Best and Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in South Carolina (2024)
Auto-Owners has the best cheap car insurance in South Carolina, at $117 a month for full coverage.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina
Best cheap car insurance companies in South Carolina
To help you find the best cheap car insurance in South Carolina, ValuePenguin gathered quotes from the top auto insurance companies in the state across every ZIP code.
Quotes for minimum coverage meet South Carolina's state minimum requirements of $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person and $50,000 per accident, plus $25,000 in property damage coverage, along with matching uninsured motorist limits.
Quotes for full coverage policies include collision and comprehensive coverages, plus higher liability limits than state minimums.
In addition, our experts rated the best insurance companies in South Carolina based on cost, customer service, convenience and coverage availability.
Best cheap car insurance in South Carolina: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners is the best cheap company for full coverage auto insurance in South Carolina.
Full coverage from Auto-Owners costs $117 per month, which is 22% cheaper than the statewide average. The average cost of car insurance in South Carolina is $151 per month for full coverage.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina
South Carolina drivers in the military can get even cheaper rates from USAA. Full coverage from USAA costs $96 per month, which is $21 per month cheaper than Auto-Owners.
However, only military members, veterans and their families can get car insurance from USAA.
Cheap full coverage insurance in South Carolina
Company | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $117 |
| Geico | $118 |
| Farm Bureau | $138 |
| State Farm | $140 |
| Travelers | $164 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Cheapest liability-only insurance in South Carolina: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners has the most affordable quotes for liability-only auto insurance in South Carolina.
At $43 per month, minimum coverage from Auto-Owners is 36% cheaper than the state average. The average cost of minimum liability car insurance in South Carolina is $67 per month.
Cheapest South Carolina auto insurance companies
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $43 |
| Geico | $49 |
| State Farm | $62 |
| Progressive | $63 |
| Farm Bureau | $65 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina
Best cheap car insurance for South Carolina teens: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau has the most affordable rates for young drivers in South Carolina — $149 per month for minimum coverage and $255 per month for full coverage.
Farm Bureau also has some great discounts to help South Carolina students save even more. You can get discounts for getting good grades, taking a safe driving course or enrolling in a usage-based program.
Cheapest South Carolina car insurance companies for teens
Company | Liability only | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $149 | $255 |
| Geico | $155 | $315 |
| Auto-Owners | $166 | $342 |
| State Farm | $202 | $393 |
| Travelers | $225 | $402 |
Teen drivers pay much more for car insurance than older adults. This is especially true if they aren't insured through their parents' policy. An 18-year-old driver in South Carolina can expect to pay more than three times what a 30-year-old driver pays for car insurance.
How to save on auto insurance
-
Share a policy with your parents. Teen drivers typically pay much less when they're insured under their parents' policy than a young person who buys their own insurance.
- Ask about discounts. Many insurance companies offer discounts for young drivers. Some of the most common savings for young drivers include discounts for installing anti-theft devices, getting good grades in school and being accident-free for a few years.
- Compare rates from multiple companies. There are dozens of companies in South Carolina that offer great prices and free auto insurance quotes. Get quotes from both large and small companies to ensure you're paying the best price.
Cheap car insurance in South Carolina after a ticket: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners has the best rates in South Carolina for drivers with a speeding ticket, at $117 per month for full coverage. That's partially because Auto-Owners doesn't typically raise rates after a single speeding ticket.
Geico, State Farm and Farm Bureau also have rates that are much cheaper than the state average, which is $178 per month.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $117 |
| Geico | $118 |
| State Farm | $148 |
| Farm Bureau | $151 |
| Travelers | $208 |
A speeding ticket usually increases your auto insurance rates, but it won't increase them as much as an at-fault accident. Car insurance rates in South Carolina increase by 18% after a speeding ticket, compared to 61% after an at-fault accident.
Cheapest quotes after an accident in South Carolina: Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners has the best rates for South Carolina drivers who cause an accident. A full coverage policy from Auto-Owners costs $158 per month. That's a savings of 35% on full coverage auto insurance, compared to the statewide average of $243 per month.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $158 |
| Geico | $170 |
| Farm Bureau | $175 |
| Travelers | $222 |
| Progressive | $306 |
Car insurance after an accident will increase by an average of $243 per month. However, the amount your rates will go up depends on your insurance company.
You shouldn't switch insurance companies right after an accident.
Your current company typically won't raise your rates until your policy renewal. So, you should wait until your insurance is about to expire before making a change.
Cheap car insurance for teens after a ticket or accident: Geico
Geico offers the cheapest liability-only rates for South Carolina teens with a bad driving record.
Geico's average rates are $155 a month for an 18-year-old with a speeding ticket and $173 after an at-fault accident.
Cheapest quotes for 18-year-olds after a ticket or accident
Company | Ticket | Accident |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | $155 | $173 |
| Farm Bureau | $174 | $199 |
| Auto-Owners | $187 | $243 |
| State Farm | $219 | $252 |
| Travelers | $301 | $317 |
Young drivers in South Carolina can expect their auto insurance rates to go up by about 15% after a speeding ticket and 32% after an accident.
Cheapest auto insurance after a DUI in SC: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau offers the most affordable rate for drivers with a DUI, at $162 per month for full coverage. That's 39% less than the state average.
Progressive comes in second, at $228 per month, which is $66 per month more than Farm Bureau.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $162 |
| Progressive | $228 |
| Travelers | $235 |
| Auto-Owners | $236 |
| Allstate | $269 |
Driving under the influence (DUI) causes car insurance rates to increase more than any other common offense. Rates in South Carolina increase by 75% after a DUI.
You'll also probably need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in South Carolina, which typically costs another $15 to $50.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor credit: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau offers the best full coverage rates for South Carolina drivers with a low credit score. At $249 per month, a policy from Farm Bureau is 22% cheaper than the state average, which is $318 per month.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $249 |
| Geico | $261 |
| Travelers | $282 |
| Nationwide | $283 |
| Allstate | $295 |
Your credit score doesn't have anything to do with your ability to drive a car, but it can impact your car insurance rates.
Auto insurance for South Carolina drivers with poor credit is more than twice as expensive as a policy for drivers with good credit. That's because drivers with lower credit scores are more likely to file insurance claims, according to insurance companies.
Best car insurance companies in South Carolina
In South Carolina, USAA has the best customer service scores for car insurance.
It also has some of the cheapest rates in the state. However, USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.
State Farm, Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners also get high praise from their customers. Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners both have very affordable rates for South Carolina drivers. State Farm is typically cheaper than average, but isn't usually the least expensive option.
Best South Carolina car insurance
Company |
Editor's rating
|
J.D. Power
|
A.M. Best
|
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 881 | A++ | |
| State Farm | 842 | A++ | |
| Farm Bureau | NR | A | |
| Auto-Owners | 837 | A++ | |
| Geico | 835 | A++ |
When you're shopping for car insurance, choosing a dependable insurance company is as important as finding the lowest rate. Good customer service makes it easier and less stressful to get your life back to normal after something happens to your car.
Average car insurance cost in South Carolina by city
Salem, a town in upstate South Carolina, has the cheapest car insurance quotes in the state, at $125 per month.
Crocketville and Miley, two towns in Hampton County, have the highest rates in South Carolina, at $185 per month for full coverage. Hampton County has high property crime rates, which means residents may be more likely to file a claim for a stolen car. That makes people living in Hampton County more expensive to insure.
Cost of car insurance near you
City | Monthly rate | % from average |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville | $136 | -10% |
| Adams Run | $173 | 15% |
| Aiken | $133 | -12% |
| Alcolu | $159 | 6% |
| Allendale | $180 | 19% |
The cost of car insurance changes depending on where you live. Cities that are densely populated or have higher crime rates or traffic tend to have some of the most expensive rates. Average full coverage auto insurance quotes in South Carolina can vary by up to $60 per month, depending on where you live.
South Carolina auto insurance requirements
Minimum liability car insurance in SC includes 25/50/25 liability coverage. Bodily injury liability pays for the other driver's injuries after an at-fault crash, and property damage liability pays to fix the other driver's car.
You must also have the same amount of uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage pays for your own property damage or injuries if you're in an accident with an uninsured driver or you're the victim of a hit-and-run.
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist property damage: $25,000 per accident
Full vs. minimum coverage car insurance in South Carolina
Minimum coverage car insurance policies only include the minimum amount of coverage required. That's 25/50/25 in South Carolina.
Full coverage auto insurance in South Carolina costs $151 per month, which is $84 per month more than a minimum coverage policy. However, full coverage quotes include comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to liability coverage.
- Comprehensive coverage pays for damage due to incidents beyond your control, such as hail or theft.
- Collision coverage pays for damage to your own car after an at-fault car crash.
Drivers who choose a minimum coverage policy would have to pay for damage to their own car after an at-fault accident. That's why full coverage auto insurance is a better choice for most people. You'll need full coverage if you have a car loan or lease.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest car insurance in SC?
Auto-Owners has the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina, at $43 per month for liability-only coverage and $117 per month for full coverage. That's 36% and 23% cheaper than the state average, respectively.
How much is car insurance per month in South Carolina?
The average cost of car insurance in South Carolina is $67 per month for a minimum coverage policy. Full coverage costs an average of $151 per month.
Why is auto insurance so high in South Carolina?
Full coverage car insurance in South Carolina is 8% cheaper than the national average. And liability-only coverage is only 4% more expensive than average.
However, drivers who live near the coast or in areas with high crime rates may have more expensive quotes. That's because these drivers are more likely to make a claim due to weather damage, theft or vandalism.
How much is car insurance in Columbia?
The average cost of car insurance in Columbia is $157 per month for full coverage, which is 4% higher than the state average. That's cheaper than in Charleston, where the average price is $163 per month, but more expensive than Greenville's average cost of $146.
Methodology
To find the best cheap auto insurance in South Carolina, ValuePenguin collected thousands of quotes from ZIP codes across South Carolina from the state's largest insurance companies. Rates are for a 30-year-old man with a 2015 Honda Civic EX who has good credit.
Quotes are for full coverage with liability limits higher than the state minimums, along with comprehensive and collision coverages.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person; $100,000 per accident
- Personal property liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person; $100,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist property damage: $25,000 per accident
- Collision and comprehensive coverage: $500 deductible
Rate data is from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurance company filings and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your own quotes may differ.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.