1
Editor's pick
Reviewed 2d ago
- APR
- 6.94–14.94%
- Min. credit score
- 660+
- Loan amount
- $5K–$100K
- Loan length
- 24–84 mo
Auto loans · SC
#6 Highest APR · 50 States + D.C.
South Carolina auto loans: 7.8% APR
South Carolina is the 6th highest-APR state across 50 states + D.C. for new-car loans (60-mo, 720+ FICO, Q4 2025). Live APRs from nationally-licensed lenders, plus the SC sales-tax and registration math most dealers won't show you.
What's different about auto loans here · South Carolina
South Carolina caps the sales tax at $500 max per vehicle — huge advantage on expensive cars.
5%
South Carolina sales tax
South Carolina caps the sales tax at $500 max per vehicle — huge advantage on expensive cars.
7.8%
South Carolina avg APR
↑ 0.5 pts above national avg (7.3%)
60-mo new-car loan, 720+ FICO. Experian Q4 2025.
$36,750
$35k car · all-in
Total cost after South Carolina sales tax on a $35,000 vehicle (before fees / financing).
SC Refinance Window
South Carolina APRs run hotter than the national average.
The state's 7.8% average sits 0.5 points above the 7.3% national benchmark. On a $25,000 balance, even a 1.5-point APR drop saves roughly $1,100 over the remaining loan life. If you bought your car 12+ months ago, your APR locked in a higher-rate window — check today's refinance offers.
SC buying & financing rules
Tax + fee math for South Carolina buyers
National lenders quote you the same APR off your FICO + LTV no matter what state you live in — but state-level sales tax, trade-in credit rules, and doc-fee caps shift your out-the-door price by hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars. Here's what changes when you buy in South Carolina.
Trade-in tax credit
Full trade-in credit
Doc-fee cap
uncapped (market)
State sales tax
5%
Trade-in rule detail
South Carolina caps the state vehicle sales tax (Infrastructure Maintenance Fee) at $500 maximum per vehicle on the price minus trade-in value.
SC consumer-finance APR ceiling
South Carolina caps consumer credit at 18% APR (Consumer Protection Code, state-chartered lenders).
- Vehicle 'Infrastructure Maintenance Fee' CAPPED at $500 max
- Trade-in fully credited against the IMF basis
- Doc fees uncapped
Sales-tax and doc-fee rules are subject to legislative change — confirm specifics with your dealer at signing and with the SC regulator listed below.
Advertiser disclosure: Offers below are from partners that compensate us when you click or apply. Compensation does not determine our rankings. How we make money.
Rates as of Jun 30, 2026
Auto loan lenders in South Carolina.
National lenders, soft pull, no spam. Click a row to expand our editorial review.
Comparing 5 audited options· Rates verified Jun 30
Data last reviewed . Source: CarSavr editorial methodology.
Editor's pick · 2-min compare
LightStream
Starting APR 6.94–14.94%
5 lenders shown, sorted by default editor's pick order.
Compare 4+ lenders in one form
Pre-qualify with multiple lenders — soft pull only
4 offers · 2 minutes · won't ding your credit
| Lender | Loan amount | Loan length | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6.94–14.94% Total int. ~$4,659 · $25k · 60mo | 660+ | $5K–$100K | 24–84 mo | Reviewed 2d ago | |
2  Best marketplace | 5.69–17.99% Total int. ~$3,783 · $25k · 60mo | 580+ | $5K–$100K | 24–84 mo | Reviewed 2d ago | ≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer |
3  Best credit union | 5.24–17.99% Total int. ~$3,472 · $25k · 60mo | 610+ | $500–$150K | 36–84 mo | Reviewed 2d ago | |
 Fastest marketplace · 4 offers in minutes | 5.99–22.99% Total int. ~$3,992 · $25k · 60mo | 575+ | $8K–$100K | 24–84 mo | Reviewed 2d ago | ≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer |
 Best soft-pull pre-qual | 6.99–22.90% Total int. ~$4,695 · $25k · 60mo | 540+ | $4K–$75K | 36–75 mo | Reviewed 2d ago |
2
Reviewed 2d ago
- APR
- 5.69–17.99%
- Min. credit score
- 580+
- Loan amount
- $5K–$100K
- Loan length
- 24–84 mo
≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer
3
Reviewed 2d ago
- APR
- 5.24–17.99%
- Min. credit score
- 610+
- Loan amount
- $500–$150K
- Loan length
- 36–84 mo
Reviewed 2d ago
- APR
- 5.99–22.99%
- Min. credit score
- 575+
- Loan amount
- $8K–$100K
- Loan length
- 24–84 mo
≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer
Reviewed 2d ago
- APR
- 6.99–22.90%
- Min. credit score
- 540+
- Loan amount
- $4K–$75K
- Loan length
- 36–75 mo
APR ranges are sourced from each lender's public site and are updated regularly. Your actual rate depends on credit history, loan amount, vehicle, and state. CarSavr may earn a commission when you apply through our links — it never affects how we rank lenders.
Provider logos and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Providers shown for comparison and educational purposes — display does not imply partnership unless an active affiliate relationship is stated separately.
How rows are ranked: Editor's pick first, then by overall rating. Promoted placements are flagged with a Sponsored badge. Read the full methodology →
South Carolina vs. neighboring states
National lenders quote off FICO + LTV, not state — but local credit-union density and dealer mix can shift the effective best APR. Here's how South Carolina's 4 closest neighbors compare.
Other SC car-savings surfaces
Auto Insurance · SC
South Carolina car insurance rates
Avg full-coverage premium + required minimums + neighbor-state comparison.
See SC insurance ratesRefinance · SC
Refinance in South Carolina
If your current APR sits above 7.8%, see projected refinance savings on a typical balance.
Run SC refinance mathWhy auto-loan math looks different in South Carolina
National lenders price your auto loan APR off FICO + LTV — the same number a borrower in South Carolina qualifies for as a borrower in any other state. Where South Carolina actually changes your math is everywhere around the APR: the 5% sales-tax line on the buyer's order, SC doc-fee practice, and whether your trade-in offsets the taxable basis. Those three line items routinely add or subtract $1,200-$2,400 from the out-the-door price on a $35,000 vehicle — easily eclipsing a quarter-point APR difference between lenders.
South Carolina sits at 7.8% average APR (6th highest-APR across 50 states + D.C.) on a 60-month new-car loan for a 720+ FICO borrower. That national-average gap of 0.5 points above the 7.3% benchmark is mostly a function of two state-level structural forces: local credit-union density (which holds the floor down) and dealer-finance market share (which pushes the F&I-office ceiling up). Both shift the APR a SC buyer actually sees, even though the published rate sheets are national.
Four buyer mistakes South Carolina drivers make routinely:
- Letting the dealer F&I office quote first. Walk in with a pre-approval from your bank or credit union — the dealer rate must then beat it on paper to win the deal.
- Stretching to 84 months for a lower monthly. You'll spend an extra ~$2,800 in interest on a $30k loan vs. 60 months at the same APR — and South Carolina drivers stay underwater on the loan an average of 14 months longer.
- Skipping the SC dealer doc-fee line. Doc fees vary by hundreds of dollars across South Carolina dealerships. SC caps doc fees at uncapped (market) — anything above is negotiable.
- Accepting the F&I add-on stack. Extended warranty, GAP, paint/fabric, and tire-and-wheel can pile $3k+ onto the financed amount. Each is shoppable separately; most are 30-50% cheaper outside the dealership.
The bottom line for South Carolina buyers: an extra hour of rate shopping before you walk into the dealership routinely saves $1,500–$2,500 over the loan life, even when the published APR spread between lenders looks small. Pre-qualify with 2–3 lenders, run a sales-tax calculation against the 5% SC rate, and walk in knowing your out-the-door ceiling before the F&I office gets the first word.
Frequently asked questions
South Carolina auto loan FAQ
South Carolina finance regulator
South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions
Auto-finance lenders and motor-vehicle dealers operating in South Carolina are licensed under the South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions. CarSavr cross-references each lender's published APR ranges against state DOI filings + the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) state-tax matrix.
Need to file a complaint, look up a lender's license, or verify a doc-fee dispute? CSBS: state regulator directory →
Neighboring states
Compare auto loan rates in nearby states.
Bordering states often share carrier mix and pricing patterns — useful if you're moving, work across state lines, or want to anchor your own state's number against a peer benchmark.