South Carolina § 38-77-140 - Bodily injury and property damage limits; general requirements.

§ 38-77-140. Bodily injury and property damage limits; general requirements.

(A) An automobile insurance policy may not be issued or delivered in this State to the owner of a motor vehicle or may not be issued or delivered by an insurer licensed in this State upon a motor vehicle then principally garaged or principally used in this State, unless it contains a provision insuring the persons defined as insured against loss from the liability imposed by law for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of these motor vehicles within the United States or Canada, subject to limits exclusive of interest and costs, with respect to each motor vehicle, as follows:

(1) twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to one person in any one accident and, subject to the limit for one person;

(2) fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to two or more persons in any one accident; and

(3) twenty-five thousand dollars because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.

(B) Nothing in this article prevents an insurer from issuing, selling, or delivering a policy providing liability coverage in excess of these requirements.

HISTORY: Former 1976 Code SECTION 56-9-820 [1962 Code SECTION 46-750.32; 1963 (53) 526; 1974 (58) 2718] recodified as SECTION 38-77-140 by 1987 Act No. 155, SECTION 1; 1997 Act No. 154, SECTION 12; 2006 Act No. 395, SECTION 3.A, eff June 14, 2006 affecting policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2007.

Editor's Note

2013 Act No. 47, SECTION 5, provides as follows:

"SECTION 5. An automobile liability insurer is not required to make a new offer of coverage or obtain a new prescribed form on any automobile insurance policy, within the contemplation of Section 38-77-350, to comply with statutory changes to the minimum required limits set forth in Section 38-77-140 and Section 38-77-150."