Insurance requirements for registering a car in South Carolina
The State of South Carolina requires all drivers to have liability insurance or "financial liability" for their vehicles in order to legally operate a vehicle and retain a vehicle registration.
The minimum financial liability requirements for South Carolina drivers are as follows:
Minimum $25,000 per person for personal injury or death. This means you need to have at least $50,000 with you to cover the fewest possible number of people involved in an accident (two drivers).
$25,000 minimum for property damage liability
You also need to have two types of insurance for uninsured or underinsured motorists, which pay for certain costs associated with an accident involving a driver who does not have the necessary legal insurance.
A minimum of $25,000 per person in the event of bodily injury or death in the case of an uninsured or underinsured motorist. This means you need to have at least $50,000 with you to cover the fewest possible number of people involved in an accident (two drivers).
$25,000 minimum for property damage on uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
This means that the total minimum financial liability you will need is $150,000 for bodily injury or death coverage, property damage liability, and uninsured motorist coverage.
Registration of an uninsured motorist
Alternatively, if you do not want to insure your vehicle, you can register with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles as an uninsured motorist. To do this, you must pay an annual fee of $550. You will be responsible for any damage or injury resulting from an accident caused by you.
To register, you must meet a number of specific criteria, which include:
A valid driver's license valid for at least three years.
All other drivers in your family must also have a valid license for three years.
You may not qualify for the current SR-22 filing requirements.
You have not been convicted of drunk driving, reckless driving, or other traffic violations in the past three years.
proof of insurance
You must show proof of insurance or a copy of an approved statement from an uninsured motorist at any stop or scene of an accident.
When you register your vehicle, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles will verify your insurance electronically, so you do not need to carry your insurance certificate with you.
Penalties for Violation
If you do not have an insurance policy to present to an employee at a bus stop or at the scene of an accident, you may be fined or fined. You may also face jail time. If you do not provide proof of insurance within 30 days, you may face suspension of your driver's license.
If you are caught driving without valid insurance, you may face the following fines:
Suspension of driving license and vehicle registration
$200 recovery fee
An additional fine of $5 per day for each day of driving without insurance, up to $200.
For more information, contact the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles through their website.
