Best Auto Insurance Rates in South Dakota

Compare Auto Insurance in South Dakota

Wednesday, May 9 2018 By Steve Bowen

South Dakota residents, QuoteWizard has compiled some insurance data that can help send your car insurance rates...south.

This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in South Dakota, provide information about the cost of driving including average rates, and share some insights about insurance risk to help you protect yourself and your family.

Average South Dakota Car Insurance Rates

How much is car insurance in South Dakota? Average insurance premiums in South Dakota are well below the national average. On average, the cost of auto insurance in South Dakota is $615.78 a year. The national average price is $889.01.

Prices may vary depending on your limits, urban conditions, coverage, and zip code.

South Dakota Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$300.22
Collision	$208.58
Comprehensive	$258.11
Total Annual Cost	$615.78
Price Per Month	$51.31

The graph below shows the change in average South Dakota rates from 2011 to 2015, the most recent year the data is available. According to the III, South Dakota car insurance rates increased from $538 in 2011 to $615 in 2015, a jump of $77 dollars, or 14.35 percent.

Finding the right car insurance in South Dakota for your needs and budget doesn’t have to be stressful. Then again, you want to make sure the company you choose is the right fit, and that means comparing car insurance rates!

Comparing auto quotes can be time-consuming. But with a little help from QuoteWizard, you’ll have a policy in no time. We’ll connect you with top auto insurance companies so you can find the best coverage at the best price.

Last year, 6,672 people used QuoteWizard to compare auto insurance quotes in South Dakota from multiple companies.

Best Car Insurance Companies in South Dakota

Last year, these were the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of South Dakota. Out of the 6,672 South Dakota drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 966 had no car insurance.

Top 10 Vehicles in South Dakota

These are the most common vehicles owned by South Dakota drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

South Dakota State Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

Legally, nearly all US drivers are required to carry a minimum level of insurance, but those levels vary from state to state. In South Dakota drivers need to follow what is known as the 25/50/25 rule when it comes to their insurance policies.

This means that you must have a policy with at least the following coverage:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per incident
• $25,000 of coverage for property damage liability per incident
• $25,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person
• $50,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per incident

Remember, you can purchase more inclusive plans that cover more, but if you want the bare minimum required to keep you legal on the road, make sure your policy has the above protection plan. And, if you’ve financed your car through a lender, they’ll require that you purchase collision and comprehensive coverage to protect their investment.

Required Proof of Car Insurance

Any time you drive in South Dakota, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request. You will get this identification card from your car insurance company when you buy a policy. The insurance ID card must include all of the following:

• Name of the insurance company
• Policy number
• Effective date of the policy
• Expiration date of the policy
• Description of the year, make, or model of the insured vehicles, or the name of the insured driver

Penalties

A conviction for failing to maintain proof of financial responsibility is a Class 2 Misdemeanor punishable by 30 days of imprisonment in a county jail, a $100 fine, or both.

SR-22 Requirements

South Dakota residents that have had their driver’s license suspended due to drunk driving convictions or other violations must provide proof of financial responsibility by filing an SR-22 form. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.

State of South Dakota Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

South Dakota bans novice drivers from using cell phones while driving. All drivers are forbidden to send or receive text messages while driving in South Dakota.

DUI Law and Penalties

If you operate a motor vehicle in South Dakota with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are guilty of Driving While Under the Influence (DUI).

The penalties for a first offense DUI conviction are:

• Up to 1 year in jail
• A fine of $1,000
• Driver’s license suspended from 30 days to 1 year

The penalties for a second offense DUI conviction are more severe:

• Up to 1 year in jail
• A fine of $1,000
• Driver’s license suspended from 180 days to 1 year

After a third DUI conviction the penalties increase to:

• Up to 2 years in jail
• A fine of $2,000
• A driver’s license suspension of 1 year

Child Restraint Law

Children aged 5 or younger, and weighing less than 40 pounds must be restrained in an approved child safety seat or booster seat. Once a child reaches 5 years in age, or 40 pounds in weight, they may use adult seat belts. The minimum fine for failing to properly restrain a child is $25 for a first offense.

Proper use of child safety seats reduces fatalities by 71%

Graduated Driver’s License Program

South Dakota has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver's license program beginning with an instruction permit and ending with an operator’s license with full driver privileges.

Teens are allowed to apply for an instruction permit once they’re 14 years old. Unlike most states, new drivers in South Dakota aren’t required to drive a certain number of hours under supervision, but they must have an Instruction permit for 180 days (90 days, if they’ve taken a Driver’s Education course) before getting a restricted minor's permit or a full operator's license. Once these conditions are satisfied, and the driver has reached at least the age of 14 1/2 (or 14 1/4 if they have passed an approved driver's education course), they can take the driver’s test. If they pass the test, they obtain a restricted minor’s permit.

Drivers with a restricted minor’s permit are not allowed to drive between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, unless they have a parent or legal guardian supervising them. Drivers with a restricted minor's permit obtain their full driving privileges once they turn 16 and have passed the knowledge, vision, and drivers test.

Senior Drivers in South Dakota

All drivers are required to renew their driver’s license every 5 years. There are no special restrictions for senior drivers in South Dakota.

Seat Belt Laws

South Dakota requires that everyone age 18 or older sitting in the front seats of a vehicle must wear seat belts. Children are required to use approved child seats as mentioned above.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

When you drive a vehicle in South Dakota that is required to be registered in another state, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement upon request.

The Cost of Driving in South Dakota

Average South Dakota Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in South Dakota in 2015 was $615.78 compared to a national average of $889.01. South Dakota ranks 49th out of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for insurance expense. Only Idaho was less expensive.

Fuel Taxes

The state of South Dakota taxes gasoline at 30 cents per gallon and diesel fuel at 30 cents per gallon. This is in addition to the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline, and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. The total tax works out to 48.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 54.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.

Car Insurance Risk in South Dakota

Traffic Fatalities

In 2014, there were 136 traffic fatalities in South Dakota, which is almost identical to the state’s 135 traffic fatalities in 2013.

Vehicle Thefts

South Dakota had 1,007 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 7.6% increase compared to 2013. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 118 per 100,000, a 6.6% increase from 2013.

The vehicle theft rate in South Dakota is considerably lower than the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in South Dakota

Some cars are more prone to theft than others, so be sure to check the list below to see if your car is a target on the streets.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 1994 Ford Pickup (Full Size)
2. 2000 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
3. 1998 Chevrolet Pickup (Small Size)
4. 2001 Chevrolet Impala
5. 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
6. 1997 GMC Pickup (Full Size)
7. 2002 Honda Accord
8. 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
9. 2001 Ford Explorer
10. 1995 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

Uninsured Motorists

The percentage of South Dakota residents estimated to be driving without insurance is 7.8%. That ranks South Dakota as #42 among US states and the District of Columbia, much better than the national average of 12.6%.

Crash Statistics

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety maintains a website with vehicle crash reports here: Enforcement Accident Records

South Dakota Auto Insurance Company Market Share

Source: South Dakota Department of Labor Regulation

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	10.2%	American Family
2	9.6%	Progressive Northern
3	4.6%	Farmers Mutual Insurance
4	4.4%	De Smet Insurance
5	3.9%	Mid Century
6	3.8%	Farm Bureau
7	3.3%	Progressive Direct
8	2.8%	Amco Insurance
9	2.7%	North Star Mutual Insurance Co.

South Dakota Division of Insurance

Website:

Division of Insurance Homepage

Director of Insurance:

Larry Deiter

Insurance Hotline:

(605) 773-3563

File a Complaint:

Complaint Page

Sources:

• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• South Dakota Department of Public Safety-Licensing

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