(A) A certificate of title to a watercraft or outboard motor is prima facie evidence of ownership of a watercraft or outboard motor. All watercraft and outboard motors subject to the titling requirements of this chapter must be titled.

(B) No person may acquire a watercraft or outboard motor, subject to the titling requirements of this chapter, without obtaining a certificate of title or in the case of a new watercraft or outboard motor a manufacturer’s or importer’s statement of origin reflecting the person acquiring the watercraft or outboard motor as the original purchaser as provided in this chapter. In the case of watercraft or outboard motors from other jurisdictions that do not require titling, a bill of sale and proof of registration may be substituted for the title.

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 50-23-55

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Outboard motor: means a combustion engine or electric propulsion system, which is used to propel a watercraft and which is detachable from the watercraft as a unit. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
  • Person: means an individual, a partnership, a firm, a corporation, an association, or other legal entity. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
  • Watercraft: means anything used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water but does not include: a seaplane regulated by the federal government, water skis, aquaplanes, surfboards, windsurfers, tubes, rafts, and similar devices or anything that does not meet construction or operational requirements of the state or federal government for watercraft. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10

(C) No person may dispose of a watercraft or outboard motor subject to the titling provisions of this chapter without transferring to the person acquiring the watercraft or outboard motor a certificate of title reflecting the transfer of the watercraft or outboard motor. In the case of new watercraft, a manufacturer’s statement of origin must be delivered to the purchaser. In the case of watercraft or outboard motors from other states or foreign jurisdictions, which do not title such watercraft or outboard motors, a bill of sale and proof of registration may be substituted.