STATE LAW – SOUTH CAROLINA LIBRARY – GUIDE 02
Required Auto Insurance, Mandatory UM & 25/50/25 Limits in South Carolina
South Carolina requires automobile liability insurance with minimum limits of $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to two or more persons in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured-motorist coverage is mandatory at least at statutory minimum levels.
Liability minimums are 25/50/25
Section 38-77-140 sets minimum liability limits of $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The per-person bodily-injury amount operates within the accident limit. The statute permits higher liability coverage.
Obtain the accident-date declarations and complete policy. Liability insurance addresses the insured’s legal responsibility to others; collision, medical payments and UM/UIM have their own coverage terms.
Mandatory UM and optional UIM serve different roles
Section 38-77-150 requires an uninsured-motorist provision with limits at least at the statutory minimums. Its property-damage provision requires at least $25,000 of coverage and permits an exclusion of the first $200 of loss or damage.
Section 38-77-160 requires carriers to offer additional UM and optional UIM coverage up to the insured’s liability limits. Obtain the offer, election documents and policy history. A statement that UIM was declined should lead to review of the actual documents and applicable law.
Keep the coverage file broader than the card
Chapter 56-9’s definition of a motor-vehicle liability policy addresses policy identification, coverage, policy period and limits. A card is a useful lead, while the complete contract and governing statute determine the coverage available for a particular loss.
Identify vehicle ownership, household policies, employer or commercial use, rental or rideshare use, umbrellas and applicable UM/UIM policies. Confirm whether a proposed payment is a per-person limit, a shared accident limit or a negotiated amount.
Preserve unresolved issues before settlement
Request coverage decisions in writing and keep the forms, endorsements, offers, elections and correspondence. Record each insurer’s stated limit, payments, competing claims and disputed coverage issues.
UM/UIM claims have separate coverage and procedural requirements. Before signing a liability release, review its effect on other policies and defendants. Minimum coverage does not establish claim value, and this overview does not decide the validity of a particular offer, rejection or exclusion.
Official source text checked October 14, 2026 for the cited coverage overview. Verify accident-date law, policy terms, later changes and claim-specific deadlines before legal reliance.
PUBLIC-INTEREST LEGAL EDUCATION
VictimsGuide does not provide legal services or create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance requirements, deadlines, remedies and controlling authority can change. Verify current primary authority, policy language and the law applicable to the particular event before legal reliance.
Authorities and source notes
- South Carolina liability, UM and UIM requirements — S.C.Code §§38-77-140,150,160
- South Carolina financial responsibility definitions — S.C.Code §56-9-20(5),(11)
Official source text checked October 14, 2026 for these cited propositions. Full amendment and subsequent-history review remains open. Minimum requirements do not establish the coverage or value of an individual claim.