Boat Insurance South Carolina

Boat Insurance South Carolina marinas have insurance requirements, meaning if you park your boat there, you will have to furnish proof of liability insurance for third-party protection. 

Boat Insurance South Carolina covers the following:

• Coverage for damage to the vessel or your personal property for instance when the boat is in water or being trailered. 
• Liability coverage for damage to others.
• Medical payment coverage if anyone on the boat sustains any injury.
• Uninsured boat owner’s coverage for any damage sustained due to another uninsured boat owner.
• Towing coverage.

Cheapest Boat Insurance in South Carolina

The cost of boat insurance depends on various factors, which are as follows:

• The value of the boat
• The storage area and navigational territory of the boat
• Size of the boat
• Kind of marine vessel 
• Purpose of use
• How often is it used?

Based on these factors, insurers will present to you a protection plan which would include cost, tenure, and rate of interest. 

You can use the boat insurance cost calculator available on many official websites of lenders who provide boat insurance in South Carolina. 

In order to get the cheapest boat insurance in South Carolina, you can consider a variety of possible options:

• Adding an auxiliary motor in case of any emergency can save you some money on boat insurance.
• You can also go for a higher hull deductible, as long as you can afford it. This will lower your insurance amount. 
• You Can take a boat safety course to lower the amount of insurance. 
• If you’re going to buy a boat, go for a new one as older boats come with higher insurance rates.
• If you’re planning to use your boat seasonally, the cost of insurance would be low as stored boats are considered less at risk.

Boat insurance South Carolina requirements

South Carolina may not have mandated insurance for boats, but they do have a number of laws for registering and operating marine vessels. 

If you’re about to dock your boat anywhere in South Carolina, it is advisable to know the rules and regulations in place:

• Boating Licence

Although you don’t need a boating license in South Carolina, state laws mandate that anyone born after 1988 has to complete a boating safety course and possess a boating safety education identification card if they operate a vessel with more than 10 horsepower. 

For jet-ski, the boater safety identification card is necessary for people under the age of 22. The card can be obtained from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Center (FWC).

• Boat safety equipment laws

Boat safety equipment laws in South Carolina state the requirement of the following:

• Fire extinguishers and backfire flame control
• A horn or any other device producing sound to signal other boats
• A ventilation system
• Vessel lighting equipment
• Visual distress signals
• At least 1 personal floatation device

 

• Boat registration requirement

To operate a boat in South Carolina, you need to title and register your boat with the authorities within 30 days of purchasing the boat. The application can be submitted to a county tax collector or license plate agent office.

You can either apply for a one or two-year registration. Once registered, you need to keep it with you on the boat along with a number and decals that have to be affixed on your vessel. 

For boat title, you have to provide proof of ownership like a bill of sale or the manufacturer’s certificate of origin. 

South Carolina boat titling fees are as follows:

• $5.25 for an electronic title
• $7.75 for a paper title
• $11 for expedited title
• $1 per existing lien on the boat
• $4 if the boat was previously registered in another state

Once the title is issued, you can apply for boat registration depending on its length. 

Cheapest boat insurance South Carolina

The following lenders offer the cheapest boat insurance in South Carolina:

• Skisafe boat insurance
• National Boat Owners Association
• United Marine Underwriters
• Allstate
• GEICO

BOAT INSURANCE QUOTE