Key Takeaways
- Auto-Owners, Farm Bureau and State Farm are generally the cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina.
- The average price of full-coverage car insurance in South Carolina is higher than the national average by only $4 per month.
- A ticket raises the average price of car insurance in South Carolina by 25%. A prior accident or DUI raises rates by nearly 50%.
In this article
The cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina
- Cheapest overall: Auto-Owners
- Cheapest for teens and seniors: Farm Bureau
- Cheapest for drivers with a prior accident or DUI: State Farm
- Cheapest for the military community: USAA
Auto-Owners has the cheapest car insurance for drivers in their mid-30s with a clean driving record or just one speeding ticket.
Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance for teens and seniors. You need to be a Farm Bureau member, which costs $35 to $40 a year, to be eligible for coverage.
State Farm has the cheapest rate for drivers with a prior accident or DUI. The company’s rates are well below state averages for most other drivers.
USAA’s rates are actually the cheapest for most of the driver profiles we analyzed. However, USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.
Since the rates each company offers varies by customer, it’s best to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop for car insurance.
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South Carolina car insurance state minimums
The following car insurance coverages are required in South Carolina.
| Coverage | Minimum limit |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | $25,000 |
| Source: South Carolina Department of Insurance | |
Higher limits are available, and most South Carolina car insurance companies also offer the following optional coverages:
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Medical payments
- Underinsured motorist
- Roadside assistance
- Rental car reimbursement
- Gap insurance
Cheapest minimum-coverage auto insurance rates in South Carolina: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners has the cheapest minimum-coverage car insurance in South Carolina, charging rates that average $54 a month statewide for a typical driver.
The next-lowest rates are available from State Farm, $64 a month, and Farm Bureau, $68 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $54 |
| State Farm | $64 |
| Farm Bureau | $68 |
| Progressive | $69 |
| Allstate | $80 |
| State average | $89 |
| Travelers | $100 |
| GEICO | $224 |
| USAA* | $50 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in South Carolina: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners also has the cheapest average full-coverage car insurance rate in South Carolina, $104 a month. This is only slightly less than the next-lowest rates: $109 a month from Farm Bureau and $110 a month from State Farm.
The average price of full-coverage car insurance in South Carolina is $166 a month, which is only $4 more than the national average of $162 a month.
Full-coverage car insurance includes higher liability limits than you get with minimum coverage, as well as collision coverage and comprehensive coverage, which pay to repair damage to your vehicle.
Although collision and comprehensive are not required by law, both typically are required for a car loan or lease. They’re also often worth keeping when you own your car outright.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $104 |
| Farm Bureau | $109 |
| State Farm | $110 |
| Allstate | $147 |
| Travelers | $161 |
| State average | $166 |
| Progressive | $176 |
| GEICO | $429 |
| USAA* | $93 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad credit: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad credit scores, charging rates that average $198 a month.
Your insurance-based credit score, which is slightly different from the credit score lenders use to determine your loan qualifications, is seen as an indicator of how likely you are to file a claim.
In South Carolina, drivers with poor credit pay 78% more for car insurance than those with good credit.
The credit report that insurance companies pull to provide your car insurance quote does not impact your credit score.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $198 |
| Allstate | $223 |
| State Farm | $228 |
| Travelers | $287 |
| Progressive | $294 |
| State average | $295 |
| Auto-Owners | $298 |
| GEICO | $527 |
| USAA* | $305 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with poor credit and a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
A ticket or accident typically increases your car insurance rates for three to five years. The exact amount you pay depends largely on the nature of the offense. However, some companies increase their rates more than others for a prior incident.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners has the cheapest average rate for South Carolina drivers with a speeding ticket, $104 a month, followed by State Farm, $118 a month, and Farm Bureau, $130 a month.
In South Carolina, a speeding ticket raises the average price of auto insurance by 25% to $207 a month for full coverage.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $104 |
| State Farm | $118 |
| Farm Bureau | $130 |
| Allstate | $192 |
| State average | $207 |
| Travelers | $207 |
| Progressive | $232 |
| GEICO | $554 |
| USAA* | $115 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one speeding ticket on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for South Carolina for drivers with an at-fault accident, charging $131 a month. The next-best rates for drivers with an accident history are available from Farm Bureau, $140 a month, and Auto-Owners, $143 a month.
On average, an at-fault accident raises the average price of car insurance in South Carolina by 49%, compared to the rates available to those with no prior incidents.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $131 |
| Farm Bureau | $140 |
| Auto-Owners | $143 |
| Travelers | $212 |
| State average | $248 |
| Allstate | $255 |
| Progressive | $302 |
| GEICO | $665 |
| USAA* | $138 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one at-fault accident on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with a DUI: State Farm
State Farm and Farm Bureau have the cheapest car insurance for South Carolina drivers with a DUI, charging rates that average $118 a month and $130 a month, respectively.
In South Carolina, a DUI raises the average price of car insurance by 46% to $242 a month for full coverage.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $118 |
| Farm Bureau | $130 |
| Allstate | $204 |
| Auto-Owners | $222 |
| Progressive | $226 |
| Travelers | $237 |
| State average | $242 |
| GEICO | $630 |
| USAA* | $168 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one DUI on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance for senior citizens in South Carolina, charging 65-year-olds rates that average $176 a month for full coverage.
In South Carolina, 65-year-olds pay an average of 6% more for car insurance than 35-year-olds.
Senior citizens have slightly higher accident rates than middle-aged drivers, and this is the primary reason why you may see your rates inch up in your retirement years.
However, many companies offer a discount to seniors who complete an approved driver education course. Other discounts are also available to senior citizen drivers.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $96 |
| Auto-Owners | $102 |
| State Farm | $103 |
| Progressive | $147 |
| Travelers | $148 |
| Allstate | $158 |
| State average | $176 |
| GEICO | $569 |
| USAA* | $90 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 65-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
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Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau also has the cheapest car insurance for young drivers, charging 18-year-olds rates that average $155 a month for minimum coverage and $231 a month for full coverage.
In South Carolina, 18-year-olds are charged more than twice as much for car insurance as drivers in their mid-30s. It’s usually cheaper to keep a teen to a parent’s car insurance than it is for a teen to get their own policy.
| Company | Minimum coverage (monthly) | Full coverage (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $155 | $231 |
| Auto-Owners | $185 | $325 |
| State Farm | $185 | $324 |
| Allstate | $197 | $396 |
| State average | $246 | $477 |
| Travelers | $254 | $425 |
| Progressive | $403 | $978 |
| GEICO | $464 | $909 |
| USAA* | $121 | $224 |
| Rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | ||
Cheapest car insurance for married drivers: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance for married drivers in South Carolina, charging rates that average $96 a month per driver.
The average price of car insurance for married drivers in South Carolina is 10% less than it is for unmarried individuals.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $96 |
| Auto-Owners | $104 |
| State Farm | $110 |
| Progressive | $121 |
| Allstate | $139 |
| State average | $149 |
| Travelers | $161 |
| GEICO | $375 |
| USAA* | $82 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a married 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Car insurance laws in South Carolina
South Carolina requires you to provide proof of insurance to register your vehicle and renew your registration each year. You are required to provide proof of insurance to get and renew your driver’s license, too, unless you don’t own a car.
The state also uses an electronic monitoring system to verify your insurance status throughout the year. Insurance companies report policy activations, lapses and cancellations to the state.
The penalties for driving without insurance in South Carolina include fines and reinstatement fees.
SR-22 insurance in South Carolina
If your driver’s license or vehicle registration is suspended in South Carolina, you may be required to file an SR-22 insurance certificate to reinstate either or both of these documents. Your insurance company files the form on your behalf when you activate a policy.
The cost of SR-22 insurance varies based on the nature of the offense that led to the filing requirement.
For example, if your license is suspended for a DUI, you can expect to pay considerably more for car insurance than you would if your license is suspended for driving without insurance.
It's best to let an insurance company know about your SR-22 filing requirement when you request a quote. Some companies don’t accept drivers with an SR-22 requirement. Those that do may add a small filing fee to your rate.
Underinsured motorist coverage
Insurance companies in South Carolina are required by law to offer underinsured motorist coverage. Although you can reject the coverage, it’s usually worth the price.
Underinsured motorist insurance covers treatment for medical injuries you and your passengers suffer in a car accident caused by a driver without enough insurance to cover all of your medical bills.
This is slightly different from uninsured motorist coverage, which kicks in if you and/or your passengers are injured in an accident caused by a driver with no insurance.
Stacking insurance policies
South Carolina insurance laws allow you to stack the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages in your auto policies.
Stacking allows you to combine the uninsured or underinsured motorist limits you have for each car on your policy, or the limits you have for cars on multiple policies.
For example, if you have two cars with a $25,000 per-person limit on uninsured motorist coverage on your policy and choose stacked coverage, you are eligible for up to $50,000 to treat injuries suffered in an accident caused by a driver with no insurance.
South Carolina car insurance: FAQs
The average cost of car insurance in South Carolina is $89 per month for minimum coverage and $166 a month for full coverage. A prior speeding ticket bumps the average rate up to $207 a month.
Auto-Owners has the cheapest car insurance for a typical adult driver with a clean driving record. State Farm is cheapest for drivers with a prior accident or DUI. Farm Bureau has the cheapest rates for teens and seniors.
South Carolina’s car insurance requirements include 25/50/25 coverage for both bodily injury and uninsured motorist coverage. This breaks down to bodily injury limits of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for both coverages and a $25,000 property damage limit.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of nearly 90,000 auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers across South Carolina.
Unless otherwise noted, our sample driver is a single 35-year-old male with good credit. All sample drivers own a 2012 Honda Accord LX that they drive for an average of 13,500 miles per year.
Our senior base driver is a 65-year-old male with a good driving record. Our young base driver is an 18-year-old male with a good driving record.
Minimum-coverage rates reflect the cost of policies meeting the state’s minimum limits for liability and uninsured motorist coverage.
Full-coverage policies include uninsured motorist coverage and the following additional coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 limit per person/$300,000 limit per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000 limit
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Sources:
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