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Car travel is the main mode of transportation for over 130,000 Charleston residents.
Finding the right car insurance policy for you and your lifestyle is an important step towards safe driving in Charleston. Search and save on the best car insurance policies in Charlreston today.
The average cost of South Carolina car insurance will vary from city to city and between insurance companies. Insurify analyzed the latest insurance rates in Charleston, SC to find you the cheapest quotes in the area.
Here are the cheapest carriers in Charleston for the following user profile: a single, 30 year old male with a clean driving record who drives a 2012 Honda Accord and pays a $1,000 deductible for the state’s minimum liability insurance.
| Cheapest Companies | Quotes |
|---|---|
 Direct Auto | $85/mo |
 State Farm | $109/mo |
 Allstate | $117/mo |
 Progressive | $133/mo |
 Nationwide | $138/mo |
| Best Companies | Quotes | |
|---|---|---|
 American Family | $251/mo | |
 Safeco | $313/mo | |
 Liberty Mutual | $249/mo | |
 Travelers | $180/mo |
South Carolina Cities | |
|---|---|
| Columbia | $154/mo |
| North Charleston | $125/mo |
| Mount Pleasant | $139/mo |
| Rock Hill | $139/mo |
| Charleston | $132/mo |
| South Carolina | $138/mo |
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All motor vehicles operated or parked on South Carolina roadways are required to be insured. Proof of insurance must be carried in your car at all times and must available when:
The minimum liability car insurance requirements for private passenger vehicles in South Carolina are as follows:
Bodily injury liability coverage protects drivers if their car is involved in an accident that harms another individual. The minimum limits required by South Carolina state law are $25,000 for the death or injury of a single victim as a result of a car accident and $50,000 for the deaths or injuries of multiple victims. Insurance companies list this type of coverage as 25/50, referring to the dollar limitations of each minimum. If you’re in an accident, liability coverage will cover the cost of a legal proceeding as a result of a crash. Bodily injury coverage is part of the minimum coverage required by South Carolina law.
The state minimum amount of property damage liability coverage required in the state of South Carolina is $25,000. If an insured driver is determined to be at fault and held liable in a motor vehicle accident, this coverage pays for damage repair to another individual’s property. Property damage coverage will also pay for legal costs if an insured driver is involved in a lawsuit following an accident.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage are required in South Carolina. This coverage protects drivers who might incur damages from an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver. If involved in an accident with an individual without sufficient coverage, insured drivers will still be covered. In South Carolina, the legally required level of Uninsured Motorist coverage is:
Drivers in Charleston with minimal experience behind the wheel find that they pay the most for car insurance, as those under the age of 20 are charged an average of $670. Once residents reach their 20s, rates drop considerably with savings of about $300. Premiums continue to steadily decline as Charleston drivers get older; however, those in their 80s often pay slightly more than other seniors, with rates right around $300.
| Driver's Age | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| teens | $671 |
| 20s | $379 |
| 30s | $301 |
| 40s | $305 |
| 50s | $375 |
| 60s | $246 |
| 70s | $234 |
| 80s | $301 |
| Driving History | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| No Violation | $312 |
| Speeding Ticket | $401 |
| At-Fault Accident | $395 |
| Failure to Stop for Red Light / Stop Sign | $454 |
Motorists in Charleston looking to pay the lowest rates for their car insurance should make an effort to keep their driving records free from any incidents. Those who manage this pay around $311, while motorists caught speeding see their rates jumping up to $400. An at-fault accident will affect one’s premiums similarly, and failing to stop at an intersection provides the biggest financial hit, with prices moving up to $453 on average.
Residents in Charleston tend to have good or average credit and pay around $291 and $349, respectively, for their car insurance coverage. Surprisingly, falling into a different credit tier won’t make much of a difference in this city, as rates are determined by a range of other factors. Individuals with poor credit are often charged $370, while those who fall into the excellent category see their premiums average at $348.
| Credit Tie | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Excellent | $349 |
| Good | $292 |
| Average | $350 |
| Poor | $371 |
There is one major DMV outpost in the city of Charleston, located on Lockwood Boulevard. Here, residents can change their address, obtain a driver's license, and complete vehicle registrations. The DMV is open from 8:30 AM to 5 PM with special morning and evening hours on weekends. You may be able to skip the lines and access what you need via the online portal.
CARTA, the Charleston Regional Transporation Authority, operates the public transportation system, offering residents and visitors several means of transport around the city. CARTA has bus stops around the city on nearly every block, connecting surrounding cities to downtown Charleston. And of course, Charleston offers ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, plus traditional taxis. Even with these services available, most Charleston Residents drive cars in and around the city.
As American drivers know too well, enough of their precious time is wasted sitting in traffic each year. There’s no need to waste more time finding the perfect auto insurance policy.
Use Insurify to find the best rates available by comparing dozens of insurance quotes in just a few seconds.
With an estimated 9.4 percent of vehicles driving uninsured throughout South Carolina, give yourself peace of mind with sufficient car insurance coverage. Don’t become just one more uninsured motorist—get quotes with Insurify to get the best coverage and rates for your car at a price that works for you.
Using a proprietary dataset of over 1.6 million car insurance shopper applications, the data scientists at Insurify have run various studies on driver behavior across geographical locations, age ranges, motor vehicle registration, and other variables all related to auto insurance coverage.
We’ve been able to determine the speediest cities in the nation, the most popular cars among age groups, and the occupations with the worst drivers, among other insightful reports. We’ve also launched annual awards campaigns to congratulate the communities across the country who have excelled in environmentally friendly initiatives, educational attainment, and other areas.
Here's how Charleston stacks up for the state of South Carolina:
