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Updated
While regular car insurance protects you against general liability, classic car coverage also protects you from the loss of your vintage car.
Classic car owners in South Carolina need to consider the risk of hurricanes, humidity, and rural roads when shopping for classic car insurance.
The average cost of classic car insurance in South Carolina is $188 per month.
Classic car owners in South Carolina know that collector vehicles require special treatment, and that includes specialized classic car insurance rather than standard auto policies.
Classic auto insurance offers regular car insurance coverages like liability, collision, and comprehensive, but it comes with its own eligibility requirements and specialized coverage options.
Classic car coverage typically has mileage limits for driving a collector car and requires the vehicle to be stored in a private, lockable, and enclosed structure when not in use. Additionally, since condition, market, and buyer determine an antique car’s value, you and the insurer must mutually determine the agreed-upon value for the policy.[1]
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South Carolina boasts its fair share of classic and collectible cars, but that doesn’t mean all those vehicles are eligible for classic car insurance. Certain eligibility factors can determine if you qualify and how much you pay for classic car insurance in South Carolina.
South Carolina offers antique car license plates to qualifying vehicles that are at least 25 years old, as long as you only drive the car for club activities, exhibitions, car shows, and the like.[2]
If you’re thinking of classic car coverage for the circa-2000 Nissan Sentra that’s been passed down to every new driver in the extended family, just know that collector car insurance companies often set their own collectibility requirements. Age may not be enough.
Although South Carolina enjoys mild winters, the state’s humid summers, intense sun, and salty air in coastal regions can all damage classic cars. All classic car insurance requires you to store your collector car in a locked, enclosed, private structure, such as a garage. Depending on your car’s value, some South Carolina classic car insurance may require climate-controlled storage.
Typically, drivers with serious traffic infractions on their driving records can’t qualify for classic car insurance coverage. That’s because a history of reckless driving, speeding tickets, or driving under the influence increases the chances of making a claim on your classic car.
The average cost of classic car insurance in South Carolina is $188 per month, according to Insurify data. In comparison, the average cost of standard auto insurance in South Carolina is $208 per month.
South Carolina is vulnerable to hurricanes. Just since 2003, the Palmetto State has seen seven Category 5 hurricanes make landfall and another seven Category 4 storms reach the state, according to state data.
A hurricane can destroy everything in its path, increasing the likelihood of your insurer having to pay for a covered total loss if the storm washes away your garage. You may see this reflected in the cost of your classic car insurance premiums.
Coverage Type | Average Monthly Cost in South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Classic car insurance | $188 |
| Standard car insurance | $208 |
Protect your classic car and your wallet
Whether you need to insure your antique vehicles or your street rods, you can find a number of good classic car insurance companies in South Carolina. But unlike regular car insurance, you probably can’t get a quick quote online since you’ll need to discuss your car’s agreed-upon value.
Before choosing an insurer, get multiple quotes and compare agreed-value policies, specialized coverage options, and eligibility requirements.
The following three classic car insurance companies offer some of the best insurance for South Carolina car collectors.
Hagerty specializes in classic car coverage, and the company is run by fellow enthusiasts. You can get specialized coverage options for cars and classic trucks older than 25 years, high-value vehicle collections, modified collector cars, tractors, motorcycles, and more.
This insurer requires you to limit your driving. You can take the vehicle out for pleasure cruises or to attend car shows only. You must keep it stored off-street, and every member of your household with a driver’s license must have a primary vehicle.
Specializes in classic and collectible vehicles
Premiums are typically lower than for daily drivers
Up to $750 in spare parts coverage
Doesn’t offer other insurance products for bundling
Driver eligibility requirements apply
Must have 10 years of experience to operate an insured motorcycle or high-performance vehicle
South Carolina drivers who’d like to get their regular car insurance coverage and their classic car coverage from one company should check out GEICO. The insurance giant offers classic car coverage in addition to its standard auto policies.
GEICO’s coverage includes agreed-value coverage (called “Guaranteed Value”), spare parts coverage, coverage for restoration-related needs, and towing and roadside assistance. Considering nearly 76% of South Carolina’s roads are rural, roadside assistance may be an important part of your classic car coverage.[3]
Receive agreed-upon value in the event of a covered total loss
Doesn’t set specific mileage limits
Can increase the vehicle’s value as market price increases
Must manage your GEICO classic car coverage via an insurance agent
No bundling discount for classic car insurance
Receive the agreed-upon value minus your deductible and the salvage value, if you retain it
South Carolinians love car shows. The state legislature even proposed a bill to make classic car shows the state pastime.[4] Farmers is a great insurer for South Carolina vintage car owners who spend every weekend at a show or exhibition.
Specifically, this insurer lets you add a “no attendance” clause to your classic car coverage that pays for damage to your vehicle when you’re not present. If you’re at a car show and leave to check out the other antique cars, you can feel confident that your vehicle has protection in your absence.
Can bundle home insurance with classic car insurance
Original equipment and parts coverage available
Specialized roadside assistance coverage available
Higher premiums than competitors
Below-average J.D. Power customer satisfaction rating
Negative Trustpilot reviews
Our editorial team analyzed regional and national auto insurance companies that sell policies in South Carolina to assess which offer the best rates, coverage options, customer service, and savings to drivers. We prioritized competitive rates, 24/7 customer service, low-mileage discounts or programs, safe driving discounts, homeownership discounts or bundling options, and specialty or supplemental coverages.
With standard auto insurance, you’re financially protected if you get into an accident — and that could include writing off your daily driver as a total loss. Classic car insurance recognizes that your financial priorities are a little different. Antique cars are investments, which means your coverage must also protect the car.
If you’re in an accident in your perfectly restored Camaro, your classic car coverage protects you if someone is injured or their property is damaged. But the Camaro also has protection from your classic car policy if driving to a car show on one of South Carolina’s hundreds of miles of unpaved roads leads to a punctured tire, chipped paint, or cracked windshield.
After paying your deductible, your classic car coverage will pay for you to make repairs.
Your insurer may require proof that you have a primary car you use for daily driving and proof of a secure secondary garage location if you travel with it. When you do make a claim, your policy should permit you to take your vehicle to a specialized repair shop. Classic car shops are often much more expensive than traditional auto repair shops, but they have the necessary expertise to repair and restore your beloved vehicle.
Coverage limits for standard auto insurance typically focus on the payout to others in the event of an accident. The limits for classic car coverage are more focused on protecting your investment in the antique car. That’s because a classic car gains value rather than depreciates over time.
Agreed-upon value is something you and the insurer determine using appraisals, photos, and documentation, in addition to paying attention to the collector market. Actual cash value is based on the depreciated value of the vehicle over time.
For example, a 1983 Porsche 911 had an average retail price of $47,600, according to J.D. Power. The actual cash value of a car manufactured in 1983 and purchased for $47,600 would typically be much lower, but the 1983 Porsche 911 has an average price of $100,000 today.
South Carolina’s weather makes an agreed-value policy somewhat more difficult for collectors, since the combination of humidity, intense sunshine, salty air, and hurricane season increases the likelihood of damage to your classic car even if it’s stored in your garage. Car collectors in the Palmetto State may want to invest in climate control in their storage unit to protect their cars.
In addition to the general liability coverage you can expect from any car insurance policy, classic car coverage typically includes the following:
Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage helps pay for damage from anything other than an accident, such as an animal encounter or a hurricane. In South Carolina, the 76,000 miles of rural roads offer a number of opportunities for animal collisions, meaning comprehensive coverage should be an important part of your classic car insurance policy.[5]
Collision coverage: This type of coverage helps pay for repairs if you get into an accident with your classic car. If you have an agreed-value policy, your collision coverage will pay you the agreed-upon value of your car, not its actual cash value, if you suffer a covered total loss.
Roadside assistance: If your antique car breaks down, roadside assistance coverage will pay to transport your beloved vehicle to an appropriate repair shop, often via flatbed truck.
Spare parts coverage: You may have spare parts on hand for repairing or restoring your hot rod. This coverage will pay to replace them if they’re lost, damaged, or stolen.
South Carolina doesn’t require classic car owners to carry classic car insurance coverage. But driving your vintage car on South Carolina roads does mean carrying the minimum liability insurance required by the state. Specifically, you have to have the following minimum car insurance coverages:[6]
Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
Uninsured motorist coverage: Equal to the minimum amounts of liability coverage
If you drive without insurance in South Carolina, you risk losing your driver’s license, your license plate, and vehicle registration for every car listed on your insurance policy. You’ll have to pay up to $400 to reinstate your driving privileges.[7]
Save up to $1,100 per year on coverage
Owning vintage cars in South Carolina comes with certain localized hazards that you should be prepared for, including:
Hurricane season: As a coastal Southern state, South Carolina sits in the path of some major storms every hurricane season. And these extreme storms can flood even the most secure of storage facilities, not to mention send flying debris through doors and windows.
Storage challenges: South Carolina’s climate is sunny, humid, and, depending on where in the state you live, full of salty air. This could make it difficult to find a storage space that will protect your vintage car. You may need a climate-controlled garage.
Rural roads: More than three-fourths of South Carolina’s roads are considered “rural,” which means they’re more likely to be narrow, unlit, curvy, and unpaved. This could make them riskier to drive on in your vintage car.
If you’re looking for classic car insurance in South Carolina, the answers to the following questions can help.
South Carolina only issues antique car license plates to cars that are at least 25 years old and that you only drive for pleasure or to go to car shows or exhibitions. But some insurers also consider exotic cars and rebuilds as classics, so you can still get specialized insurance.
Typically, insurance companies require you to store your classic car in a locked, enclosed, private structure, such as a garage.
The agreed-upon value takes the car’s appreciation into consideration, since classic cars are collector’s items that increase in value over time. Actual cash value is how much a car is worth when accounting for depreciation, and is a much lower value.
It depends. Some classic car insurance companies impose mileage limits on vintage car coverage, while others only require drivers to prove that they have a primary vehicle they use as their daily driver.
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 250 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Plutus Award winner
Over 12 years writing about insurance and personal finance
Featured in
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Featured in
Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 21630969
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