Cheapest Car Insurance in South Carolina (Best Rates in 2026)
Geico has the best cheap car insurance in South Carolina, at $139 per month for full coverage. That's $50 per month cheaper than the state average.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina
Best cheap auto insurance in SC
Best and cheapest car insurance in South Carolina
- Cheapest full coverage: Geico, $139/mo
- Cheapest minimum liability: Geico, $54/mo
- Cheapest for young drivers: Farm Bureau, $160/mo
- Cheapest after a ticket: Geico, $139/mo
- Cheapest after an accident: Geico, $202/mo
- Cheapest for teens after a ticket: Geico, $172/mo
- Cheapest after a DUI: Farm Bureau, $194/mo
- Cheapest for poor credit: Farm Bureau, $298/mo
Monthly rates based on full coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old man. Some rates use different ages or coverage limits.
Geico, Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners all offer a good mix of affordable rates and reliable customer service in South Carolina.
Geico offers online quotes, so it's the best choice if you're looking to buy a policy quickly. To buy a policy from Auto-Owners or Farm Bureau, you'll have to speak with a local insurance agent.
Best cheap car insurance in South Carolina: Geico
Geico, Auto-Owners and USAA have the cheapest full coverage insurance in SC.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in South Carolina
- Geico has the cheapest full coverage car insurance in SC for most people. At $139 per month, Geico costs $50 per month less than the state average.
- Auto-Owners charges around $145 per month for full coverage — $45 per month cheaper than the SC average. But you can't get a quote online, so you'll have to call an agent to compare rates.
- USAA is the cheapest option overall, at $113 per month. However, only military members, veterans and their families can get car insurance from USAA.
Cheap full coverage car insurance in SC
Company | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | $139 |
| Auto-Owners | $145 |
| Farm Bureau | $166 |
| Travelers | $188 |
| State Farm | $218 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Data-powered research on South Carolina car insurance
| Data-powered research on SC car insurance |
|---|
Cheapest liability-only insurance in SC: Geico
Geico has the most affordable quotes for liability-only auto insurance in South Carolina.
Liability-only insurance from Geico is $54 per month. That’s $24 per month cheaper than the SC state average of $78.
Cheapest car insurance quotes in SC
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Geico | $54 |
| Auto-Owners | $64 |
| Farm Bureau | $70 |
| Progressive | $75 |
| Travelers | $81 |
*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 in SC for teens: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau has the most affordable rates for young drivers in South Carolina.
A liability-only policy from Farm Bureau costs $160 per month for teen drivers, while full coverage costs $299 per month.
Farm Bureau also has some great discounts to help South Carolina students save money on car insurance. You can earn discounts for getting good grades, taking a safe driving course or enrolling in a safe driving program. However, you can't get an online quote from Farm Bureau. You have to contact your local Farm Bureau agent.
If you need to buy a policy fast, you should consider Geico. The company charges around $172 per month for liability-only coverage and $380 per month for full coverage insurance.
Most affordable auto insurance quotes in SC for teens
Company | Liability only | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $160 | $299 |
| Geico | $172 | $380 |
| Auto-Owners | $185 | $341 |
| Travelers | $243 | $503 |
| Allstate | $292 | $771 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Teen drivers pay much more for car insurance than older adults. This is especially true if they don't share a policy with their parents. An 18-year-old driver in South Carolina can expect to pay around three times more than 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 share a policy with their parents instead of buying their own insurance.
- Ask about discounts. Many insurance companies offer discounts for teens. Some of the most common savings for young drivers include discounts for getting good grades in school or taking a defensive driving class.
- Compare rates from multiple companies. There are dozens of companies in South Carolina that offer great prices. Get quotes from both large and small companies to ensure you're paying the best price.
Cheap SC car insurance after a ticket: Geico
Geico has the best rates in South Carolina for drivers with a speeding ticket, at $139 per month for full coverage. You should also compare quotes from Auto-Owners, which charges around $145 per month for full coverage after one ticket.
Lowest SC car insurance quotes after a ticket
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Geico | $139 |
| Auto-Owners | $145 |
| Farm Bureau | $180 |
| Travelers | $234 |
| State Farm | $235 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
A speeding ticket usually raises your auto insurance rates in South Carolina by around 19%. That's an average of $36 per month more for full coverage.
If you can't afford your insurance after a ticket, you can try to lower your rates by shopping for quotes from multiple companies, adjusting your coverage and asking about discounts.
Cheapest quotes after an accident in South Carolina: Geico
Geico has the best rates for South Carolina drivers who cause an accident. Full coverage from Geico costs $202 per month. That's $80 per month less than the statewide average of $282 per month.
Best prices for car insurance in SC after a crash
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Geico | $202 |
| Auto-Owners | $204 |
| Farm Bureau | $210 |
| Travelers | $256 |
| State Farm | $262 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Car insurance rates after an accident increase by an average of $92 per month. However, the amount your quote will go up depends on your insurance company.
You shouldn't switch insurance companies right after an accident.
Your current company will almost never raise your rates until your policy renewal. So, you should wait until your insurance is about to expire before making a change.
Cheap SC auto insurance for teens with a ticket or accident: Geico
Geico offers the cheapest liability-only rates for South Carolina teens with bad driving records.
Geico charges around $172 per month for an 18-year-old with one speeding ticket. It's also the cheapest option for teens after an at-fault accident, at $192 per month for liability-only insurance.
Cheapest car insurance quotes in South Carolina for teens with bad driving records
Company | Ticket | Accident |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | $172 | $192 |
| Farm Bureau | $188 | $214 |
| Auto-Owners | $221 | $288 |
| Travelers | $306 | $349 |
| State Farm | $359 | $412 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Young drivers in South Carolina can expect their auto insurance rates to go up by about 19% after a speeding ticket and 42% after an accident.
Cheapest SC car insurance after a DUI: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau offers the most affordable rates for South Carolina drivers with a DUI, at $194 per month for full coverage. That's $134 per month less than the state average.
Farm Bureau is also $76 per month less than the second-cheapest company, Travelers. So it's worth it to get a quote from a Farm Bureau agent after a DUI, even if it takes a bit longer than an online quote.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $194 |
| Travelers | $270 |
| Progressive | $293 |
| Auto-Owners | $318 |
| Geico | $333 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Driving under the influence (DUI) causes car insurance rates to increase more than any other common ticket. Full coverage rates in South Carolina go up by $138 per month after a DUI.
You'll also probably need to get SR-22 insurance in South Carolina after a DUI. An SR-22 certificate typically costs another $15 to $50.
Cheap insurance in SC for drivers with poor credit: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau offers the best rates for South Carolina drivers with low credit scores. At $298 per month, full coverage from Farm Bureau is $94 per month cheaper than the state average.
Geico is the best choice if you prefer to buy and manage your policy online. At $307 per month, full coverage from Geico is $85 per month less than the SC average. It's also only $9 per month more than Farm Bureau.
Best rates for car insurance in SC with bad credit
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $298 |
| Geico | $307 |
| Travelers | $323 |
| Nationwide | $343 |
| Progressive | $371 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
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.
What is the best car insurance company in South Carolina?
State Farm has the best customer service scores for most people in South Carolina.
State Farm consistently scores above average on J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey. It also gets around 16% fewer complaints than average. However, State Farm isn't usually the cheapest option.
Farm Bureau also typically offers reliable customer service at a more affordable rate. The company gets 85% fewer complaints than average, which means customers are usually happy with their experience at Farm Bureau.
Best car insurance in SC
Company |
Editor's rating
|
J.D. Power
|
AM Best
|
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 650 | A++ | |
| Farm Bureau | 645 | A | |
| Nationwide | 645 | A | |
| Auto-Owners | 638 | A+ | |
| Travelers | 613 | A++ |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
USAA offers the best combination of excellent service and cheap rates in South Carolina overall. But it's only available to military members, veterans and some of their family members.
Car insurance rates in South Carolina by city
Walhalla, a town in upstate South Carolina near Lake Keowee, has the cheapest car insurance quotes in the state.
Walhalla drivers pay an average of $168 per month for full coverage insurance.
Crocketville, a small town in Hampton County, has the highest rates in South Carolina, at $250 per month for full coverage.
Hampton County has high property crime rates, which means residents are more likely to file claims for stolen cars. That makes people living in Hampton County more expensive to insure.
South Carolina car insurance cost by city
City | Monthly rate | % from average |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville | $182 | -4% |
| Adams Run | $231 | 22% |
| Aiken | $178 | -6% |
| Alcolu | $203 | 7% |
| Allendale | $236 | 24% |
Average full coverage auto quotes in South Carolina can differ by up to $82 per month, depending on where you live. Densely populated cities with more crime or traffic tend to have some of the most expensive rates.
South Carolina auto insurance requirements
South Carolina requires drivers to have at least 25/50/25 of liability coverage.
Bodily injury liability pays for the other driver's injuries after an at-fault crash, and property damage liability pays to fix their car.
You must also have the same amount of uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage pays for your own injuries and damage to your car if you're hit by 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
Full coverage auto insurance in South Carolina costs $190 per month, which is $112 per month more than a minimum liability policy.
However, full coverage quotes include comprehensive and collision coverages, which protect your car, in addition to extra liability coverage.
- Collision coverage pays for damage to your own car after a crash, regardless of whose fault it is.
- Comprehensive coverage pays for damage beyond your control, such as hail or theft.
You'll need full coverage if you have a car loan or lease. Lenders typically require you to have collision and comprehensive coverage to ensure you'll have enough money to fix your car after a crash.
Drivers with minimum coverage 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.
Full coverage policies can include higher liability limits than the minimum requirement. It's almost always a good idea to increase your liability coverage if you can afford it.
For example, South Carolina only requires $25,000 of property damage liability coverage per accident. If you're driving 55 mph on Highway 17 and you hit a Tesla Cybertruck, $25,000 probably won't be enough to cover the cost to fix or replace it.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the cheapest auto insurance rates in South Carolina?
In 2026, Geico has the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina, at $54 per month for liability-only coverage and $139 per month for full coverage. That's 30% and 27% cheaper than the state average, respectively.
How much is car insurance per month in South Carolina?
The average car insurance cost in South Carolina is $78 per month for a minimum liability policy. Full coverage costs an average of $190 per month.
Why is SC auto insurance so high?
Full coverage car insurance in South Carolina is 13% cheaper than the national average. But liability-only coverage is actually 3% cheaper 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 claims due to weather damage, theft or vandalism.
How much is auto insurance in Columbia, SC?
The average cost of car insurance in Columbia is $208 per month for full coverage, which is 9% higher than the state average. That's cheaper than in Charleston, where the average price is $220 per month, but more expensive than Greenville's average cost of $194.
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 2018 Honda Civic EX and good credit.
Full coverage quotes include liability limits higher than the state minimums, along with comprehensive and collision coverages.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist property damage: $50,000 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 will be different.
Senior Writer
Lindsay Bishop is a Senior Writer at ValuePenguin, where she educates readers about home, auto, renters, flood and motorcycle insurance.
Lindsay began her career in the insurance and financial industry in 2010. She was a licensed auto, home, life and health insurance agent and held Series 6 and 63 financial licenses.
After a hiatus from the financial sector, Lindsay returned to the industry as a content writer for ValuePenguin in 2021. She enjoys having the opportunity to help readers make smart decisions about their insurance so they can be prepared for anything life throws their way.
When Lindsay isn't writing about insurance, you can find her spending time with family, enjoying the outdoors on Sunday long runs or riding her Peloton.
How insurance helped Lindsay
As a homeowner for 15 years located in South Carolina, Lindsay has plenty of experience navigating the coastal insurance market and managing the claims process. That includes successfully negotiating a full roof replacement claim.
Expertise
- Home insurance
- Car insurance
- Flood insurance
- Renters insurance
- Motorcycle insurance
Referenced by
- CNBC
- Yahoo Finance
- Miami Herald
Education
- BS/BA Economics, University of Nevada Las Vegas
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.
