Best South Carolina SR-22 Insurance in 2024
What are the requirements for an SR-22 in South Carolina?
If you reside in South Carolina and have been convicted of a serious driving violation, such as a DUI or have had your license suspended, you are most likely required by the state to file an SR-22 form. An SR-22 insurance policy acts as proof of insurance to the state of South Carolina that you have at least the minimum coverage for car insurance required in South Carolina. This is why it's always a good idea to know who offers the best auto insurance in your state. You want to make sure that your payment isn't higher than it needs to be on your auto policy.
If you need an SR-22 in South Carolina, you may have heard the term SR-22 insurance. An SR-22 is not actually anything different than your usual policy, rather it’s a form that tells the state of South Carolina that you have an active auto insurance policy with at least the required coverage limits. In the event that you don't have a license suspension in place, an SR-22 allows you to drive even though you have a recent violation. Also, it’s often called SR22 insurance because the SR-22 form affects the cost of your car insurance. On average, SR-22 insurance in South Carolina after a DUI costs 61 percent more than the standard coverage policy.
In South Carolina, you are generally required to have SR-22 insurance for a minimum of three years, but your filing period may vary depending on your violation. it is your responsibility to maintain your SR-22 insurance policy for the entire duration of your filing period. If you have any lapse in coverage, your car insurance company will need to notify the state that you no longer have an active SR-22 insurance policy with the company. This may result in additional license suspensions and other penalties. As long as you pay on time and keep a clean driving record, you’ll no longer need SR-22 insurance once your required time is up.
Once you no longer need SR-22 insurance after you’ve completed your filing period, your rates will most likely decrease, depending on the severity of your conviction. If your SR-22 insurance is canceled or another offense occurred during your filing period, you may have to begin the process all over again.
In the event that you require an SR-22 and you're worried about your insurance costs, you may want to shop around to try and find the best auto insurance rates. When comparing companies, just be mindful that they know you have an SR-22 filed. We also have a free tool that will let you compare quotes from different companies.
What are the required limits in terms of coverage in South Carolina?
Your SR22 policy must still meet South Carolina liability insurance requirements. You must have at least the following coverage:
- Liability:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 in property damage per accident
- Uninsured motorist:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 in property damage per accident
If you fail to file an SR-22 form in South Carolina, your vehicle registration may be suspended and you’ll be unable to register a new vehicle. While not required, collision coverage and comprehensive coverage can protect you and your vehicle in the event of an accident. Where underinsured motorist coverage will act as a buffer should the other driver be uninsured or underinsured and accumulate costs associated to the accident, collision and comprehensive pay out for your personal medical bills and repair costs. Additional coverage may add to your overall price, but it's extremely beneficial.
Who needs an SR22 in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, SR22 insurance is required in a few scenarios in order for you to get your license reinstated. An SR-22 is required after you’ve committed certain violations with the law. You may even be required to have an SR-22 if you’ve had a series of small violations within a short span of time. You may need to file for an SR-22 because of the following reasons:
- Conviction for driving under the influence (DUI or DWI)
- Driving without car insurance
- Driving with a revoked or suspended license
- Having repeated traffic violations in a certain amount of time, including speeding tickets
- Numerous at-fault accidents
- A fatal at-fault accident or one that results in injuries
- Reckless or dangerous driving
- Assignment from a court order
- Failure to pay fines from tickets
- Refused consent to breathalyzer or blood alcohol test
What are the rates for insurance in South Carolina?
SR-22 insurance in South Carolina is for high-risk or non-standard driver. Since you are considered a high-risk driver, your insurer charges you high premiums. However, the rates for SR-22 insurance are not the same across all insurance companies. You can shop around for the best policies before you sign up for one. There are many other factors that go into the cost of South Carolina SR-22 insurance, such as your age, gender, location, credit score, vehicle type, marital status and so on.
One of the most common reasons drivers need SR-22 insurance is because of a DUI conviction. On average, car insurance with a DUI conviction in South Carolina costs $1,895 per year. That’s 61 percent higher than car insurance with a clean driving record. However, the cost you pay differs significantly based on the company you buy car insurance from. In the table below, you can find average rates for South Carolina drivers who have one DUI conviction from some of the largest companies in the state.
| Company | Car insurance rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $1,354 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,396 |
| Travelers | $1,519 |
| Geico | $1,835 |
| State Farm | $1,838 |
| Nationwide | $1,938 |
| Allstate | $2,226 |
| USAA* | $2,287 |
| Farmers | $2,311 |
*USAA is only available to active and former military members and their families.
These rates are based on a 35-year-old single adult with one driver and one vehicle on a policy. The car used was a 2015 Toyota Highlander LEs. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The driver had 1 DUI on their record. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates for high-risk insurance in Alabama will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
How do you file for an SR-22 in South Carolina?
To obtain an SR-22 in South Carolina, you’ll need to contact your car insurance company. An SR-22 can only be obtained through an insurance carrier, you can’t file it on your own. If your insurance provider offers coverage to drivers who need an SR-22, your company can file the form with your state and offer you the minimum requirements necessary, or more if you choose. If not, you’ll need to shop for a new insurance policy from a company that offers the option to get auto insurance coverage despite having an SR-22 for reckless driving or any other violation.
Even if your company does offer SR-22 insurance, it may be a good idea for you to shop around for a new policy. In South Carolina, adding an SR-22 to your policy significantly affect your rates, so you may want to see if a different company can offer you better rates. Never let your driving history stop you from obtaining coverage. There are ways to find affordable rates that we'll cover below, but often it's more beneficial to have coverage than not.
Use the table at the top of this page to find all the car insurance companies that offer SR-22 insurance in South Carolina with at least 25 reviews. If you want to see which companies customers say are the best for SR22 insurance in South Carolina, sort the table by highest rated. You can sort through companies and find the ones you want to get quotes from. To get quotes, click on the orange, “click for quote” button next to the company, call the number available or visit the company’s website.
If you want to read customer reviews of the company, click the company name in the table and you will be directed to the company’s profile page containing information about the company and reviews. SR-22 insurance fees in South Carolina
In addition to higher car insurance rates, you may be required to pay a fee to your insurance company. The filing of the SR-22 form is done by your insurer, but to do this, they may charge you a fee ranging from $20 to $50, depending on the company.
You may also have additional fees that you’re required to pay depending on the violation you’ve committed. If your license was suspended or revoked, you’ll need to pay a reinstatement fee before you can get it back and begin driving. If you committed a DUI, you should expect many fees depending on the severity of your conviction and if you’ve previously been convicted.
How are rates calculated in South Carolina?
When searching and comparing car insurance quotes, it can be frustrating trying to understand how your rates are calculated. While there is no exact formula that each car insurance company uses when providing you a quote, there are many factors that do contribute to your rates. Among the factors that car insurers consider are:
- Your driving record
- How much you drive
- Location
- Age
- Marital status
- Gender
- Your car’s make, model and year
- Your credit history (in some states)
- Amount of coverage needed (required coverage and optional add-ons, such as collision and comprehensive)
One of the biggest misunderstanding when it comes to insurance rates is that the history of drivers in your area also contributes to how much you pay. For instance, even if you go two years without an accident, if there were a lot of accidents near you recently, your rates might still go up. Why is that the case?
Insurance companies disperse risk across all policyholders so that when it comes time to pay a claim, they have enough money to pay out. But imagine a scenario where they only raised rates for drivers with an accident. For drivers who had an expensive claim, the drivers simply wouldn't be able to afford the raised rates that are based off how much their insurer had to pay after an accident. So instead, insurance companies slightly increase rates across the board — which is to say across multiple ZIP codes — to offset the costs, though of course the at-fault driver may see a larger increase.
What should I include in my policy?
You certainly don’t want to be underinsured or uninsured while staring at a claim after a car accident or other damage to your car. But at the same time, there’s no sense in paying for more coverage than you need, right? So it begs the question: how much coverage do you actually need?
The answer, as frustrating as it may be, is it depends. For example, someone insuring a brand-new, leased car is likely required to purchase collision and comprehensive coverage, but for someone driving an older car that doesn’t have much value, it may not make sense to purchase optional coverage. They may only want the minimum coverage requirements, and they may not be required to pay for anything else. Plus, states have different requirements. There are 12 no-fault states that require its drivers to purchase personal injury protection (PIP).
So when it comes to determining what coverage and limits you should purchase, it’s important to do your research before settling for a minimum policy that won't protect you financially against an uninsured driver or an accident where you're not at fault. You don't want to get stuck with medical payments instead, because sometimes they can be even more expensive. Talk with an insurance agent or your insurance company to determine what makes the most sense for your situation.
Are there ways to save money?
At the end of the day, we’d all like to have the best coverage at a cheap, affordable price. Sometimes this means we limit ourselves to the most basic coverage, or look at the companies who offer the lowest rates. While you never want to sacrifice quality to save a couple of dollars, there are some different ways you can lower your car insurance premium.
Here are six ways you may be able to lower your rates:
- Bundle your auto policy with other policies you could get through the same insurer
- Consider raising your deductibles
- Pay your auto policy in full
- Try usage-based coverage
- Monitor price changes to your policy
- Shop for better rates
If any one of these helps you find a more affordable option, it will be worth the work you put into it. You can also inquire about any driver discounts available as well. Discounts are a great way to offset cost, so even if you can't go with the cheapest option, you'll end up with affordable car insurance by following a few other avenues of price cutting. Should you have an SR-22, you may not be able to take advantage of any safe driver discounts, but there are plenty of other options out there.
Just make sure that if you can't do something, like make one annual payment instead of monthly payments, that you push yourself to do it just to save a few dollars. It's not financially responsible, and you could put yourself into debt should you fall behind on payments. There is a wide range of companies out there willing to work with someone who has an SR-22, so shopping around may be your best bet if you find yourself in that sort of situation.
How does Clearsurance rate and rank companies?
Wondering how Clearsurance determines scores for insurance companies? Our algorithm analyzes a range of inputs from our community of unbiased customers, including:
- Cost
- Customer service
- Overall experience
- Claim service
- Purchasing experience
- Likelihood to recommend
Taking customer satisfaction into consideration can help you discover what a company is actually like before settling on them. For informational purposes, you could also look into what kind of market share a company has, and what kind of auto coverage they provide. Getting a handle on a company's financial profile can be just as useful as customer testimonials. If they have experienced agents, provide accurate quotes, and have quick claim filing times, chances are they're going to be around for a long time and will be worth parenting with.
Is there a guide available with more information?
Whether you’re buying your insurance direct or going through an agent, understanding the different car insurance coverage options is a must. Do you know what is covered by comprehensive coverage? Are you familiar with uninsured motorist coverage? Do you know how a deductible works?
We want to make sure you’re equipped with a proper knowledge of car insurance, so check out our practical guide to understanding car insurance. Looking for more educational information about car insurance? Check out our blog for more information and topics related to car insurance.
Plus, don't forget about our comparison tool, which will help you to compare quotes from various companies.