South Carolina Auto Insurance

The state of South Carolina uses a Tort insurance system. If you are found at fault in a car accident, you and your car insurance company have to cover material damages incurred by other drivers and, if necessary, their medical bills too.

Minimum Liability Requirements in South Carolina

As of April 2026, South Carolina requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25 — at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability per injured person, up to $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage liability. The state also requires uninsured motorist coverage, including uninsured motorist property damage.

Source: CarInsurance.com, "US State Minimum Liability Car Insurance Requirements," updated April 15, 2026.

Average Car Insurance Premiums in South Carolina

Drivers in South Carolina pay an average of $3,457 a year for full-coverage car insurance — 18% above the national average of $2,922 a year.

Source: Experian, "Car Insurance Average Costs by State," published September 9, 2026.

Use of cellphones while driving in SC

The state of South Carolina has passed a bill that puts a ban on text-based communications while operating a vehicle. Distraction and Inattention are listed under Contributing Factors in the state’s Traffic Code. No further restrictions are in place, but authorities strongly recommend the use of hands-free devices when engaging in phone calls while driving.

Teenage driving regulations in South Carolina

South Carolina uses a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system for aspiring drivers of at least 15 years old. The concept is meant to help teenagers get hands-on experience with driving on public roads while still minimizing the risk of them getting into very risky situations. Provisional license holders are subject to a few restrictions:

• teenagers of less than 16 years old may only drive in the morning, between 6 am and 12 am, and must be accompanied by a licensed driver of legal age;
• teenagers older than 16 who have held their permit for more than six months may drive unattended between 6 am and 6 pm. At night, however, they must be assisted by a licensed driver;
• they may not more than two passengers younger than 21, unless they are immediate family members.

Penalties for driving uninsured

Driving without insurance in South Carolina is a misdemeanor. The DMV will have your license and registration suspended for 30 days or more and will charge you $5.00 for each day the vehicle was uninsured, up to $200.00, plus another reinstatement fee of $200.00.

If you have also been involved in a car accident, whether or not it was your fault, you will have to pay another $550.00 uninsured motorist fee and chances are you will also be asked to file a SR22 certificate for three years.

AutoInsuranceQuery editorial team. Last reviewed: September 16, 2026.