Applying for a Mobile Home or Manufactured Home Title

When you purchase a new or used mobile home or manufactured home in South Carolina, you must have the following to apply for a title:

• The previous title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin
  If you have purchased a used mobile home, you must have the title and the previous owner of the Manufactured Home must have signed that title over to you.  If this title does not have the Bill of Sale on the back of the document, you must also submit a Bill of Sale.  If you have purchased a new mobile home, you must have the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin.  The Manufacturer's Statement of Origin must be properly assigned to you or accompanied by a bill of sale.

• Lien Information
  If there is a lien on your mobile home, you must provide the name and address of the lienholder and the date of the lien.

• Completed Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration
  To complete the form, you must have your current lien information.

• Casual Sales/Use Tax
  No sales tax is required on mobile homes if it was purchased between individuals. New mobile home purchases from a dealer will require a dealer sales tax number. The $300.00 cap will apply if the mobile home is energy efficient.  Otherwise, the sales tax will be calculated according to the selling price.  This does not cover taxes for a repossessing agent or purchase from an out of state dealer.

• The title fee is $15.00.

Replacing a Lost Mobile or Manufactured Home Title

If you have lost your title, you may obtain a duplicate title from the Department of Motor Vehicles. You may apply for the duplicate title by mail.   The Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration, which must be completed, contains the proper mailing address for the department.

To obtain a duplicate title, you must have the following:

• Completed Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration
  (Odometer reading not needed for mobile homes.)

• The title fee is $15.00.

Important note: If there is a lien on your Mobile or Manufactured Home, the duplicate title will be sent to the lien holder. 

Repossessed Mobile or Manufactured Homes

When applying for a title on a repossessed mobile or manufactured home, you must have the following: 

• Completed Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration in the new owner’s name

• Repossession affidavit completed in full

• Original South Carolina or out-of-state title
  If the SC title has been lost, you must have a statement to that effect

• The title fee is $15.00.
   

Detitling a Mobile or Manufactured Home

To detitle a mobile or manufactured home, you must submit the following:

• The Manufactured Home Affidavit or the Retirement of Title Certificate.
  This document must be obtained from the register of deeds or the clerk of court in the county where the home is located.  It must be stamped with the date and time it was received in the county office.

• Title for the Mobile or Manufactured Home
  The title must be the original SC title. The information (Year, Make, VIN and owner) on the title and the Retirement of Title Certificate must match.  The information on the title must also match the information contained in DMV files.  If the mobile or manufactured home is purchased new, you must apply for the title before it can be detitled.

• Lien Release
  A lien release must be provided for each lien recorded on the title.  If the lien is not released on the title, any attorney licensed to practice law in SC may record a Satisfaction of Lien Affidavit in the county where the home is located provided proof of payment can be provided to the county.  If the mobile or manufactured home still has a lien at the time the title is retired, you must file a manufactured home lien affidavit with the register of deed of clerk of court in the county where the mobile home is located. After filing the lien affidavit, it will become a lien against the real property.

• Property Tax Receipt
  A tax receipt indicating that the taxes for the current year have been paid.  If no taxes are owed on the property, DMV will accept a statement on the county treasurer’s letterhead stating that no taxes are owed.

• De-Titling Fee
  A $50.00 fee is required for each mobile home that is detitled.

DMV will provide written confirmation to the homeowner that the certificate of title has been retired.

Mobile or Manufactured Home Sold after Being Declared Real Property.

If the title has been retired on a mobile or manufactured home and that home will be attached to real property in its new location, the owner does not need to obtain a new title.  The buyer of the mobile or manufactured home must file a manufactured home severance affidavit with the register of deeds or clerk of court in the county or counties from which the manufactured home is being moved and where it is being located.

If the mobile or manufactured home will not be affixed to real property in its new location, the owner of the manufactured home must obtain a new title from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

To obtain a new title, you must provide the following:

• The lien must be released or the lien holder must consent to transfer the lien to the new owner.
• Completed Form 400, Application for Certificate of Title/Registration
• A title fee of $15.00
• A stamped, clocked copy of the Manufactured Homes Severance affidavit, which has been filed in the register of deeds or clerk of courts office in the county where the mobile or manufactured home will be located.
• The Form 400 must reflect any liens in the order of their priority that are listed on the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit.
• An Affidavit of Security Interest of Record executed by a licensed South Carolina Attorney identifying in the order of the priority any secured party having a security interest on the real property must be included with the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit.  
• A copy of the Form 400 along with the Manufactured Home Severance must also be filed in the office of the register of deeds or the clerk of court in the county where the mobile or manufactured home was formerly located.

Sample Affidavits

Sample layouts of Affidavits as defined in the ARTICLE 4 (RETIREMENT OF TITLE CERTIFICATE TO MANUFACTURED HOMES) of the South Carolina law 56-19-500.  These PDF's are not DMV forms and are only available as samples.  Adobe Reader is required to view these documents.

Affidavit for Retirement
Satisfaction Affidavit
Manufactured Home Lien Affidavit
Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit
Attorney Affidavit of Security Interests