South Carolina car insurance: minimums, SR-22 rules and costs
Last updated: November 12, 2026
South Carolina drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 of bodily injury liability and $25,000 of property damage liability, plus uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. In 2023, insured drivers in South Carolina spent an average of $1,367.39 on car insurance, 7% above the national average of $1,281.60, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That makes South Carolina the 15th most expensive of the 50 states and D.C. by that measure.
Minimum car insurance required in South Carolina
| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, per person | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury liability, per accident | $50,000 |
| Property damage liability, per accident | $25,000 |
| Uninsured motorist (UM) | Required |
You'll often see this written as 25/50/25. The first two numbers are the bodily injury limits in thousands of dollars (per person and per accident), and the last is property damage. Those amounts are the most the policy pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. Anything above them can come back to you personally.
Is South Carolina a no-fault state?
No. South Carolina isn't one of the 12 no-fault states listed by the Insurance Information Institute, so the driver who causes a crash, and their insurer, is generally responsible for the other people's injuries and damage. That's why the liability limits above matter so much.
SR-22 rules in South Carolina
According to the South Carolina DMV, if you're caught driving an uninsured vehicle you own, your license and registration are suspended until the DMV receives a $700 uninsured motorist fee. You also have to have your insurer file a Certificate of Insurance (SR-22) for three years starting on the date of the suspension.
Other suspensions can also call for an SR-22, so check your suspension notice for the exact requirement.
Read more: what an SR-22 is and how it works.
What drives car insurance costs in South Carolina
Average spending in South Carolina rose 23% from 2019 to 2023, compared with 19% nationwide. Here's average annual spending per insured vehicle, from the NAIC:
| Year | South Carolina average | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1,115.78 | $1,075.08 |
| 2020 | $1,116.44 | $1,047.76 |
| 2021 | $1,138.09 | $1,060.23 |
| 2022 | $1,205.00 | $1,124.45 |
| 2023 | $1,367.39 | $1,281.60 |
The NAIC's "average expenditure" is total written premium divided by insured vehicles. It isn't a quote, and your own price depends on your driver profile and the coverage you choose.
- Uninsured drivers. An estimated 10.3% of drivers in South Carolina were uninsured in 2023, lower than the national estimate of 15.4%. That's the 13th lowest rate among the 50 states and D.C. When more drivers are uninsured, insured drivers' own uninsured motorist coverage pays more claims, which pushes up its price.
- Crash deaths. South Carolina recorded 1,038 motor vehicle crash deaths in 2024, or 1.67 per 100 million miles driven, higher than the U.S. rate of 1.19 (the 3rd highest of the 50 states and D.C.). Severe crashes drive up bodily injury claim costs.
- Where and how crashes happen. In 2024, 46% of South Carolina's crash deaths happened in rural areas (U.S.: 41%), 38% involved speeding (U.S.: 29%), and 15% of those killed were pedestrians (U.S.: 18%).
Ways to save on car insurance in South Carolina
- Compare at least three quotes. Insurers weigh the same facts differently, so prices for the same driver in South Carolina can vary widely. More ways to lower your bill.
- Check your uninsured motorist limits anyway. Even at 10.3%, uninsured and underinsured drivers are common, and UM coverage is usually inexpensive. How UM coverage works.
- Shop at every renewal. Prices in South Carolina rose faster than the national average from 2019 to 2023, so a renewal increase is a good reason to compare.
- Pick a deductible you can actually pay. Raising it lowers your premium, but only if you could cover it after a claim. How deductibles work.
- Ask about discounts. Common ones include safe driver, multi-car, bundling, paying in full, good student and usage-based programs. They're not always applied automatically.
See other states in our car insurance guides by state.
Sources
- Insurance Information Institute, Automobile Financial Responsibility Limits and Enforcement by State (as of July 2024)
- NAIC, 2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (June 2025), Table 4: average expenditure
- Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance
- South Carolina DMV, Facts about driving uninsured
- Insurance Information Institute / Insurance Research Council, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists (2023 estimates)
- IIHS-HLDI, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state
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