Sell Your Mobile Home in South Carolina
In South Carolina, check your title and whether park law makes the buyer apply to live there.
At a glance
South Carolina mobile homes at a glance
Mobile homes in South Carolina
347,409
14.2% of all homes in the state
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2020-2024).
Selling steps
How a sale works in South Carolina
Check your South Carolina title before treating a tax bill as ownership paperwork. The buyer's park application and county license are separate steps.
- 1
Check your title papers
Find the active title or cancellation records, since property taxes alone do not show title status.
- 2
Ask about the park application
Have the buyer apply to live in the park if the park tenancy law applies.
- 3
Sign the buyer's title
Sign over the title, adding a bill of sale if the title lacks that section.
- 4
Prepare the DMV forms
Give the buyer the title and any loan papers to file with SCDMV Form 400.
- 5
Check the county license
Ask the buyer to get the county home license within 15 days after the title transfer.
Park or land
In a park, or on your own land
Your South Carolina home has separate title, tax and park paperwork. Match each document to the sale or move you are planning.
In a mobile home park
If South Carolina's park tenancy law applies, the buyer must apply to live there, and the park cannot unreasonably refuse.
- Buyer applies to live there
- No unreasonable refusal by the park
- Park law excludes parks under five lots
Read more
If a home remains 20 days after eviction, the statutory process toward a commercially reasonable public auction can begin. The owner may move the home before auction but must pay filing and advertising costs already incurred.
Before scheduling transport, ask the county about its moving permit and the county treasurer about the certificate showing no unpaid home taxes. The licensing office also needs the title or a copy of the application. Oversized or overweight loads can need SCDOT permits.
Chapter 47 excludes parks offering fewer than five lots and residents renting both home and lot.
On land you own
If you're selling just the home, you can send a South Carolina request. A tax bill alone doesn't show whether the title was canceled.
- Tax bill differs from title papers
- Wheels, axles and hitch come off
- Canceling the title needs recorded sworn papers
Read more
Title retirement requires installation to the required standards and removal of wheels, axles and the towing hitch. DMV needs the recorded Manufactured Home Affidavit for the Retirement of Title Certificate, title, applicable lien documents and paid-tax evidence. A real-property tax bill does not show that SCDMV retired the title.
A retired South Carolina home sold with its land transfers as real estate through a closing and deed describing both. A closing attorney, title company or real estate agent usually handles it. We do not pass those requests on to buyers. South Carolina's mobile homes number 347,409, a 14.2% share of housing units in Census Bureau ACS figures for 2020-2024.
The rules, with sources
South Carolina rules for selling a mobile home
Keep your South Carolina title transfer separate from tax and moving requirements, and check the park's rules for the buyer's right to live there.
See all South Carolina rules
| Who titles the home | South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) source |
|---|---|
| Ownership document | Certificate of title source |
| Transferring it in a private sale | The seller signs the existing title over to the buyer and supplies a bill of sale if the title has no bill-of-sale section. sourceMoreThe buyer submits the title, identification, Application for Title/Registration of Mobile Home (SCDMV Form 400), applicable lien information and the title fee. |
| If the title is lost | For a duplicate by mail or in person, submit Form 400, identification and the fee; replacement instructions are at https://www.dmv.sc.gov/vehicle-owners/titles/replace-my-title. source |
| Tax clearance | Yes. Before relocation, section 31-17-360 requires a county moving permit and a county treasurer's certificate showing no unpaid home taxes. sourceMoreThe licensing agent also requires the title or a copy of the title application. |
| How the home is taxed | Section 12-43-230(b) treats mobile homes as real property for ad valorem classification and assessment, including qualifying year-round homes without permanent foundations. sourceMoreThis tax classification is separate from retiring the DMV title. |
| Sales tax on a used home | SCDMV states that sales tax is not required when a mobile home is bought and sold between two people. source |
| When it counts as real estate | Install the home to required standards, remove the wheels, axles and towing hitch, and record the Manufactured Home Affidavit for the Retirement of Title Certificate with ownership documentation under section 56-19-510. sourceMoreComplete DMV title retirement; DMV requires the recorded affidavit, title, applicable lien documentation and paid-tax evidence. The Real Estate Commission says a retired home sells with its land through a closing that includes a deed describing both. |
| Selling inside a park | South Carolina Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, S.C. Code Title 27, Chapter 47 Section 27-47-440 permits park approval of a purchaser's residency but prohibits unreasonable withholding. sourceMoreThe park must notify the purchaser in writing within 15 days of the written application or approval is automatic. The purchaser must apply for residency approval. |
| A home left in a park | Under section 27-47-530(C), if a home remains 20 days after eviction, the section 29-15-10 procedure may begin for a commercially reasonable public auction. sourceMoreThe owner may move it before the sale but must pay incurred filing and advertising costs. |
| Moving the home | SCDOT issues oversize/overweight permits for loads exceeding legal dimensions or weights, in addition to the county relocation permit. sourceMoreInstallation requires a Manufactured Housing Board license under section 40-29-30. |
| Who needs a dealer licence | Section 40-29-30 requires licensing to conduct manufactured-home dealer or sales business. Section 40-29-20(15) includes anyone buying, selling, dealing in, offering or displaying three or more homes within 12 months; section 40-29-200(C) exempts qualifying licensed real estate activity involving the underlying real estate. source |
Sell options
Other ways to sell in South Carolina
Guides
Read before you sell
Selling a mobile home in South Carolina: common questions
Still unsure? Send us a question and we will answer it in plain words.
What form transfers a South Carolina mobile home title?
SCDMV Form 400 is the Application for Title/Registration of Mobile Home. The buyer submits it with the seller-assigned title, identification, applicable lien information and the title fee. A separate bill of sale is needed if the title lacks that section.
Does South Carolina's park approval deadline cover every park?
No. Chapter 47 excludes parks offering fewer than five lots and residents renting both home and lot. In covered parks, a written application starts the 15-day written-notice deadline. Without that notice, approval is automatic.
Do two private people owe South Carolina sales tax on the home sale?
No. SCDMV says sales tax is not required when a mobile home is bought and sold between two people. Property-tax evidence for relocation is a separate requirement.
How do I replace a South Carolina mobile home title?
Submit Form 400, identification and the fee for a duplicate title by mail or in person. SCDMV handles the replacement. Look for retirement records first if the home no longer has an active title.
How soon must a South Carolina buyer get the county mobile-home license?
Within 15 days after title transfer, the new owner must get the county mobile-home license. That county requirement follows the SCDMV transfer. Moving the home also needs the separate county relocation permit and paid-tax evidence.
Does South Carolina require a permanent foundation for real-property tax classification?
No. Qualifying year-round mobile homes can receive real-property tax classification without permanent foundations. This assessment rule is separate from DMV title retirement, which requires installation standards, removed transport equipment and the retirement documents.
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