SR-22 Car Insurance in South Carolina (2024)
Farm Bureau offers the cheapest SR-22 insurance in South Carolina. Progressive is the next-cheapest option for most of the state’s drivers.
What is SR-22 insurance in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, you need 25/50/25 liability car insurance for an SR-22. This means:
- Bodily injury per person: $25,000
- Bodily injury per accident: $50,000
- Property damage: $25,000
Your insurance company files an SR-22 form with the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to prove you have enough car insurance and to reinstate your driver’s license.
How much does SR-22 insurance cost in South Carolina?
USAA offers the second-cheapest rate for full-coverage car insurance with an SR-22, at $2,083 a year. However, it only offers car insurance for active duty or veteran military and their families.
The second-cheapest rate for most South Carolinians looking for car insurance after an SR-22 comes from Progressive, at $2,740 a year.
Cost of SR-22 insurance by company
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $1,946 |
| USAA* | $2,083 |
| Progressive | $2,740 |
| Travelers | $2,821 |
| Auto-Owners | $2,834 |
| Average | $3,050 |
| Allstate | $3,230 |
| Geico | $3,351 |
| State Farm | $3,847 |
| Nationwide | $4,594 |
*USAA only available to active duty and veteran military as well as their families.
It normally costs around $25 dollars to file an SR-22, but the final filing cost depends on your car insurance company. Check with your insurer to get your exact price.
Who needs SR-22 insurance?
- You are convicted of a DUI
- You are convicted of reckless driving
- You have an excessive amount of violations in a set period of time
- You’re found driving without any or insufficient car insurance
If your driver’s license is suspended after any of these incidents, you will need to file an SR-22 to reinstate it. You’ll usually need to file an SR-22 with the state for three years, but it may be longer depending on the severity of your violation.
If you let the SR-22 lapse before your mandated end date, your auto insurance company will notify the South Carolina DMV. This can result in your drivers license getting suspended again.
How do I get SR-22 insurance in South Carolina?
Check with your current car insurance provider first to see if it will file an SR-22 on your behalf with the DMV.
Depending on why you need to file an SR-22, your insurer may consider you too high a risk to cover. This can result in the cancellation of your car insurance coverage.
If this happens, or if your current car insurance company doesn’t offer SR-22 filing, take the opportunity to compare car insurance quotes from several companies to get the best combination of cost and coverage for your needs. Some companies won’t offer coverage to drivers who need an SR-22, making comparing quotes even more important.
While South Carolina’s car insurance rates with an SR-22 are cheaper than the national average for SR-22, its average rate with an SR-22 is still 69% higher than the state’s average of $1,808 a year.
Some comparison shopping can help you find the cheapest DUI car insurance, but don’t expect it to be cheap compared to someone with a clean record.
In South Carolina, a DUI stays on your driving record for at least three years. You can expect to pay higher car insurance rates during that time.
What is nonowner SR-22 car insurance?
Methodology
LendingTree uses insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Rates are based on an analysis of hundreds of thousands of car insurance quotes for a typical driver in South Carolina. Your own rates may be different.
Unless noted otherwise, quotes are for a full-coverage policy for a 30-year-old man with good credit and one DUI on their record who drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Full-coverage policies include collision, comprehensive and liability coverage:
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident if required in that state
- Personal injury protection: Minimum limits if required in that state
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
*USAA only available to active duty and veteran military, and their families.