Last verified: June 2, 2026
If you paddle a kayak in South Carolina, registration probably never crossed your mind. Bolt on a trolling motor and that changes. A paddle-only kayak or canoe needs nothing from the state. The moment you add a motor, even a small electric trolling motor, South Carolina treats the boat as a motorized vessel that has to be registered and titled with the Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
Here is who needs to register, what it costs, and how to do it.
The General Rule for Kayaks and Canoes
South Carolina does not register or title human-powered boats. The SCDNR exemption list covers “watercraft (canoes, kayak, etc.) propelled only by human power with oars, paddles, or similar devices,” along with paddleboards and windsurfers (SCDNR, Exempted Vessels). Buy a sit-on-top kayak or a canoe, move it with a paddle, and you have no forms to file and no numbers to display on the hull.
That is the situation for most paddlers. It stops being the situation the day you add a motor.
What Happens When You Add a Trolling Motor
The exemption rests on one phrase: “propelled only by human power.” A trolling motor is motor power, so the exemption no longer applies. Once your kayak carries a motor of any type, SCDNR treats it as a motorized vessel that must be registered (SCDNR, Exempted Vessels). A small bow-mount electric trolling motor counts, the same as a gas outboard would.
One myth is worth clearing up. You will see claims online that a trolling motor under 5 horsepower, or a boat under 16 feet, is exempt from registration. That is not South Carolina law. The official SCDNR exemption list sets no horsepower limit and no length limit for motorized boats, and neither does the state-approved boater education guide (Boat-Ed, Titling and Registering Your Boat). The 5 horsepower figure people remember is about whether a motor needs its own title, which is a separate question covered below.
What About Titling?
In South Carolina, registration and titling happen together on one application. A new boat registration carries a single $20.00 fee that covers both the registration and the title (SCDNR, Fees). When you register your motorized kayak, you title it at the same time.
The trolling motor itself is treated separately. South Carolina requires a title for outboard motors of 5 horsepower or greater, and battery-powered trolling motors are specifically excepted (Boat-Ed, Titling and Registering Your Boat). A standard electric trolling motor does not get its own title and does not add the $10.00 motor title fee. If you later mount a gas outboard of 5 horsepower or more, that motor would need its own title.
How to Register a Motorized Kayak, Step by Step
Step 1: Fill out the BTR-1
The form is the Watercraft/Outboard Motor Application, known as the BTR-1 (SCDNR, BTR-1 application PDF). It has a bill of sale built in at Section H, and the applicant signatures go in Section F. If you bought the kayak with no title from the seller, SCDNR requires that bill of sale to be notarized.
Step 2: Gather your documents
SCDNR notes that the supporting documents vary by situation (SCDNR, Titling and Registration). For a motorized kayak, expect to provide:
- Proof of ownership. A brand-new kayak from a dealer comes with a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin. A used kayak that was never titled usually calls for a tracing or photo of the hull identification number (HIN) and a short written explanation of why the boat had no title.
Because the exact paperwork depends on how you bought the boat, confirm your list with SCDNR at 803-734-3857 before you mail anything.
Step 3: Pay the fees and tax
- Registration and title: $20.00 (SCDNR, Fees).
- Casual excise tax: 5% of the purchase price, capped at $500.00. A transfer from immediate family is exempt (SCDNR, Casual Excise Tax).
- Motor title: not required for a battery trolling motor. Budget $10.00 only if you are titling a gas outboard of 5 horsepower or more (SCDNR, Fees).
Step 4: Submit it, and mind the deadline
You can mail the application or bring it in person to SCDNR at 260 D Epting Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172. Do not sit on it. A $15.00 late fee applies on the 31st day after purchase, and it climbs to $30.00 on the 61st day (SCDNR, Fees). In practice that gives you 30 days to file before the first penalty.
Step 5: Use the boat while you wait
You do not have to stay off the water while the paperwork clears. SCDNR allows you to operate for “60 days from the date of purchase, even with expired or out-of-state decals using your temporary certificate number and copies of your title or bill of sale” (SCDNR, Titling and Registration). Keep those copies on board.
Quick Reference
- Paddle-only kayak or canoe: no registration, no title, nothing to file.
- Kayak or canoe with a trolling motor: registration required, and the title is issued with it for $20.00.
- No horsepower or length exemption: a small electric trolling motor still triggers registration.
- Battery trolling motor: no separate motor title. Only gas outboards of 5 horsepower or more need a $10.00 title.
- Casual excise tax: 5% of the price, capped at $500.00, with immediate family exempt.
- Deadline: file within 30 days to avoid the $15.00 late fee, which becomes $30.00 after 60 days.
- Grace period: you may run the boat for 60 days from purchase with temporary documents on board.
A Few Other Things to Check
Your registration is renewed once a year. Since 2020, South Carolina ties that annual renewal to your county property tax bill, so the two are paid together (SCDNR, 2020 Registration Renewal Changes).
A small trolling motor will not trigger South Carolina’s boater education requirement, which is aimed at higher-horsepower motors and personal watercraft. South Carolina also does not require recreational boaters to carry liability insurance, though a basic policy is reasonable if you run a motor on busy water.
For the documents that prove ownership when there is no title, our guide on a bill of sale, affidavit, or title in SC walks through which one you need. If you want the gear rules before you launch, see SC boating safety equipment requirements. For how long the paperwork actually takes, read our SC boat registration timeline.
Bottom Line
A kayak you paddle is exempt in South Carolina. A kayak with a trolling motor is a registered, titled boat. File the BTR-1, pay the $20.00 registration and title fee plus the 5% casual excise tax, keep your temporary documents on board for the first 60 days, and you are legal. The trolling motor itself stays title-free as long as it is the battery kind.
Registering a motorized kayak is a one-page job once you have the right documents. BoatForms fills out the BTR-1 for you, calculates your exact fees and excise tax, and builds a checklist of everything SCDNR needs so your application does not come back.