If you’re looking for affordable South Carolina car insurance, it pays to compare. Rates swing dramatically from one company to the next, so shopping around is crucial. To help, NerdWallet researched rates from the seven largest insurers in the state and found the three cheapest options for several types of drivers.
Below you’ll see where to get the best price depending on which category you fall into:
- Good drivers
- Young drivers
- Families with a teen driver
- Drivers with poor credit
- Drivers with one at-fault accident
- Retired drivers
Cheapest for good drivers
For drivers with no at-fault accidents, DUIs or moving violations; range of average prices: $659 to $2,286
price
- $659/year
price
- $976/year
price
- $1,231/year
The average among the three cheapest options was $955 per year. For those who qualify, the military-affiliated USAA notched by far the lowest estimate at $659 per year. For non-military folks, Geico is a solid option that has a superior-grade financial strength rating and touts savings of up to 26% for good drivers who’ve been accident-free for five years.
Cheapest for young drivers
For drivers in their early 20s; range of average prices: $384 to $1,529
price
- $384/year
price
- $594/year
price
- $876/year
This category had the smallest range of premiums of any we tested. Only about $1,100 separated the cheapest from the priciest average quotes, meaning that drivers in their early 20s should be able to find a variety of affordable options. For drivers with a military affiliation, USAA was by far the cheapest. But for others, Geico also returned a reasonable rate of under $50 a month.
Cheapest for families with a teen driver
For middle-aged couples with one teen driver; range of average prices: $821 to $6,563
price
- $821/year
price
- 2,744/year
price
- $3,272/year
Teens aren’t exactly the safest group on the road, a fact that was reflected in our sample quotes for a three-driver household, including a couple with a teen. USAA maintained comparatively low average rates, but the next closest competitor, Southern Farm Bureau, came in roughly $2,000 higher. Though adding a teen driver will almost always mean a price increase of some kind, parents should look for discounts their kids can bring to the table to ease the financial sting, such as those for getting good grades or taking a defensive driving class.
Cheapest for drivers with poor credit
For drivers placed in the lowest credit tier as determined by the industry; range of average prices: $659 to $3,417
price
- $659/year
price
- $1,597/year
price
- $1,608/year
Car insurers use drivers’ credit rating as a predictor of future claims, and may charge higher rates to those with poor credit. Those who qualify for USAA — active or retired military members and their families — may come out unscathed. The company returned the same average quote for this category as it did for good drivers with no credit issues. Overall, however, prices topped $3,400 per year on the high end of our study, which goes to show how important it is for shoppers with rocky credit to compare several quotes to avoid sky-high rates.
Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault accident
Range of average prices: $806 to $2,987
price
- $806/year
price
- $1,456/year
price
- $1,613/year
An at-fault accident often triggers a premium increase of some kind, but exactly how much of an increase depends on the company. Again, USAA had the cheapest estimate at $806 per year, about $12 a month more than the average quote for drivers with a squeaky-clean record. The next cheapest option, State Farm, hiked up rates a bit more for drivers who caused an accident — about $18 a month over the price for incident-free motorists.
Cheapest for retired drivers
For drivers in their mid- to late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting; range of average prices: $564 to $2,479
price
- $564/year
price
- $930/year
price
- $932/year
Since retired motorists typically drive far less than those who commute regularly, they’re able to get relatively cheap South Carolina car insurance. With annual rates approaching $2,500 on the pricey end of our test, however, shopping around is just as vital for older motorists as it is for other groups.
Minimum car insurance requirements in South Carolina
South Carolina drivers are required to carry liability coverage, uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI) and uninsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD).
Here are the minimum amounts needed to drive legally:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $25,000 property damage liability per accident
- $25,000 UMBI per person
- $50,000 UMBI per accident
- $25,000 UMPD per accident
Keep in mind, the damage you cause to another driver or his vehicle or the damage inflicted upon you by an uninsured motorist could easily exceed these limits. Experts recommend getting more than the bare minimum, as the slight increase in your premium now would mean less chance of having to dip into your own pocket for costly expenses down the road.
Check out NerdWallet’s guide to understanding state car insurance requirements to learn more about how the required and optional coverages of your South Carolina policy work and what limits make sense for you.
Alternative car insurance in South Carolina
Drivers who’ve been denied car insurance on the voluntary market within the last 60 days may qualify for coverage under the Associated Auto Insurers Plan of South Carolina (AAIPSC). This network of insurers was established to help motorists with checkered driving histories, extremely poor credit or other factors preventing them from getting traditional auto coverage.
NerdWallet can help make it easy to secure coverage at the most competitive price. Use our car insurance comparison tool to view estimates from top insurers and possibly save hundreds.
METHODOLOGY
For most categories, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers for 30-year-old men and women in 10 ZIP codes and with 100/300/50 liability insurance limits, 100/300 UMBI limits and $50,000 UMPD. We used a 2012 Toyota Camry in all cases.
To test rates for families with teen drivers, we requested quotes for a 46-year-old female and 47-year-old male with a 16-year-old son. Our sample retired driver was 67 and drove 50% fewer annual miles than other groups. Our sample young driver was 22 and carried the minimum required coverage. These are sample rates — your own rates will differ.
Alex Glenn is a staff writer for NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: aglenn@nerdwallet.com
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