The Best Cheap Motorcycle Insurance in South Carolina
The cheapest annual motorcycle insurance rate in South Carolina is offered by Progressive at $492 per year.
Compare South Carolina Motorcycle Insurance Quotes
You’re required to purchase insurance to operate a motorcycle in South Carolina, and not every motorcycle insurance provider offers the same price or coverage benefits. After gathering more than 100 quotes from across South Carolina, we came up with a list of some of the state's best insurers.
The cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in South Carolina
On average, the price of motorcycle insurance in South Carolina is $777 per year, which is more expensive than the national average of $702 per year.
The cheapest motorcycle insurance company in South Carolina is Progressive, which sells policies for $492 per year. On the other hand, the most expensive company is Dairyland, where protection costs an average of $960 annually.
Compare South Carolina Motorcycle Insurance Quotes
Cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in South Carolina
Company | Average annual cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive | $515 |
| Allstate | $767 |
| Geico | $869 |
| Dairyland | $957 |
| Average | $777 |
Best motorcycle insurance for most people: Progressive
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Editor rating
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Annual rate
$515 ?
Pros and cons
Progressive is the best motorcycle insurance for most people in South Carolina. Its combination of affordability and policy features are unmatched by the other providers we surveyed in the state. For example, full coverage motorcycle insurance from Progressive comes with replacement cost coverage and $3,000 of custom parts protection.
Additionally, you can supplement your motorcycle insurance with other add-ons that Progressive offers, including:
- Total loss protection for motorcycles less than one year old or two years old upon renewal
- Enhanced injury protection that pays $250 per week for up to two years if you're injured while riding
- A payment of up to $25,000 to your family if you're killed while riding your bike
- Roadside assistance, including $500 for food and other expenses if you're stranded
The average cost of motorcycle insurance from Progressive is $515 per year — 34% cheaper than the average rate in South Carolina. Progressive is one of two insurers we found that is cheaper than the state's average price.
You can also save money with Progressive through the insurer's discounts, which are easy for many riders to qualify for. For instance, you could lower your motorcycle premiums by requesting a quote ahead of time, scheduling automatic payments or simply by having a motorcycle endorsement.
Best motorcycle insurance for military families: USAA
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Editor rating
Pros and cons
The best motorcycle insurance for the thousands of armed service members who call South Carolina home is USAA. Coverage is available to active, reserve or retired military members and their families. Only these individuals can request quote information and detailed policy details from USAA.
A standard USAA motorcycle insurance policy includes enough coverage to meet South Carolina's motorcycle insurance requirements for liability protection. Policies also include the option of adding uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, comprehensive and collision protection.
Unlike other providers, USAA doesn't require you to purchase roadside assistance as an endorsement. USAA policies include this protection as a standard feature. USAA doesn't offer many ways to lower your motorcycle insurance costs, but you could save by insuring multiple bikes or completing a safety course.
USAA motorcycle insurance comes with highly regarded customer service, too. In addition to price, we examined complaint information for every motorcycle insurance company we surveyed. USAA receives fewer complaints than its size.
Best for customer service: Allstate
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Editor rating
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Annual rate
$767 ?
Pros and cons
If the quality of a company's customer service is the most important factor when you're shopping for coverage, consider motorcycle insurance from Allstate. Data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reveals that Auto-Owners Insurance receives only about 63% of the complaints its market share suggests — the best ratio in our study.
You won't have to pay too much for that service, either. Allstate has the second-lowest rates of any company we looked at in South Carolina, $767 per year. That's $10 less than the state average.
Allstate also offers many discounts and converge options, compared to several major competitors. Like other providers, you can save money by bundling, paying your bills on time and, notably, you can also save money if you're a long-distance rider and own a touring-style motorcycle.
In addition to basic coverages, Allstate riders can get trailer coverage, rental reimbursement and up to $30,000 in optional or added equipment coverage.
Affordability: comparing motorcycle prices in South Carolina
For many people, the cost of motorcycle insurance can be one of the biggest factors in their decision on what to buy. With this in mind, we gathered rate information by requesting quotes from addresses across South Carolina. This way, we were able to calculate the typical cost of motorcycle insurance in the state.
It's common for your quoted rate to be different from another person's rate, even if you have the same bike. This is because the price of your premiums depends on the amount of coverage you want to purchase, your personal driving history and the type of motorcycle you're insuring.
To get our rates, we requested motorcycle insurance quotes for a 45-year-old married male homeowner with 20 years of riding experience. This sample profile insured a 2021 Harley-Davidson FLHX Street Glide. We purchased insurance for the bike itself in addition to liability protection.
- Bodily injury liability coverage: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
- Property damage liability coverage: $50,000 per accident
- Collision coverage: Included/$500 deductible
- Comprehensive coverage: Included/$500 deductible
- All other coverages: Not included
Coverage options: evaluating motorcycle insurance policies and features
The providers we've highlighted all offer more than enough coverage to meet South Carolina's insurance minimums. Each offers additional endorsements you can use to upgrade a standard policy, too.
Before deciding which motorcycle insurance company works best for you, evaluate whether an insurer's standard policy contains sufficient coverage for your motorcycle. Also be sure that a provider grants you the ability to change your coverage limits and purchase practical endorsements as your insurance needs evolve.
The following table displays the policy features available with the providers we mentioned in this study. Additionally, we tabulated policy data for Dairyland motorcycle insurance, a provider we sourced quotes from while gathering rate information.
Insurance provider | Replacement cost coverage | OEM parts replacement | Custom parts | Roadside assistance | Rental reimbursement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | X† | X | X† | X | - |
| GEICO | - | - | - | X | - |
| Dairyland | X | X | X | X | X |
| Allstate | X | - | - | - | X |
†-Indicates that coverage is included with the purchase of a regular motorcycle insurance policy
Customer service: considering insurer quality in service and claims satisfaction
We checked three measurements of an insurer's customer service to find the best motorcycle insurance provider in South Carolina: the Complaint Index maintained by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and AM Best's Financial Strength Ratings (FSR).
Insurer | NAIC complaint index | AM Best FSR |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | 0.63 | A+ |
| Dairyland | 2.69 | A+ |
| Geico | 0.64 | A++ |
| Progressive | 0.77 | A+ |
| USAA | 0.85 | A++ |
NAIC Complaint Index: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) measures the number of complaints an insurer receives relative to its size or market share. The number of complaints an insurer is expected to receive is represented by 1.0, meaning a company that receives fewer complaints than expected has a Complaint Index under 1.0.
AM Best: AM Best assesses the ability of insurance providers to satisfy their financial obligations, such as paying claims to policyholders, if an economic recession or large-scale natural disaster were to occur. Many companies are highly ranked by AM Best, but this tool allows you to determine which companies are more likely to present a financial risk.
South Carolina motorcycle insurance costs by city
Using the rates we collected for this study, we found the average costs of motorcycle insurance in cities and towns across South Carolina. This information is displayed below, along with each location's difference from the state's average price of $777.
Aiken is the cheapest place to buy motorcycle insurance in South Carolina, while Columbia is the most expensive city in the state, where coverage costs about $884 per year.
City | Annual rate | Difference from statewide average |
|---|---|---|
| Aiken | $694 | -10.6% |
| Anderson | $815 | 4.9% |
| Beaufort | $753 | -3.1% |
| Bluffton | $717 | -7.7% |
| Cayce | $855 | 10.1% |
South Carolina motorcycle insurance requirements
South Carolina's motorcyclists must get the same amount of minimum coverage as other drivers. Nearly all states require motorists to purchase liability insurance, but South Carolina also calls for its drivers to purchase uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance — a coverage that protects your vehicle from damage caused by other drivers.
We've displayed South Carolina's motorcycle insurance requirements below.
Coverage type | Required minimums |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per individual / $50,000 per accident |
| Uninsured or underinsured motorist | $25,000 per individual / $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per incident |
How do you get a motorcycle license in South Carolina?
Getting a motorcycle license, or Class M endorsement, is straightforward in South Carolina. If you don't already have a regular driver's license, you must get a learner's permit before you can get a motorcycle license. Learner's permits have to be carried for at least 180 days before you can qualify for a full license.
If you already have a license, you can bypass the process of getting a motorcycle learner's permit. Instead, you’ll need to take a motorcycle skills test at a South Carolina DMV branch. You can take the test up to three times, but after too many failed attempts, you must enroll in a motorcycle safety course before you can get a license.
Methodology
For this survey, we collected 120 motorcycle insurance quotes from across South Carolina. The rates we requested were for a 45-year-old male homeowner who’s married, with 20 years of experience riding bikes recreationally. Our sample bike was a 2021 Harley-Davidson FLHX Street Glide. Prices will fluctuate depending on individual factors.