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Cargo insurance for South Carolina shipments

South Carolina separates low-value freight authority from authority for carriers insured to carry cargo, and its Certificate of Compliance process excludes household-goods carriers. Match the carrier's exact operating class and cargo security to the shipment; a regulatory filing is not a measure of the shipper's full goods value. 1,2

What Is Cargo And Transit?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. Read the national Cargo and transit guide.

South Carolina Requirements

RequirementDetails
Intrastate for-hire carrier classSCDMV describes Class E-L for department-designated extremely low-value commodities and Class E-LC for property insured to carry cargo. The COC program excludes household-goods carriers, passenger carriers, and hazardous-waste disposal carriers. 1
Class E cargo securityPSC Regulation 103-173 requires a Class E carrier to file a cargo policy or surety bond before certificate issuance and operation; it addresses loss or damage to shippers' or consignees' goods in the carrier's South Carolina transportation service. 2

What to Watch for in South Carolina

  • A vehicle liability filing is not a goods-value estimate

    SCDMV lists freight-vehicle bodily-injury/property-damage minimums by vehicle weight and hazard class. Ask separately what the carrier's cargo filing responds to and whether its limit and valuation fit your shipment; don't use the auto-liability amount as the shipment limit. 1,2

  • Check the operating category before relying on a cargo filing

    The COC route does not cover household-goods carriers or hazardous-waste disposal carriers, while its E-L class covers only commodities the department determines are extremely low value. If your shipment falls into a different category, request the carrier's actual authority and insurance filing for that operation. 1

  • Match the named carrier across its filing and authority

    SCDMV says a COC application is rejected if its business name differs from the insurance filing or South Carolina organization record. Match the legal insured named on the carrier's proof to the entity on your contract before pickup. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in South Carolina

South Carolina Department of Insurance

The South Carolina Department of Insurance licenses and regulates insurance companies and producers and accepts complaints involving entities it licenses and policies incepted in South Carolina. Its consumer page links to the online complaint form and explains limits on the Department’s authority. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 6% blended broker premium tax: 4% state plus 2% municipal SCDOI’s January 2026 instructions set a 6% blended surplus-lines broker premium tax: 4% state and 2% municipal; the Department collects both and the Municipal Association of South Carolina allocates the municipal share. The filing system also asks brokers to identify one to three insurers that declined the indicated coverage; check the policy notice for any guaranty-association disclosure. 6,7

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Cargo and transit; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in South Carolina. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 10

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in South Carolina

  1. Is this haul entirely within South Carolina, and which SCDMV carrier class or separate authority covers it?
  2. Does the carrier's Form H or other cargo security cover this commodity, each vehicle, and the maximum value entrusted?
  3. Who insures my goods if the carrier's liability is limited or its cargo filing is below the shipment value?

Cargo And Transit in South Carolina: FAQ

Does every South Carolina for-hire carrier need the same cargo filing? 1

No. SCDMV describes Class E-L for department-designated extremely low-value commodities and E-LC for cargo-insured property; the COC program also excludes household-goods carriers and certain other categories. Check the carrier's actual authority for the move. 1

Does a Class E cargo filing prove my whole shipment value is insured? 2

No. Regulation 103-173 describes carrier cargo insurance or a bond for compensation of shippers or consignees. Compare the filed terms and limits with your shipment value, then decide whether you need separate protection for your own financial interest. 2

Cargo And Transit in Other States

Other Coverage in South Carolina

Sources

  1. Certificate of Compliance. South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; Certificate classes and exclusions; insurance requirements for freight vehicles, lines 8–32. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. South Carolina Public Service Commission motor-carrier rules filing. South Carolina Public Service Commission; 23A S.C. Code Regs. 103-173, Cargo Insurance or Surety Bond Required of Motor Carrier, pp. 29–30; filed 2021-06-08. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. south-carolina insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; Official home and consumer services pages describe regulator scope. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. SCDOI Online Services. State insurance regulator; General Public offers Licensee Lookup for licensed individuals and insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. SCDOI Consumer Services. State insurance regulator; Complaint process and stated authority covers licensed entities and policies incepted in SC; online complaint form is linked. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. 2026 Surplus Lines Filing Instructions. South Carolina Department of Insurance; Pages 1–2, January 26 2026 memo: 6% blended rate, 4% state plus 2% municipal; DOI collects both and MASC allocates municipal portion. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. 2026 Surplus Lines Filing Instructions. South Carolina Department of Insurance; Pages 1–2, Jan. 26, 2026 instructions: broker filing due-diligence field requires one to three named insurers declining the indicated coverage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  10. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  12. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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