South Dakota Car Insurance Laws

Cheap Car Insurance > List of Car Insurance Requirements > South Dakota Car Insurance

South Dakota Car Insurance

South Dakota is home to over 800,000 people and just as many cars – all of which are required to have car insurance by South Dakota law. Auto insurance is mandatory in South Dakota and drivers are required to carry both liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage.

South Dakota Car Insurance Requirements

Vehicles registered in South Dakota must show proof of insurance before tags will be issued and owners must always maintain coverage which meets the state minimum requirements at all times. Failure to have valid car insurance in place can subject a driver to personal liability, suspension of driving privileges, heavy fines and more penalties. As of 2010 the South Dakota Division of Insurance requires the following minimum levels of coverage for any registered vehicle:

Liability Insurance

$25,000 – accidents with one injured person
$50,000 – combined damages to all persons in an accident
$25,000 – property damage liability insurance

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

$25,000 – accidents with one injured person
$50,000 – combined damages to all persons in an accident
$25,000 – property damage liability insurance

South Dakota has set the same minimum levels of coverage for both liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage however since the State operates under tort law for car accidents all drivers should consider additional coverage. Liability insurance will not provide coverage for damages to your vehicle and even uninsured motorist coverage has limitations to how damage to your vehicle is covered. Most South Dakota drivers purchase several types of car insurance including both collision and comprehensive coverage as well as expanded policy limits.

South Dakota Car Insurance Companies

South Dakota has approximately 103 car insurance companies licensed to provide auto insurance so residents have a wealth of choices about who to purchase auto insurance from. However the key to finding the best car insurance policy will be heavily based on your ability to compare car insurance companies and their policy offerings.

Do you know what comprehensive coverage is?
Is the replacement value of your vehicle equal to how much you owe?
How many car insurance discounts are you eligible for?

There are so many elements of car insurance you really need to at least start learning about the types of coverage, available discounts and how policy deductibles work before starting a car insurance comparison search. Start with education and then always compare at least a handful of providers.