South Carolina Car Insurance Calculators: Cost & Coverage

MoneyGeek's South Carolina rate data includes American National and SC Farm Bureau, the two cheapest full-coverage insurance companies in the state. Neither appears on major online comparison platforms: American National doesn't offer online quotes, and SC Farm Bureau writes policies only in South Carolina.

• Rate data: Sourced from Quadrant Information Services through insurer rate filings for all South Carolina carriers writing policies in the state. Rates update monthly.
• ZIP-level accuracy: Rates calculated at the ZIP code level, capturing the within-city variation in Charleston, where two ZIP codes in the same city differ by $29/month for the same driver profile.
• Author and editorial review: Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer in Connecticut, analyzed South Carolina's carrier market and minimum coverage requirements. Edited by Nica Gonzales.
• Editorial independence: No insurance company partnership influences our carrier rankings or coverage recommendations. MoneyGeek does not sell insurance.

South Carolina has 11 insurance companies writing full-coverage policies; among them, the least expensive is one most South Carolinians haven’t heard of. American National, which has an average rate of $64/month, is $240 cheaper than the national brand Farmers. That $240/month difference, or $2,880 a year, applies to identical coverage on the same driver.

American National doesn't offer online quotes; you have to contact a local agent directly to get one. Drivers who currently have GEICO can save $44/month or $528/year without sacrificing their coverage preferences. SC Farm Bureau Insurance Company writes policies only in South Carolina and is a subsidiary of Farmers; however, availability is limited to members only. SC Farm Bureau is worth a quote if you already have one, as its rates are often more competitive than national carriers.

MoneyGeek's cheapest car insurance in South Carolina, American National and SC Farm Bureau side by side with the national carriers. You can contact an American National agent directly after getting those quotes.

Your registration address changes your South Carolina minimum coverage rate by up to $47/month, or $564 a year. The gap is $47/month at its widest. Within Charleston, 29414 runs $95/month for minimum coverage, and 29401 runs $66/month. Ensure your car is registered where it is parked overnight; you could save up to $29/month, or $348 a year, just for correctly reporting where your car is garaged.

North Charleston sits immediately adjacent to Charleston and tops the statewide ZIP list at $98/month, which is $32/month more than the cheapest Charleston ZIP. Two cities with "Charleston" in the name differ by $32/month for the same driver and vehicle.

If you recently moved or have a choice of registration addresses, get new quotes before committing. The $29/month rate difference within the Charleston ZIP code accounts for more than half of the price difference in the statewide minimum coverage rate range. It requires only a change of address with your policy issuer.

Young South Carolina drivers pay $303/month for full coverage, 2.28 times the $133/month adult rate, or $2,040 more per year. The birthday that closes most of that gap is 18, not 25, and turning 19 is the moment to re-shop. Rates level off in adulthood and reach a floor of $150/month at age 60. By 70, the rate is $169/month. By 80 it's $221/month. Re-shopping at 60 and again at 70 captures those reversals.

Turning 19 reduces the rate by $95/month, or $1,140/year. Waiting until 25 delivers only $25/month. The 19th birthday saves 3.8 times as much as the 25th. A 19-year-old who doesn't re-shop leaves $1,140 on the table at the exact moment their rate is most worth reviewing.

Turning 19 drops your rate automatically, but the best way to save is to get new quotes from other carriers and stay on a family member's policy instead of getting your own. American National runs $156/month for young drivers, compared to Farm Bureau's $137/month. Switching car insurance companies at 19 captures both the automatic birthday rate reduction and the $19/month carrier savings.

South Carolina allows credit-based insurance scoring, which uses your credit history to set your rate, and insurers in this market use it aggressively. Your credit history moves your rate in the state by $196/month, or $2,352 a year. Excellent credit averages $106/month for full coverage. Poor credit runs $302/month for the same policy, 2.85 times the excellent-credit rate.

A poor-credit driver who drops from full to minimum coverage saves $64/month but still carries the $196/month bad-credit-score penalty. In addition to paying more for bad credit, your choice of carrier matters too at this stage of your financial journey.

Most companies in South Carolina only penalize drivers with poor credit 2.27 times more than those with good credit. However, State Farm charges $666/month for poor-credit drivers, a 4.27 times multiple of its own $156/month good-credit rate.

Credit improvement doesn't automatically update your rate at renewal. Insurers don't re-check credit mid-policy. After your score improves, you must actively re-quote to capture the savings. MoneyGeek's cheapest car insurance in South Carolina shows your new rate tier against the full carrier market after your score moves.

South Carolina charges $13/month for an accident you didn't cause and $57/month for one you did. A DUI adds $64/month. in South Carolina, the not-at-fault rate increase of $156 a year is what most drivers don't expect and assume has no real impact on their premium.

American National charges $91/month post-DUI, and Farm Bureau charges $95/month. Both hold their top-two positions from the clean-record ranking. Geico charges $258/month post-DUI despite ranking fourth on the adult baseline.

A DUI driver at Geico who re-shops to American National at month 37, when the SR-22 requirement is lifted, saves $167/month from that point forward, on top of the $64/month DUI surcharge that clears from their rate at the same time.

Use MoneyGeek's South Carolina DUI car insurance guide to compare carrier rankings specific to post-DUI drivers to get the lowest rate and best customer service and coverage options. Our  SR-22 insurance in South Carolina guide covers the filing timeline in detail so you know when your rates will go down and which companies are best for you.

South Carolina operates under a tort, or at-fault, system. If you cause a crash, you're personally responsible for every dollar above your policy limit. South Carolina's minimum bodily injury coverage is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

Choosing minimum over full coverage saves $64/month in South Carolina, or $768 a year. That's the weakest savings lever available. The credit gap ($196/month) and the carrier gap ($240/month) are both larger. A driver who drops coverage but stays with an expensive carrier has prioritized the $64 option while leaving the $240 option untouched.

The $64/month saved by dropping to minimum coverage is the cost of exposing yourself to a lawsuit and paying for claims out of pocket in South Carolina. Switching from any of the top-five national carriers to American National while keeping full coverage saves $44/month to $176/month. That's two to three times the coverage gap, with no change in liability protection.

Comprehensive coverage is the protection that pays when a named storm totals a vehicle. If you carry only liability and a named storm totals your car, comprehensive coverage is what would have paid. Insurers price this risk into comprehensive coverage and spread it to the rest of their customers with a small increase across all policies issued in the state.

FEMA's National Risk Index identifies hurricanes as the single highest-expected-annual-loss hazard in South Carolina, with an estimated $1.2 billion in annual losses statewide. FEMA issued two major disaster declarations for South Carolina in 2024: Tropical Storm Debby in August (DR-4858) and Hurricane Helene in September (DR-4829).

Bodily injury liability pays the medical bills and lost wages of people you injure when you're at fault. Legal defense costs are also covered. South Carolina requires a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. The recommended 100/300/100 limits reflect the cost of a serious multi-person crash above those minimums.

Property damage liability pays for damage you cause to other vehicles and property when you're at fault. South Carolina's minimum is $25,000 per accident. A newer vehicle or a fence and storefront at the wrong intersection can quickly exhaust $25,000.

Uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and property damage when a driver with no insurance hits you or flees the scene. South Carolina requires it on every standard policy at limits equal to your bodily injury liability under SC Code § 38-77-140. There is typically a $200 deductible. Underinsured motorist coverage, which pays when the at-fault driver has insurance but not enough to cover your losses, is required to be offered by insurers in South Carolina, but is not required for you to purchase**.**

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage from non-collision events. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car from a crash, regardless of who is at fault. In South Carolina, hurricanes are the primary risk: FEMA has issued two disaster declarations for the state in 2024. Fire and flooding are also covered. If you carry only liability and a named storm totals your vehicle, comprehensive coverage is what would have paid for it. Lenders require both collision and comprehensive coverage on financed vehicles until the loan is paid in full.

Gap insurance pays the difference between what your car is worth and what you still owe on the loan if the vehicle is totaled. New vehicles depreciate quickly in the first two years; the loan balance often exceeds market value during that period. If you owe more than the car is worth, gap insurance covers what your standard collision or comprehensive payout would leave unpaid.

An SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It's a certificate your insurance company files with the SCDMV to confirm you carry active coverage at the state's required minimums. DUI convictions and driving without insurance both trigger the SR-22 requirement. The SCDMV requires your insurer to file and keep this certificate active under South Carolina Code § 56-10-510 for three years from your conviction date.

If your coverage lapses during those three years, your insurer notifies the SCDMV and your license is re-suspended. For DUI convictions on or after May 19, 2024, South Carolina also requires an ignition interlock device as part of the reinstatement process. MoneyGeek's SR-22 insurance in South Carolina guide covers carrier options and filing costs specific to South Carolina.

1. Contact an American National agent before using any online comparison tool. American National is the cheapest full-coverage insurance company in South Carolina at $64/month for the adult baseline profile, 52% below the state average. It doesn't offer online quotes and doesn't appear in any comparison tool's results. To get a quote, use the agent locator at americannational.com.

   Then compare that quote against SC Farm Bureau at scfbins.com before looking at the national carriers. Most online comparison tools show a market that excludes the two cheapest options in South Carolina. Starting with those two before going to comparison websites is the most complete search available.

2. Re-quote the day after your credit score improves, not at your next renewal. South Carolina insurers don't automatically recheck your credit mid-policy. If your credit score has moved from poor to good, or from good to excellent, since you last got quotes, your current rate doesn't reflect your current profile. The $196/month credit gap means re-quoting after your score improves by a tier captures savings your renewal will never apply automatically.

3. Re-shop at the age milestones your rate actually tracks. For young drivers on a parent's policy, the 18-to-19 birthday delivers a $95/month rate drop, the largest single-year decline in South Carolina. Re-shop immediately after turning 19. For drivers past 60, South Carolina rates reverse: the floor is at 60 ($150/month), then rates climb to $169/month at 70 and $221/month at 80. Re-shop at each of those birthdays.

4. Re-shop at month 37 from any conviction date. South Carolina's violation record window is three years under SC Code § 56-1-720. Both that window and the SR-22 expiry under SC Code § 56-10-510 land on the same date: month 37 from conviction. Set a calendar reminder. At that point, the violation no longer affects your rate and the SR-22 is no longer required.

   American National ($91/month) and Farm Bureau ($95/month) lead the post-DUI carrier ranking in South Carolina, as they do the clean-record ranking. Re-quoting at month 37 captures the full $64/month DUI surcharge that's been on your rate since conviction. The ranking doesn't shift at that milestone.