to register a motorized watercraft if it is:
- Documented vessel
- Windsurfer
- Paddleboard
- Watercraft propelled only by a human using paddles or similar devices
The main document that you will need to provide is a titling and registration application.
You may need to provide a South Carolina boat bill of sale and some other documents depending on your situation.
The registration is conducted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). You can bring the documents to one of the SCDNR regional offices.
South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale Registration Details
| Boat Registration and Title | $20 |
| Registration Renewal | $10 |
| Vessel Title | $10 |
| Duplicate or Corrected Boat Title | $5 |
| Duplicate Registration Card | $5 |
| Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources | |
Do You Need to Have a Bill of Sale to Register Your Boat in This State?
You will have to provide a filled-out bill of sale form in the following cases:
- You purchase a boat from the owner in South Carolina with missing titles
- You purchase your boat in a different titling state
- You purchase a boat from a different non-titling state
- You purchase a previously documented vessel
- You purchase a vessel from an Estate or by Inheritance
Please read information about all the required documents depending on your situation.
Where Can You Get a Bill of Sale Template?
On the website of SCDNR, you will not find any separate bill of sale form. There is no need to search for a free template of the document on the Internet. It has been included in the application for registration and titling. The bill of sale’s fields start with section H. The document is available in a printable PDF format. You can enter the required information using your PC by simply navigating from one field to another.
Download a Free South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale Form
How to write a South Carolina Boat Bill of Sale?
The details below are based on our custom South Carolina boat bill of sale. We strongly suggest using your local official form whenever possible.
Step 1: Indicate the bill of sale creation date.
Step 2: Enter the buyer’s and seller’s info:
- Full legal name
- Address: Street, City, State, Area code
- Contact details: Phone number, Email address
Step 3: Define the watercraft being sold:
- Manufacturer
- Title number
- Year
- Boat color
- Hull Identification Number (HIN)
- Odometer reading
- Value
As well as that, you need to specify the following information for each of the motors or/and trailers included in the deal:
- Make
- License Plate Number (only for trailers)
- Color (only for trailers)
- VIN (only for trailers)
- Year (only for trailers)
- Value
- Horsepower (only for motors)
- Serial number (only for motors)
Step 4: Pick how the purchaser will pay for the watercraft and for how much.
This stage also involves specifying the date of the transaction and the overall amount agreed upon by all parties of the deal. After that, pick one selling method:
- Delivering the full amount as a one-time transaction. One of the hassle-free choices: on the same day, the purchaser has the boat transported to them and transfers the entire amount of money.
- Making a gift. The boat might be given without any consideration paid which should be indicated in the document.
- In installments. With this particular method, you must indicate the dates when the purchaser has to deliver the initial and the final payments, along with their amounts.
After that, pick one payment method:
- Cash
- Check
- Cashier’s cheque
- Money order
Finally, indicate if the purchase cost includes all applicable taxes.
Step 5: Go over standard provisions and confirm that both sides are aware of them.
The “as-is” paragraph indicates that the boat owner gives no warranties and is not accountable for repairs after the transaction.
Step 6: Place your signature(s) in the corresponding fields.
The consumer’s signature is generally not necessary. Nevertheless, you will end up more protected from legal complications if both parties sign the form. As an additional safety measure, you can have one or two people witness the process and sign the document.
Step 7: Notarize the form
Notarization is generally not required, but it is an excellent option to introduce one more level of legal safety to your transaction.
The original document copy must be given to the purchaser as they will likely require it to obtain a title to their new watercraft. There are two approaches here: you must either fill out and sign two identical documents or get a duplicate for the seller to keep.
