South Carolina Requires Bodily Injury Liability Coverage
South Carolina law requires every driver to carry bodily injury liability coverage at minimum limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. This is not optional. You cannot register a vehicle, renew registration, or legally drive without it. The state also mandates $25,000 in property damage liability and uninsured motorist coverage at the same bodily injury limits.
Many drivers assume property damage coverage alone satisfies state requirements, or that bodily injury is an add-on they can decline. It is not. South Carolina's liability statute treats bodily injury as the foundational coverage. Without it, your policy does not meet the legal minimum, your registration is invalid, and you are driving uninsured even if you carry property damage.
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Get Your Free QuoteSC Bodily Injury Minimum
$25,000 / $50,000
South Carolina requires $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability on every auto policy. This is the floor, not a recommendation. Drivers may purchase higher limits, but no policy can drop below these amounts and remain compliant.
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
What Bodily Injury Liability Actually Covers
Bodily injury liability pays medical bills, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering claims filed by people you injure in an at-fault accident. It does not cover your own injuries. It does not cover vehicle damage. It covers the other driver, their passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists you hit.
The $25,000 per-person limit is the maximum your insurer pays to any single injured person. The $50,000 per-accident limit is the maximum your insurer pays for all injuries combined in one crash. If you injure three people and their combined medical bills exceed $50,000, you are personally liable for the difference. South Carolina does not cap your personal exposure.
Property damage liability is a separate coverage. It pays for the other driver's vehicle and any property you damage. The state requires $25,000 in property damage liability on top of bodily injury. Together, these three coverages—bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage—form the state minimum liability package, often written as 25/50/25.
South Carolina law does not allow you to decline bodily injury liability. If your policy omits it, your registration is invalid and you are driving uninsured.
How South Carolina Enforces the Bodily Injury Requirement
When you register a vehicle or renew registration, the South Carolina DMV checks your insurance electronically. Your carrier reports your policy number, coverage limits, and effective dates to the state database. If your bodily injury limits fall below $25,000/$50,000, the system rejects your registration. You cannot complete the transaction until you provide proof of compliant coverage.
If your policy cancels or lapses after registration, your carrier notifies the DMV within days. The state suspends your registration and mails a notice. You have 30 days to reinstate coverage and file proof with the DMV. If you do not, the DMV suspends your license.
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Why Minimum Limits May Not Be Enough
The $25,000 per-person limit covers one moderate injury. A broken bone requiring surgery, an overnight hospital stay, and follow-up physical therapy can exceed $25,000 in a single claim. If you cause a multi-vehicle crash or injure multiple passengers, the $50,000 per-accident limit exhausts quickly. Medical bills beyond your policy limit become your personal debt.
South Carolina is an at-fault state. The driver who causes the accident pays for injuries and damage. If you are at fault and the injured party's bills exceed your bodily injury limit, they can sue you personally for the difference. Your wages can be garnished, your bank accounts levied, and liens placed on your property. The state minimum protects you only up to the limit. It does not shield you from personal liability.
Many carriers write policies with higher bodily injury limits at modest additional cost. If you own a home, have retirement savings, or earn a steady income, carrying only the state minimum exposes those assets to judgment.
SC Uninsured Motorist Rate
10.3%
One in ten South Carolina drivers carries no insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage, which the state also mandates, protects you when an at-fault driver has no bodily injury liability to pay your claim. The mandate exists because the uninsured rate remains high despite enforcement.
Insurance Information Institute, 2023
How Bodily Injury Interacts With Uninsured Motorist Coverage
South Carolina requires uninsured motorist coverage at the same limits as your bodily injury liability. If you carry $25,000/$50,000 in bodily injury, you must carry $25,000/$50,000 in uninsured motorist. This coverage pays your medical bills and lost wages when an at-fault driver has no insurance or flees the scene. It functions as a mirror to bodily injury liability, protecting you instead of the other driver.
You may decline uninsured motorist coverage in writing, but doing so is rarely advisable. With more than one in ten South Carolina drivers uninsured, the probability of being hit by an uninsured motorist is material. If you decline uninsured motorist coverage and an uninsured driver injures you, you pay your own medical bills or sue the uninsured driver personally—a judgment that is often uncollectible.
Compare Carriers and Raise Your Bodily Injury Limits
Bodily injury liability is mandatory, but the limits you carry are your decision. The difference in premium between tiers is often smaller than the difference in protection, and higher limits reduce your personal exposure in a serious at-fault crash.
Use the comparison tool to request quotes from multiple carriers at the limits that match your household's assets and risk tolerance. Every carrier writing auto insurance in South Carolina offers bodily injury liability—it is the foundation of every policy—but premium, claims handling, and the cost of raising limits vary by insurer. Compare before you buy, and review your limits annually as your assets grow.