Question for you guys. I live in SC. Looking at buying a boat from a guy who lives in SC but it is titled in Georgia. Will I have any problems registering the boat?
Question for you guys. I live in SC. Looking at buying a boat from a guy who lives in SC but it is titled in Georgia. Will I have any problems registering the boat?
Ga doesn't require titles for their boats, motors, or trailers. All you need is a bill of sale for the boat & motor in SC. Doesn't have to be notarized now. You have to pay taxes on the boat in SC when you register it, which is $520, I believe. Your boat registration will now be renewed in your county property taxes every year. If you want to get a SC title for the trailer you have to have the Ga tag registration. Haven't figured out why you have to jump through hoops for the trailer when just a bill of sale is required for the boat & motor. That's all I know.
No title needed for trailer
Believe you'll need the motor's serial number too as that gets a title and separate tax bill. So boat and motor both get titles.
That's correct, you do NOT need a title for the trailer nor a tag for in state usage. However if you travel the country, you will need a tag and that requires the Ga trailer registration. When you register the boat in SC you will also need a photograph of the boat hull I.D. and a photo of the serial number of the motor. Having a pic on your cell phone doesn't work, it has to be a printed out photo. If you sell a boat in SC, the taxes have to be paid & are the responsibility of the seller. Have a copy of it when you sell it. Also, within 30 days, in Ga & SC, the DNR has to be notified in writing ( there is a form for it ) that the boat has been sold & is the responsibility of the seller. If this isn't done you will get another tax bill to be paid. That can be a big hassle trying to prove you sold it and when if you can't contact the buyer. And now I think there is a penalty for it, like everything else. Hope that helps.
I have traveled all over the Southeast from SC to TX with no tag on the trailer never a hassle or issue. Matter of fact I asked at the Clemson DNR office if I needed a tag to travel outside of the state and received a negative (no) answer. I'm contemplating giving my boat to my son who just bought a house on Lake Hartwell, and trying to figure out how to re-register it back into the state. I'm guessing I'll get my old registration numbers back. Due to the boats vintage, it is property tax exempt in his county. It will be a gift so no sale will transpire.
Yeah, I've done the same thing ChampioNman and never had a problem either. Just didn't want to tell someone otherwise and get yelled at if they had a problem. Now that I've said " no Problem", I'll probably get a ticket now, LOL
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Last edited by fishon!sc; 01-15-2021 at 12:57 PM.
2 yrs ago , I bought a pontoon from a dealer in Ga . When i went to the DNR office in Columbia , they required proof of Hull ID # and proof of serial # on motor . Luckily , someone had told me about that so I traced over the Hull ID # with a pencil and made photos of both that # and the serial # on the motor . No issues registering as long as I had that . The lady was very helpful but did ask for that proof . Bought a Ranger from a dealer in NC last year and DNR sent me a tag and title . Don't knwo difference in purchases made in different state .
This is not completely accurate. In July 2020, Georgia began to title boats as they are newly registered or as the registration gets renewed. It is an “eTitle” whatever that means.Originally Posted by tracer1
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Thanks for all the help. The guy that I was going to buy the boat from lives in SC. He bought the boat from a guy in Georgia. The guy in Georgia signed and gave him the MSO's for the boat, motor, and trailer. Plus the Georgia registration card. He has been using like that. He has never titled in SC. SCDNR will not let him sell it without putting the boat in his name first. That is going to cost him a good bit of money in back fees and taxes. I backed out of the deal. Damn shame as it was the boat I wanted.
Just curious......how does SCDNR know about the boat if it is still titled & registered in Ga? Don't understand why he wouldn't register/title it in SC. Not that expensive. What is the year & model BTW.
Friend of mine just bought a boat in Ga (Dec 2020) and the registration was renewed in August 2020. No title, just bill of sale as usual. No problem to register/title it here. Btw, He told me the SCDNR is no longer in Columbia. He went to Columbia, where is was before in downtown Columbia and found it was no longer there.
So thought I would pass this on here. Maybe save a wasted trip.
SCDNR at the Market
326 Little Brooke Lane
West Columbia, SC 29172
Telephone 803-734-3833
I would need a bill of sale from the original owner to me to be able to title it in SC.
If he lives in SC (I think the standard is "has a SC Driver's License or SC Identification Card"), he has to title it in SC before selling it. So yup... good that you walked on that one.
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You are correct sir. SCDNR told me that it is actually a criminal offense to sell a boat in SC that is not titled in your name. They said it is tax evasion.
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