Non-owner auto insurance in South Carolina: Which company has the cheapest rates?

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Non-owner auto insurance in South Carolina costs $368 per year, which is $43 more than the rest of the country on average, according to a rate analysis by Insure.com.

In South Carolina, non-owner policies are available from companies such as Auto-Owners, Geico and State Farm.

Non-owner car insurance is a policy for people who don’t own a car but often borrow or rent a vehicle. It provides liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage in case you get in an accident while driving a car owned by someone else.

“Non-owner policies provide the minimum coverage required by the state, as well as some optional add-ons, but there are specific requirements by the insurance carriers to provide this coverage in lieu of a traditional auto insurance policy,” says Patti Clement, senior vice president of private client services at HUB International, a leading personal insurance brokerage.

Learn more about the various requirements, what non-owner insurance is, which companies offer it and how much it costs in South Carolina.

How much does non-owner auto insurance cost in South Carolina?

Insurers consider non-owner policyholders as less risky due to their limited access to a vehicle, and therefore, it’s usually less expensive to buy a non-owner insurance policy than full coverage auto insurance.

On average in the U.S., it costs a driver with a clean driving record and good credit score $1,895 a year for a 100/300/100 full coverage insurance policy-$100,000 for injuries you cause in an accident, up to $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 for property damage. In South Carolina, full coverage car insurance costs $2,009.

Alternatively, non-owner car insurance is $325 a year on average in the United States and $368 in South Carolina.

But various factors affect individual rates, such as where in state you live, your age and driving history and other factors.

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Which insurer offers the cheapest non-owner insurance rates in South Carolina?

With an average annual cost of $126, Auto-Owners non-owner insurance policy is South Carolina’s most affordable.

At $581 a year, Sentry Insurance charges the highest rate for non-owner insurance in the state.

A good rule of thumb is to compare quotes from many different insurance companies to get the best price. Below you’ll find a list of the cheapest non-owner policies offered in South Carolina.

Cheapest non-owner insurance rates in South Carolina

Note that USAA only offers coverage to military members, veterans and their families.

How much is non-owner car insurance in South Carolina by age?

Age plays an important role in pricing because young people who haven’t been driving for a long time are seen as higher risk and are more likely to cause an accident. So older and more experienced drivers usually enjoy lower rates. On average, non-owner insurance costs $1,141 a year for a 16-year-old and $363 for a 45-year-old in South Carolina.

Average non-owner car insurance rates in South Carolina by age and gender

Which South Carolina cities have the cheapest non-owner car insurance?

Rates differ from city to city. Insurers consider the number of thefts, collisions and vandalism in an area when calculating rates.

Below are the cheapest and most expensive cities for non-owner car insurance in South Carolina.

The 20 South Carolina cities with the lowest non-owner auto insurance rates

The 20 South Carolina cities with the highest non-owner car insurance rates

How much is non-owner car insurance in South Carolina’s 10 biggest cities?

The largest cities in South Carolina have different non-owner insurance rates. The cost of non-owner insurance in North Charleston is the highest at $473. Greenville has the least expensive rates of the largest cities in the state at $363.

Non-owner auto rates in South Carolina’s 10 largest cities

How non-owner insurance rates in South Carolina compare to rates in other states

Non-owner car insurance rates also differ from state to state. The average non-owner insurance rate in South Carolina is $368 a year, which is higher than the national average of $325.

Non-owner auto insurance rates in the 10 most populous states

What does non-owner auto insurance cover?

Non-owner auto insurance provides coverage when you are driving a vehicle you don’t own. “If someone with non-owner auto insurance is involved in an accident while driving a rental car or a friend’s car, the policy typically covers liability for damages and injuries to others,” says Golnoush Goharzad, a personal injury attorney in California.

An important caveat is these policies don’t cover damage to the car you are driving. “That would be covered under the car owner’s policy or possibly through optional insurance purchased from the rental agency,” Goharzad says.

Goharzad adds that non-owner auto insurance policies may provide extra coverage. “Non-owner policies may also provide supplementary liability over and above what the car owner’s policy covers, filling in gaps if the primary policy’s limits are exhausted.”

How to get non-owner auto insurance in South Carolina

Your driver’s license number and a credit or debit card are all you need to get a non-owner insurance policy.

To purchase a policy, follow these steps:

1. Contact an auto insurance agent about the coverage
2. Supply your basic driving history
3. Review the information you receive on the insurers and rates
4. Choose the policy that best meets your needs
5. Put down a payment to begin coverage

Often, you’ll receive proof of insurance very quickly. Here are a few car insurance companies with their contact numbers to call for a non-owner insurance quote.

• State Farm: 800-782-8332
• Geico: 800-207-7847
• Progressive: 888-671-4405
• Allstate: 800-726-6033
• USAA: 800-531-8722

Methodology

Insure.com in 2023 compiled non-owner insurance rates from Quadrant Information Services for a 40-year-old male with a good driving record looking for a state minimum, liability-only policy.

What our expert says

Q: Does a non-owner policy cover damage to your car?

Golnoush GoharzadPersonal injury attorney, California.

These policies don’t cover damage to the car you are driving, Goharzad says. “That would be covered under the car owner’s policy or possibly through optional insurance purchased from the rental agency.”

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Leslie Kasperowicz

Managing Editor

 

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Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at Insurance.com.