South Carolina treats reckless driving as a 6-point violation that typically doubles your insurance rate for three years. Here's what to expect and which carriers will still write you.
How Reckless Driving Affects Your Rates in South Carolina
A reckless driving conviction in South Carolina adds 6 points to your license and typically increases your insurance premium by 90–120% for the first three years. If you were paying $1,400 per year before the conviction, expect to pay $2,660–3,080 annually immediately after. Most carriers apply the full surcharge for 36 months, then taper the increase through year four and five.
South Carolina defines reckless driving under SC Code § 56-5-2920 as operating a vehicle in "willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." It is a misdemeanor criminal offense, not a simple traffic infraction. Carriers treat it more severely than speeding tickets or minor moving violations because it signals elevated risk of future claims.
The 6-point penalty brings you halfway to South Carolina's 12-point suspension threshold within a 12-month period. If you accumulate 12 or more points in 12 months, the DMV suspends your license for up to 6 months. Points from your reckless driving conviction remain on your South Carolina driving record for two years from the conviction date, but insurers typically surcharge you for three years based on their underwriting lookback period. South Carolina SR-22 requirements non-standard auto insurance
Does Reckless Driving Require SR-22 in South Carolina?
Most reckless driving convictions in South Carolina do not require SR-22 filing. SR-22 is only mandated for specific violations listed under South Carolina law: DUI, driving under suspension for certain causes, accumulating excessive points leading to suspension, at-fault accidents without insurance, or refusal to submit to chemical testing. A standalone reckless driving conviction — absent these aggravating factors — does not trigger an SR-22 requirement from the DMV.
However, if your reckless driving involved serious bodily injury, death, or significant property damage, or if it led to a license suspension, the court or DMV may impose SR-22 as part of your reinstatement terms. Review your court documents and any DMV correspondence carefully. If SR-22 is required, you will receive explicit written notice from the South Carolina DMV specifying the filing period, typically three years.
Many drivers mistakenly believe all major violations require SR-22, and some insurance agents conflate high-risk status with SR-22 necessity. If you were not ordered to file SR-22 by the DMV or court, you do not need it — and paying for SR-22 coverage when it is not required wastes money on compliance you do not owe.
Which Carriers Will Insure You After Reckless Driving
Standard carriers like State Farm, Allstate, and Nationwide may choose not to renew your policy after a reckless driving conviction, or they may renew you at significantly higher rates. Non-standard carriers specializing in drivers with violations — including Dairyland, The General, Bristol West, National General, and Progressive's non-standard division — typically accept reckless driving convictions and price them into their base underwriting models.
You will see the widest rate variation immediately after your conviction. One carrier may quote you $3,200 per year while another quotes $2,100 for identical coverage. This variance exists because non-standard carriers use different underwriting models: some penalize criminal traffic offenses more heavily, others focus on claims history, and a few specialize in single-incident violations. Shopping at least three non-standard carriers is the single highest-leverage action you can take to reduce your premium.
Many South Carolina drivers returning from a reckless driving conviction find coverage through independent agents who have appointment agreements with multiple non-standard carriers. Captive agents representing one carrier cannot access the competitive market necessary to find you the lowest available rate. Expect to remain in the non-standard market for three to four years before transitioning back to standard rates.
How Long the Rate Impact Lasts
Your reckless driving conviction remains on your South Carolina DMV record for two years from the conviction date, at which point the 6 points fall off. However, insurers typically surcharge you for three years based on their underwriting lookback period, which extends beyond the DMV point removal timeline. Some carriers extend the surcharge to four or five years, particularly if you were convicted of a criminal traffic offense rather than a civil infraction.
After three years without additional violations, most non-standard carriers reduce your surcharge by 50–70%. By year five, if your record is otherwise clean, you should qualify for standard rates again. This assumes no new violations, no lapses in coverage, and no at-fault accidents during the recovery period. A single additional moving violation during years one through three can reset your rate recovery timeline.
Taking a South Carolina-approved defensive driving course within 90 days of your conviction can sometimes reduce your point total by up to 4 points, depending on court approval. This does not erase the conviction itself or eliminate the insurance surcharge entirely, but it may prevent you from crossing the 12-point suspension threshold if you have other violations on your record. Check with the court that handled your case to confirm eligibility before enrolling in a course.
What Happens If You Get Another Violation
A second major violation within three years of your reckless driving conviction — including at-fault accidents, DUI, or additional reckless driving citations — will likely result in non-renewal from your current carrier and push you into assigned risk or state-mandated high-risk pools. South Carolina does not operate a formal assigned risk plan for auto insurance, but the South Carolina Reinsurance Facility backstops insurers who write high-risk policies, which means carriers can still refuse to write you if your risk profile exceeds their underwriting tolerance.
If you accumulate 12 or more points within a 12-month period, the South Carolina DMV suspends your license for up to six months. After the suspension period, you must pay a $100 reinstatement fee and provide proof of insurance to regain your driving privileges. If the suspension was related to excessive points and you meet certain criteria, the DMV may require SR-22 filing for three years post-reinstatement.
Avoiding a second violation is the most cost-effective action you can take. A clean three-year period following reckless driving reduces your annual premium by $1,000–1,500 on average compared to drivers who accumulate additional violations during the same window.
Steps to Take Immediately After Your Conviction
Contact your current insurer within 72 hours of your conviction to confirm whether they will renew your policy and at what rate. If they non-renew you or quote a rate above $250 per month, begin shopping non-standard carriers immediately. Do not wait until your renewal date — securing coverage before your current policy expires prevents a lapse, which adds another surcharge on top of your reckless driving penalty.
Request quotes from at least three non-standard carriers or work with an independent agent who can access multiple markets simultaneously. Provide accurate information about your conviction date, the exact charge, and any court-ordered requirements. Inaccurate disclosure can result in policy rescission if the carrier discovers the discrepancy later.
If you are eligible for a defensive driving course that reduces your point total, enroll within 90 days and submit your completion certificate to the court and DMV as instructed. Confirm with your insurer whether course completion qualifies you for a discount — some carriers reduce premiums by 5–10% for drivers who complete state-approved courses within six months of a major violation. how points affect rates in your state