Candace Baker, Car Insurance Writer
@candacebaker
No, you cannot insure a car with a salvage title in South Carolina. Salvage vehicles are cars that have been declared a total loss, meaning they're too damaged to be worth repairing and cannot be driven legally. As a result, no legitimate car insurance company writes policies for them.
Although insurance companies in South Carolina won't insure a car with a current salvage title, you can get coverage if you have the vehicle repaired and inspected by a state-certified mechanic. If it's declared safe to drive, the DMV will issue the car a salvage rebuilt title. Several insurance companies, including Farmers and GEICO, sell policies to vehicles with a rebuilt title.
Keep in mind that some insurers will only sell liability insurance for salvage rebuilt title, meaning that they won't pay for any physical damage to the vehicle. Even if you are able to get collision and comprehensive insurance, your policy may not cover the full value of the car if it's totaled again.
To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to salvage titles, as well as our picks for the best car insurance South Carolina.
Ryan, Member
@ryanrroper12345
I'm only typing this because the main answer is incorrect. You can insure a Salvage Title vehicle in the state of SC. I've done it before, and no, it does not require a "rebuilt" brandishing. GEICO covered my last salvage titled vehicle. The only difference is you can't carry full coverage. The coverages offered can vary by insurers, but with GEICO they allowed me to carry both Liability and Comprehensive. I was told you cannot carry collision though.
People also ask
How can you get insurance on a car with a salvage title?
You can get insurance on a car with a salvage title after the car is repaired, inspected and issued a rebuilt title. At that point, you will be able to get liability insurance with the rebuilt salvage car, though some insurance companies will be hesitant to provide full coverage for the vehicle. Even after repairs, insurance companies are still hesitant to cover a car for its full market value if it was given a salvage...
read full answer by Winslow Arizona, Car Insurance WriterWhy are salvage titles bad?
A salvage title is bad because it signals that a vehicle has been declared a total loss due to severe damage (such as from an accident, flood, or fire) and may carry hidden risks even after repairs. While salvage-title cars are often much cheaper to buy than vehicles with clean titles, they’re very risky.
Reasons Why Salvage Titles Are Bad
- Hidden Damage: After repairs, structural, mechanical or electrical issues may remain.
- Insurance Challenges: Insurance companies are often hesitant to insure vehicles that had salvage titles in the past. Even if they do, they may only offer the minimum coverage required by your state.
- Financing Difficulties: Lenders may refuse to finance a vehicle with such a high risk of future issues, so you’ll likely have to pay in full.
- Safety Concerns: Damage from severe accidents, floods or fires can make the car less safe, even after repairs.
- Registration Restrictions: You can’t register or drive a car with a salvage title until it’s been repaired and inspected.
- Driving Requirement: Your state’s DMV must issue a rebuilt title confirming the car meets road safety standards before it can legally be driven again.
In some cases, when the damage is so extreme that no one is even allowed to rebuild the car, it may have a “non-repairable” designation or be issued a “junk” title instead of a salvage title. In that case, the vehicle can be sold for parts or destroyed.
You can check out WalletHub’s complete guide on salvage titles to learn more about how they work.
read full answer by John Miller, Credit Cards ModeratorIs it worth buying a car with a salvage title?
No, it is not worth buying a car with a salvage title because cars with salvage titles can be difficult to insure and are generally not eligible to be financed. A car that has a salvage title has previously been declared a total loss, so it may also require costly repairs before you can drive legally.
Before a salvage-title car can be legally driven, it must be repaired fully and inspected by a certified...
read full answer by WalletHub, Financial CompanyDid we answer your question?
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Yes you insure one, I've owned 2. You can only get liability, not full coverage.
According to my insurance agent, whom I just spoke with, you can insure a car with a salvage title in SC. My car was deemed a total loss by my insurer (State Farm) after a hail storm. The car runs perfectly fine, in fact I've made several pricey repairs in the last year to ensure it's running good. The only issue was that I got caught in a hail storm and the cost to repair would be more than they value the car, so they're giving me a salvage title, and my agent confirmed that it can still be covered and I just won't be able to file a claim for hail damage again, and also it can't be paid out as a totaled vehicle again. As far as I can tell, that means it's still insured, covered for any repairs not due to hail and not above their current valued amount, which is basically like my coverage was before just at a lower value for the car. Anyway, just wanted to share my personal experience.
@browndogxxx99: Thank you for your comment! You are likely referring to a vehicle with a salvage rebuilt title, not a salvage title. In South Carolina, no car insurance company writes policies for cars that currently have a standard salvage title, since a vehicle with a salvage title has damage to the extent that it is unsafe to operate. However, you can insure a vehicle with a salvage rebuilt title in South Carolina. Such a vehicle used to have a salvage title but has since been repaired and passed a DMV inspection.