The South Carolina Rules That Shape Daily Life, From Licenses To Leases

You can go years without noticing a law until the day it controls your next step. A clerk won’t issue your tag until county vehicle taxes are paid. A judge will not grant a name change without the $150 filing fee. A notary will stop at $5 per signature unless you are using an approved electronic notarization, which allows $10 per signature. South Carolina law is full of practical details like these that show up on ordinary errands, and knowing them early keeps your day on track.

Money, IDs, and the papers you request from the state

If you need a certified copy of a vital record, the state office handling those requests in Columbia lists its walk-in hours as 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201. The fee schedule is tiered by how fast you want the search handled. A standard mail-in request costs a $12 nonrefundable search fee that includes one certified copy if found. An expedited in-person or phone/online request is $17 for the search, with each additional copy in the same order at $3. These fees are set by state statute and regulation, and offices periodically remind visitors that non-peak times are mid-morning on Tuesday through Thursday.

For public-records requests, state law allows agencies to charge their actual costs to search, retrieve, and redact records at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee who can do the work. Agencies may also collect a deposit of up to 25 percent of the anticipated cost before work begins. Copy charges are commonly posted around $0.25 per page for letter or legal size. If you are budgeting for a records request, call ahead and ask for the office’s written fee schedule and whether electronic delivery can avoid per-page copy costs.

Many everyday documents require notarization. For traditional paper notarizations, South Carolina caps the fee at $5 per signature for acknowledgments, jurats, signature witnessing, and similar acts. A notary may also charge a separate travel fee only if you agree to it in advance and the notary explains that the travel fee is not set by law. The state also authorizes electronic notarizations. An electronic notary registered with the Secretary of State may charge up to $10 per signature for the same categories of acts performed electronically, using an approved technology provider. If you expect an online or electronic notarization, ask the notary to show they are registered for electronic acts and to provide their posted fee schedule at the start of the appointment.

Cars, tags, and taxes before you drive

Vehicle paperwork in South Carolina runs through a specific order. Before the DMV will issue a plate or registration, you must pay the county vehicle property tax and present the paid tax receipt. For most passenger vehicles, the annual registration is $40. Separately, the first time a vehicle is titled or registered in South Carolina, you will owe a one-time Infrastructure Maintenance Fee of 5 percent of the vehicle’s sale price or value, capped at $500. New residents bringing in a vehicle already registered in another state typically pay a one-time $250 transfer fee at the counter in addition to the regular registration.

Timing matters. State law gives you 45 days from purchase or from becoming a South Carolina resident to get your vehicle registered. Dealers often submit the title and registration for you. If you are handling it yourself, check your county treasurer’s payment options first so you can walk in to the DMV with the tax receipt in hand. Counties levy the annual property tax on motor vehicles and mail the bill before your tag expires. In Richland County, for example, real property taxes are due in January, with specific penalties adding in February and April if unpaid, and vehicle taxes must be paid before the DMV will renew a plate.

If you are sorting out sales taxes on purchases, the statewide sales and use tax rate is 6 percent. Many counties add local option sales taxes after voter approval. Charleston County’s combined sales and use tax rate is currently 9 percent, reflecting multiple local half-penny taxes layered on top of the state rate. This is why receipts in different counties can vary even when the sticker price is the same.

Home and rent: how landlord–tenant rules work in magistrate court

Most day-to-day civil disputes in South Carolina start in magistrate court. The court’s civil jurisdiction covers cases up to $7,500, which makes it the usual venue for security-deposit disputes, repair bills, or small unpaid accounts. If you sue or are sued there, filing and service costs are set by statute. In a standard civil case, issuing a summons in magistrate court carries a $45 court cost. Proceedings by a landlord against a tenant, such as notices to quit or eviction orders, carry a separate court cost of $20. Service of court papers by the sheriff is a separate statutory fee of $15 for the first service and $5 for each additional attempt, up to a maximum of two attempts charged on the same paper, plus mileage when applicable. These are line items; the court clerk will tell you exactly which apply to your filing.

On rent and nonpayment, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets a simple clock. If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant does not pay within five days, the landlord can terminate the lease and begin an ejectment case, but only if the lease itself contains the required 5‑day nonpayment notice language or the landlord gives that written notice. In other words, in many leases the five days are built in on the front end by bold text in the lease. If the lease does not contain that text, a separate written 5‑day notice is required before filing.

Security deposits follow their own timeline. After a tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord has 30 days to send a written, itemized list of deductions and return any balance. If the landlord fails to provide that written notice and balance within 30 days, the tenant may recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney’s fees. The security-deposit law also prohibits charging one tenant a higher deposit than another similarly situated tenant in the same complex unless specific conditions are met, and it requires certain disclosures when differing deposits are used.

If you do end up filing a suit in magistrate court over a deposit or repairs, remember the $7,500 jurisdictional limit. If the other side responds with a counterclaim over $7,500, the whole case may have to be transferred to the Court of Common Pleas. Service rules are strict. If you are hiring the sheriff to serve your papers, expect to pay the $15 service fee up front and plan for mileage if the address is far from the courthouse.

Marriage, family, and name changes

Marriage licenses are issued by county probate courts. In Charleston County, the Marriage License Division accepts applications online through its system and keeps public counters open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Charleston County Judicial Center, 100 Broad St., Suite 469, Charleston, SC 29401. The application fee is $70, payable by card with a small transaction charge. South Carolina requires a 24‑hour waiting period after a complete application is filed before the license can be released. Ministers, Jewish rabbis, and South Carolina notaries are among those authorized to solemnize a marriage in the state. If you need a certified copy later, Charleston charges $5 per certified copy by card, plus its card processing fee.

Family Court handles legal name changes. The statewide filing fee to start a Family Court case, including a name change, is $150. Some filings are exempt, and any party who cannot afford filing fees can file a Motion and Affidavit to Proceed In Forma Pauperis asking a judge to waive the fee. If you are changing your name, expect that the court will require a SLED background check and other checks the judge finds necessary. Once the order is granted and you have a certified copy, you can update your driver’s license and vehicle records. The DMV will accept a Family Court order for a name change when updating your license or ID record, and you will need to update your insurance and registration to match.

Guns, alcohol, and where signs control

South Carolina enacted permitless carry in 2024. A person who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a concealable firearm openly or concealed without a permit, subject to all posted signage and prohibited-place rules. A Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) remains available for residents and qualified nonresidents who want it for reciprocity when traveling or for other statutory conveniences. The legislature removed the SLED application fee for CWPs several years ago, and the agency now runs free CWP classes under the current law. Applicants for a CWP must meet statutory eligibility, and 18‑year‑olds are eligible to apply. The permit does not override signs or sensitive-place prohibitions. Firearms remain illegal in a wide list of locations, including courthouses, detention facilities, schools, and places where medical procedures are performed, and any private property that posts the statutory sign.

On alcohol, there are two clocks that matter. Packaged liquor sales are prohibited on Sunday statewide and must stop by 7:00 p.m. on other days, without exception. Beer and wine sales and on‑premise liquor by the drink are governed by a patchwork of local‑option permits. Many cities and counties allow on‑premise Sunday sales if the business has the correct 7‑day beer and wine or Sunday liquor‑by‑the‑drink authorization. Before a holiday or late Sunday game, call the bar or restaurant, because whether they can serve is determined by the local permit on the wall.

Key things to know at a glance

• Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records: standard mail-in searches are $12 and expedited in-person or phone/online searches are $17, with $3 for each extra certified copy in the same order. The Columbia state office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2600 Bull St.
• Public-records requests: agencies may take up to a 25 percent deposit before starting work and commonly charge around $0.25 per page for copies, billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified staffer.
• Notaries: traditional notarizations are capped at $5 per signature. Registered electronic notarizations may charge up to $10 per signature. Any travel fee must be agreed in advance and is separate from the notarization fee.
• Vehicle paperwork: pay your county vehicle property tax first, then register. Annual passenger-vehicle registration is $40. The one-time Infrastructure Maintenance Fee is 5 percent of the purchase price or value, capped at $500. New residents bringing in a vehicle previously registered elsewhere pay a one-time $250 transfer fee.
• Sales tax: statewide rate is 6 percent. Local option taxes may add up to several more points; Charleston County totals 9 percent today.
• Landlord–tenant: if the lease contains the bold five‑day nonpayment notice, the landlord may file after 5 days without a separate letter. For deposits, landlords have 30 days to send the itemized deduction letter and balance or face up to triple damages plus fees.
• Magistrate court: civil cases up to $7,500. Eviction case line items include a $20 landlord–tenant proceeding cost, a $45 summons cost, and sheriff service of $15 for the first attempt and $5 for each additional attempt.
• Marriage licenses: Charleston County charges $70 to apply, with a 24‑hour waiting period before the license is released. Counters run 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weekdays, at 100 Broad St., Suite 469.
• Family Court name changes: expect a $150 filing fee. You may file a motion to proceed without fees if you cannot afford them.
• Guns and alcohol: permitless carry is in effect with the same posted-sign and sensitive-place restrictions. Liquor stores cannot sell on Sunday and must close by 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday on‑premise service depends on local permits.

Reader Q&A

Can I get a certified birth certificate the same day in Columbia?

Yes, many requests at the Columbia state office are completed the same day during posted hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but same‑day service is not guaranteed for corrections and amendments. A standard mail-in search is $12; an expedited in-person or phone/online request is $17 and includes one certified copy.

What are the basic fees to evict a tenant in magistrate court?

Statutes set line‑item costs. A landlord–tenant proceeding carries a $20 court cost, issuing a civil summons is $45, and sheriff’s service of process is $15 for the first service and $5 per additional attempt, plus mileage. The clerk can tell you which specific items apply to your filing in that county.

Do I still need a permit to carry a handgun?

Permitless carry is now legal for those not otherwise prohibited, but a Concealed Weapons Permit still exists and is useful for reciprocity in other states. SLED no longer charges an application fee and offers free CWP classes through certified instructors. Signs and prohibited-place laws apply to everyone.

What is the upfront cost to change my name in Family Court?

The statewide filing fee is $150. Courts often require a SLED background check and other checks before a judge will grant the order. If you cannot afford filing fees, you may ask the court to waive them by filing a motion to proceed In Forma Pauperis.

When you are comparing your options, match your task to the office and fee schedule that really governs it. If the choice is between permitless carry and a CWP, use the table above to decide whether reciprocity justifies the paperwork for you. If you are planning a court filing, call the clerk to confirm today’s filing and service costs so your budget and your timeline line up with what the statute actually requires.

Published: September 9, 2026