South Carolina Surety BondsSorted by the Agency That Holds Them
In South Carolina there is no single surety bond — the one you need is defined by whichever agency licenses you. The most-requested are the $50,000 motor vehicle dealer bond filed with the SCDMV under Act 51 of 2023, the group-tiered contractor bond ($20,000 to $350,000) filed with the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), and probate court fiduciary bonds under SC Code Title 62. When a vehicle title is missing, South Carolina skips the bonded-title route other states use and relies on an SCDMV affidavit path instead. Every bond is issued by a carrier authorized by the South Carolina Department of Insurance, and for well-qualified applicants the premium runs about 1–3% of the bond amount. Most approvals are same-day, all credit types considered.
Good news for notaries: South Carolina does not require a notary surety bond. A commission, seal, and optional E&O coverage are all you need — details on our South Carolina notary page.
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Dealer, contractor, title, probate, freight broker — all types
The bond most states require that South Carolina doesn't
In roughly two-thirds of states, a new notary public must post a surety bond before the commission issues. South Carolina is not one of them. Under the state's notary framework, becoming a notary means securing a commission through your county and the Secretary of State, buying an official seal, and — if you want to protect yourself rather than the public — carrying optional errors & omissions insurance. There is no statutory surety bond in that chain.
We lead with this because it is the single most common place newcomers to South Carolina bonding get oversold. If a quote for a “South Carolina notary bond” lands in your inbox, treat it as a red flag. Everything below is a bond the state does require — each held by a specific agency, each with its own dollar figure and statute.
- Commission via county + Secretary of State
- Official notary seal
- Optional E&O insurance (not a bond)
- No surety bond required
Official South Carolina Requirements
"A motor vehicle dealer or wholesaler shall file with the Department of Motor Vehicles a surety bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars."South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) — Dealer License and Administration • Act 51 of 2023 (amending Title 56)
The LLR contractor bond isn't one number — it's five
Where most states hand contractors a single bond figure, South Carolina's LLR ties the bond to a financial group. Your group sets three things at once: the surety bond amount, the minimum net worth alternative, and your bid limit — the maximum single-project value you may bid. Pick the group that matches the jobs you actually want, because moving up a group later means re-qualifying. Contractors who can document the net worth on an audited financial statement can post the net worth instead of the bond.
South Carolina General Contractor License Groups (LLR)
Bond amount, net-worth alternative, and bid limit by financial group
Group 1
$20,000
- Net worth alt: $20,000
- Working-capital alt: $10,000
- Jobs up to $100,000
Groups 2–4
Graduated
- Bond & net worth step up with bid limit
- Set by your financial statement
- Board assigns your group
Group 5
$350,000
- Net worth alt: $350,000
- Working-capital alt: $250,000
- Unlimited bid capacity
Source: SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), Contractor's Licensing Board — general contractor financial groups. Group 1 and Group 5 figures are the published anchors; intermediate group amounts are set by financial statement. Confirm your group before filing.
Residential builders and specialty contractors follow their own group schedules under the LLR — the figures above are for general contractors. Not sure which group fits your bid pipeline? Our South Carolina contractor bond guide walks each classification, and our general contractor bond requirements guide covers the underwriting.
Titling a vehicle with no clean title — without a bond
Here is where South Carolina breaks from most states. Roughly thirty states let you post a surety bond — usually 1.5x to 2x the vehicle's value — to title a car when the paper chain is broken. South Carolina does not. There is no South Carolina bonded-title bond to buy.
Instead, the SCDMV uses an affidavit path: Form TI-021A (Affidavit of Ownership) with a VIN verification, or — where an unpaid repair, towing, or storage charge exists — the § 29-15-10 lien route, and a court order under S.C. Code § 56-19-390 in contested cases. If a website quotes you a “South Carolina title bond,” it is selling a product the state does not use.
The real South Carolina titling walkthrough- Form TI-021A, Affidavit of Ownership, plus photographs of the vehicle
- Form TI-021B VIN verification, inspected by an SCDMV agent or law enforcement
- Form 400 title application, $15 title fee, plus IMF or sales tax
- No surety bond, no premium — a bonded title is not a South Carolina option
Reflects SCDMV Form TI-021A requirements and S.C. Code §§ 29-15-10, 56-19-390. Confirm current forms and fees with the SCDMV before filing.
What you actually pay in South Carolina
The bond amount is the coverage ceiling, not your cost. On credit-driven license bonds, you pay an annual premium that is a small percentage of that amount — and the percentage is set almost entirely by your personal credit. The chart below uses the $50,000 SCDMV auto dealer bond to show the spread. The same percentage logic applies to LLR contractor group bonds; bonded title and (non-required) notary paths carry no credit component. Compare the full picture on our surety bond cost guide.
South Carolina $50,000 Auto Dealer Bond — Annual Premium by Credit Tier
Based on a $50,000 bond amount
- Excellent (720+)Rate: 1%$500 / yr
- Good (680–719)Rate: 1.5%$750 / yr
- Fair (640–679)Rate: 2.5%$1,250 / yr
- Below average (600–639)Rate: 4%$2,000 / yr
- Challenged (<600)Rate: 7%+$3,500+ / yr
Illustrative premiums on a $50,000 bond. Actual rates depend on credit, business financials, and claims history. Well-qualified applicants land in the 1–3% range.
South Carolina bond quick-reference
Every figure below links to its full state page. Amounts reflect the current statute or agency schedule.
| Bond | Amount | Held By | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Dealer | $50,000 | SCDMV | Act 51 of 2023 |
| General Contractor (by group) | $20,000 – $350,000 | SC LLR | Contractor's Licensing Board |
| Vehicle title (no clean title) | No bond — affidavit path | SCDMV | Form TI-021A / § 56-19-390 |
| Probate / Fiduciary | Court-set | County Probate Court | SC Code § 62-3-603 |
| Freight Broker (BMC-84) | $75,000 | FMCSA (federal) | 49 U.S.C. § 13906 |
| Notary Public | None required | Secretary of State | Commission + seal only |
Surety carriers issuing these bonds must be authorized by the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Figures are current at publication; always confirm the amount on your specific license or court order before filing.
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South Carolina surety bond questions
Which South Carolina bonds do most businesses actually need?
It depends on which agency licenses you, not on a single statewide rule. The four heaviest-volume South Carolina bonds each sit with a different authority: motor vehicle dealers post a $50,000 bond with the SCDMV Dealer License and Administration office (Act 51 of 2023); commercial and residential builders post a group-tiered bond from $20,000 to $350,000 with the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR); personal representatives and guardians post a probate court bond under SC Code Title 62; and interstate freight brokers post the federal $75,000 BMC-84. Surety carriers writing all of these must be authorized by the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
Does South Carolina require a notary bond?
No. South Carolina is one of a minority of states that does NOT require a surety bond to become a notary public. A South Carolina notary needs a commission from the Secretary of State (submitted through the county and approved by the Governor), an official seal, and — as a practical safeguard, not a legal one — optional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. If a broker tries to sell you a "South Carolina notary bond," they are quoting a product the state does not mandate. See our full South Carolina notary page for what a commission actually requires.
How much does the South Carolina auto dealer bond cost?
The bond amount is $50,000 (raised from $30,000 by Act 51 of 2023) and it runs for the full 3-year SCDMV license term, filed on Form DLA-1B. The premium — what you actually pay — is a fraction of that. Well-qualified dealers typically pay 1-3% of the bond amount for the term, so roughly $500-$1,500 for a strong-credit applicant, with higher rates for weaker credit or a claims history. The bond is posted with the SCDMV Dealer License and Administration office and covers all classifications, including wholesale, retail, and used dealers.
How do South Carolina contractor license groups set my bond amount?
The LLR assigns you to a financial group rather than handing out a flat bond number. Your group is set by your financial statement — working capital or net worth — and it fixes your bid limit, the largest single job you may bid. At the entry level, Group 1 covers jobs up to $100,000 and can be met with $10,000 working capital, $20,000 net worth, or a $20,000 surety bond posted in lieu of a financial statement. At the top, Group 5 carries unlimited bid capacity against a $250,000 working-capital or $350,000 net-worth threshold, with a $350,000 bond available in lieu. The bond is the alternative to documenting the financial numbers — many contractors post it precisely because it is simpler than an audited statement. Choosing the right group before you apply matters, because moving up later means re-qualifying.
Does South Carolina offer a bonded (defective) title bond?
No — and this trips up a lot of buyers. Unlike roughly thirty states, South Carolina does not run a bonded-title (surety-bond-in-lieu-of-title) program. When the paper chain is broken — a lost title, an unsigned private sale, an abandoned vehicle — you do not post a surety bond. Instead the SCDMV uses an affidavit path: Form TI-021A (Affidavit of Ownership) with a VIN verification, or, where an unpaid repair, towing, or storage charge exists, the § 29-15-10 lien route, and a court order under S.C. Code § 56-19-390 in contested cases. If a site quotes you a "1.5x-value South Carolina title bond," it is selling a product the state does not use. Our South Carolina vehicle title page walks the real SCDMV steps.
Can I get a South Carolina bond with bad credit?
Yes. Court and probate bonds are frequently written with collateral rather than on credit, and the (non-required) notary path carries no bond at all. For credit-driven license bonds like the $50,000 auto dealer bond or a large LLR contractor group bond, applicants below roughly 600 can still be approved through specialty markets, typically at 3-10% of the bond amount rather than the 1-3% strong-credit applicants pay. We place across multiple carriers so a single decline does not end the search.
Who regulates surety bonds in South Carolina?
Two roles matter. The South Carolina Department of Insurance licenses and regulates the surety companies that issue the bonds — a valid SC bond must be written by a carrier authorized to do business in the state. The obligee — the party the bond protects — is whichever agency requires it: the SCDMV for dealer and title bonds, the LLR for contractor bonds, and the county probate court for fiduciary bonds. We work only with carriers authorized by the Department of Insurance so your filing is accepted on the first submission.
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.
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Other South Carolina Bonds
Additional surety bonds available in South Carolina
One state, four agencies, one place to bond them all
Whether the SCDMV, the LLR, or a probate judge is asking for it, we write South Carolina bonds through carriers authorized by the Department of Insurance — usually same day, every credit type considered.