Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Columbia, SC (2023)

No one wants to look behind them and see flashing lights. But if you’re at Congaree National Park, they may just be…wait for it…fireflies! Waiting around for your insurance rates to go down? It’s easier to take the bull by the horns and go shopping online for better rates yourself.

It’s certainly a treat if you ever get a chance to see this asynchronous light show, but if you aren’t at the park and you see lights behind you, you should probably pull over. Always having proof of registration with you is a good practice, but being without a car insurance policy at all is never a good thing.

Car Insurance in Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC to find you the cheapest quotes in the area.

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• Cheap Car Insurance South Carolina

• Compare Car Insurance

Cheapest Car Insurance in Columbia, SC

The cost of car insurance can vary depending on the insurance provider. That’s because every insurance provider values information like your driving history and your credit score a little bit differently. Although the following car insurance companies offer the cheapest auto insurance premiums on average, it’s always important to compare quotes. Use Insurify to find your best rate today!

Best Car Insurance in Columbia, SC

The Insurify Composite Score is calculated by analyzing multiple factors that indicate the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings, Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys, mobile app reviews, and user-generated company reviews. The following are the top rated companies that offer car insurance in Columbia. For the complete list, see Insurify's best car insurance companies .

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Average Car Insurance Cost

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Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in South Carolina

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 be available when:

• Requested by law enforcement

• Renewing vehicle registration

• The vehicle is involved in a car accident

The minimum liability insurance requirements for private passenger vehicles in South Carolina^[1] are:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury

• $50,000 per accident for bodily injury

As a major part of your liability insurance, bodily injury coverage covers medical bills for people other than the policyholder who are injured during an accident. South Carolina is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who is responsible for the collision is also responsible for paying for any resulting expenses, either through their car insurance provider or out of pocket.

• $25,000 per accident for property damage

If it’s determined that an insured driver is at fault for an accident, this coverage pays for repairs to the property of the other involved parties. Additionally, property damage coverage can cover legal costs if the insured driver is involved in a lawsuit following the accident.

• $25,000 per person for uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury

• $50,000 per accident for uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury

• $25,000 per accident for uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays for costs caused by a driver with little or no insurance after a car accident. In South Carolina, drivers are requred to purchase this coverage for both bodily injury and property damage.

Columbia Car Insurance Rates by Driver Age

What you pay to insure your ride depends on many factors. As the average car insurance rates in Columbia demonstrate, age is obviously one of them. Premiums for teen drivers here average out to $597, more than twice the average cost for drivers in their 60s. Though the rate increase between drivers in their 60s and 70s is not as striking, older drivers in Columbia do pay more because they tend to have more accidents than drivers in their prime.

Columbia Car Insurance Rates by Driving and Accident History

Columbia drivers can enjoy their best insurance rates if they keep their record clear of accidents and other driving offenses (like running a red light or speeding). In fact, Columbia’s clean-record crowd pays an average of $313 a month for car insurance. Compare this to a Columbia driver with an at-fault accident on their record, and average monthly insurance rates skyrocket by 30 percent. This is one reason why drivers sometimes seek insurance companies that offer accident forgiveness—a program that ignores the first accident and prevents a spike in insurance rates.

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• High-risk Car Insurance South Carolina

• DUI Car Insurance South Carolina

Columbia Car Insurance Rates by Credit Tier

Car insurance companies use data to determine how much you should pay in monthly premiums. While you’re probably aware of the most common information they comb through (your age, gender, and the type of car you drive), you may not realize that many insurance companies are leaning on your credit score as well. In Columbia, your creditworthiness can go a long way in getting you a good rate. Rates for drivers with an excellent credit score average out to $294 monthly, while drivers with only a good score pay $64 more for the same coverage.

See More: Bad Credit Car Insurance South Carolina

Find local Columbia agents

Columbia, SC DMV Information

Though you can still find a warm body to talk to inside any South Carolina DMV office, South Carolina’s DMV website is one of the easiest to use and could save you a lot of time and frustration. To get around online, you can start at the top with the kind of vehicle you drive or jump down to a section defining who you are—whether you are moving to the state, a person with a disability, in the military, or looking to schedule an appointment. It doesn’t matter where you start; in just a few clicks, this sweet site will get you to the right place.

Public Transportation in Columbia, SC

Want to catch a ride around town in Columbia? Look around for the brightly colored buses. Nothing’s boring about being inside one of these buses—also known as the COMET bus system. Looking for something a little less loud? A courtesy shuttle called the E-Rover can also take you through 36 blocks of the downtown area. Uber, Lyft, and traditional taxis also operate in the city. If you want a little more wind in your hair, you can try the city’s bikeshare program called Blue Bike SC. Just find one of the on-street kiosk locations and follow the subscription steps.

For more detailed South Carolina city level guides, check out these below.

• Average Cost of Car Insurance Rates in South Carolina

• DUI Car Insurance Rates in South Carolina

• High-Risk Driver Car Insurance Rates in South Carolina

• South Carolina Car Insurance with Bad Credit Rates

• Short-Term Car Insurance in South Carolina

• SR-22 Insurance in South Carolina

How to get the best and cheapest car insurance in Columbia, SC

There are so many wonders to see at or near this capital city, including those fireflies that light up the night sky. But standing in awe of these critters is entirely different from wondering how your neighbor found a better insurance policy.

With Insurify, you never have to wonder whether you are getting a good rate. The more information you give its powerful AI engine, the more discounts you can unlock while watching your rates go lower and lower.

FAQs - Columbia, SC Car Insurance