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Does South Carolina give a car insurance discount after a driver training course?

South Carolina drivers who are not youthful operators can get a credit on liability and collision premiums after an approved driver training course. You must be the named insured or principal operator, and the credit covers only the car you drive. The course needs at least four classroom hours and must be voluntary, not for a driving offense or to cut points.

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The rule, fact by fact

Rule
South Carolina Code section 38-73-736Cite this section when you ask your insurer about the credit.
Verified. www.scstatehouse.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Who needs it
The named insured or principal operator, if not a youthful operator, who shows proofThe credit applies to liability and collision coverage on a private passenger policy.
Same source and date as above
Course hours
A minimum of four hours of classroom instructionAsk the provider how many classroom hours its course runs.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
A minimum of thirty-six months from the date of the courseThe insurer may require no at-fault accident in the three years after the course.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that you are the named insured or the principal operator of the vehicle and not a youthful operator. The law defines a youthful operator as a person under the age of twenty-five whose rates come from a youthful driver classification.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course the Department of Motor Vehicles approves, or that Chapter 23 of Title 56 exempts. It must be run by a school the department licenses or approves, or that the chapter exempts. An instructor with a valid permit must teach it, and it must include at least four hours of classroom instruction. Take it voluntarily: a course taken for a driving offense, or to reduce traffic violation points, does not qualify.

  3. Step 3. Take the course and finish it. We haven't confirmed whether South Carolina lets you take it online, so ask the provider and your insurer.

  4. Step 4. Give your insurer the certificate from the licensed driver's training school or the Department of Motor Vehicles that says you finished an approved course. The law does not require the insurer to give the credit for any period before it receives that proof.

Before you pay

Pay for a course only after you ask your insurer what the credit is worth. Ask for the exact figure in writing.

Questions

Who sets the size of the South Carolina credit?

Each insurer does, using factually or statistically supported data. The amount is subject to prior approval or review by the director.

Can I claim the credit for two courses?

Not in the same policy period. You can claim the credit for one approved course during any private passenger automobile insurance policy period.

Does the credit cover my spouse's car too?

Only if its named insured or principal operator has also finished an approved driver training course.

What to do next

Ask your insurer before you pay. The full text is in the South Carolina Code.

www.scstatehouse.gov

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