--- title: "General Liability Insurance in South Carolina" description: "For construction contracts, South Carolina bars shifting an indemnitee’s sole-negligence liability but preserves specified promisor-fault indemnity; its tort-allocation statute changed January 1, 2026." canonical: "https://spot.insure/coverage/general-liability/south-carolina" page-type: "coverage-state-guide" updated-at: "2026-09-28" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/coverage/general-liability/south-carolina) # General Liability Insurance in South Carolina South Carolina Code §32-2-10 makes specified construction indemnity for an indemnitee’s sole negligence unenforceable while preserving indemnity for negligence of the promisor in whole or part; the section says it does not affect insurance contracts. The version of §15-38-15 effective January 1, 2026 apportions covered multi-tortfeasor claims with a 50% joint-liability threshold and stated exceptions.[^1][^2] **Coverage:** [General liability](/coverage/general-liability) · [South Carolina](/coverage/states/south-carolina) ## What Is General Liability? General liability can protect your business when a customer or visitor claims you caused injury or damaged their property. It suits businesses serving customers or working on their premises; your own building, tools and stock need property coverage. [Read the national General liability guide](/coverage/general-liability). ## What to Watch for in South Carolina ### A Contract Cannot Shift the Promisee’s Sole Negligence Section 32-2-10 covers agreements connected with design, construction, repair, or maintenance of listed structures and makes indemnity for bodily injury or property damage caused by the promisee’s sole negligence unenforceable. The section preserves promises covering the promisor’s negligence and does not affect insurance contracts, so review indemnity and additional-insured wording separately.[^1] ### A 2026 Fault-Allocation Rule Sets a 50% Threshold For claims governed by the version of §15-38-15 effective January 1, 2026, a defendant with less than 50% of total fault for indivisible damages is generally liable only for that share. The statute includes plaintiff fault in the comparison and preserves joint liability for willful, wanton, reckless, or intentional conduct and other listed categories; ask how shared liability affects your limits.[^2] ### Nonparty Allocation Has a Disclosure Deadline Under the 2026 version of §15-38-15, a defendant seeking allocation to a nonparty generally must disclose that tortfeasor within 180 days after the action starts, unless good cause supports later disclosure, and carries a proximate-cause burden. Ask how the defense plans to document other responsible actors early in a claim.[^2] ## 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] - [Regulator website](https://doi.sc.gov/) - [License lookup](https://online.doi.sc.gov/Eng/Public/Common/OnlineServices.aspx) - [File a complaint](https://doi.sc.gov/consumers) ### 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 General liability; 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 that the product is available in South Carolina; [check the regulator’s license lookup](https://online.doi.sc.gov/Eng/Public/Common/OnlineServices.aspx) and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote. - [Corgi](/insurance-providers/corgi) — **Entity:** Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; **role:** Insurance producer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** Corgi’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] - [ERGO NEXT Insurance](/insurance-providers/next-insurance) — **Entity:** Next First Insurance Agency, Inc.; **role:** Insurance producer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** ERGO NEXT’s current license table lists Next First Insurance Agency, Inc. in 50 jurisdictions, including Washington, DC; New York is excluded because its table rows name Next Insurance Services and AP Intego, not Next First. The table is company-reported; it does not establish product availability or provide state-regulator verification for each entry.[^12] - [Hiscox](/insurance-providers/hiscox) — **Entity:** Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; **role:** Insurer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** Hiscox’s U.S. company information states that Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is company-reported insurer authority for this entity and does not establish which company issues every Hiscox-branded product.[^11] - [TechInsurance](/insurance-providers/techinsurance) — **Entity:** Specialty Program Group LLC; **role:** Insurance producer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** TechInsurance’s current licensing page names Specialty Program Group LLC / SPG Insurance Solutions and lists state license numbers, but labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses” rather than identifying a license for the named agency. RI is omitted because this disclosure does not establish agency authority there; this is a search limitation, not an assertion that the company is unlicensed. The remaining state entries are company-reported and are not an insurance product availability map.[^13] - [Vouch](/insurance-providers/vouch) — **Entity:** Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC; **role:** Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability.[^14] ## Questions to Ask Before You Buy in South Carolina 1. Does our construction indemnity clause ask us to cover the other party’s sole negligence, and how does the policy treat any separate additional-insured request? 2. For claims arising under the 2026 allocation provision, how does the insurer account for plaintiff and nonparty fault when selecting limits? 3. What evidence or disclosure deadline applies if the defense wants another tortfeasor considered? ## General Liability in South Carolina: FAQ ### Can a South Carolina construction contract make me indemnify a party for its own negligence? Not for damages caused by the promisee’s sole negligence under §32-2-10. The section preserves indemnity for negligence of the promisor in whole or part and does not govern the terms of an insurance contract.[^1] ### When can a South Carolina defendant face joint liability for a shared tort claim? Under the version of §15-38-15 effective January 1, 2026, a defendant with less than 50% of total fault is generally liable only for its share; the statute preserves joint liability for willful, wanton, reckless, or intentional conduct and other listed exceptions.[^2] ## General Liability in Other States - [Alabama](/coverage/general-liability/alabama) - [Alaska](/coverage/general-liability/alaska) - [Arizona](/coverage/general-liability/arizona) - [Arkansas](/coverage/general-liability/arkansas) - [California](/coverage/general-liability/california) - [Colorado](/coverage/general-liability/colorado) - [Connecticut](/coverage/general-liability/connecticut) - [Delaware](/coverage/general-liability/delaware) - [District of Columbia](/coverage/general-liability/district-of-columbia) - [Florida](/coverage/general-liability/florida) - [Georgia](/coverage/general-liability/georgia) - [Hawaii](/coverage/general-liability/hawaii) - [Idaho](/coverage/general-liability/idaho) - [Illinois](/coverage/general-liability/illinois) - [Indiana](/coverage/general-liability/indiana) - [Iowa](/coverage/general-liability/iowa) - [Kansas](/coverage/general-liability/kansas) - [Kentucky](/coverage/general-liability/kentucky) - [Louisiana](/coverage/general-liability/louisiana) - [Maine](/coverage/general-liability/maine) - [Maryland](/coverage/general-liability/maryland) - [Massachusetts](/coverage/general-liability/massachusetts) - [Michigan](/coverage/general-liability/michigan) - [Minnesota](/coverage/general-liability/minnesota) - [Mississippi](/coverage/general-liability/mississippi) - [Missouri](/coverage/general-liability/missouri) - [Montana](/coverage/general-liability/montana) - [Nebraska](/coverage/general-liability/nebraska) - [Nevada](/coverage/general-liability/nevada) - [New Hampshire](/coverage/general-liability/new-hampshire) - [New Jersey](/coverage/general-liability/new-jersey) - [New Mexico](/coverage/general-liability/new-mexico) - [New York](/coverage/general-liability/new-york) - [North Carolina](/coverage/general-liability/north-carolina) - [North Dakota](/coverage/general-liability/north-dakota) - [Ohio](/coverage/general-liability/ohio) - [Oklahoma](/coverage/general-liability/oklahoma) - [Oregon](/coverage/general-liability/oregon) - [Pennsylvania](/coverage/general-liability/pennsylvania) - [Rhode Island](/coverage/general-liability/rhode-island) - [South Dakota](/coverage/general-liability/south-dakota) - [Tennessee](/coverage/general-liability/tennessee) - [Texas](/coverage/general-liability/texas) - [Utah](/coverage/general-liability/utah) - [Vermont](/coverage/general-liability/vermont) - [Virginia](/coverage/general-liability/virginia) - [Washington](/coverage/general-liability/washington) - [West Virginia](/coverage/general-liability/west-virginia) - [Wisconsin](/coverage/general-liability/wisconsin) - [Wyoming](/coverage/general-liability/wyoming) [Other Coverage in South Carolina](/coverage/states/south-carolina) ## Sources [^1]: [Title 32, Chapter 2, Contracts Against Public Policy](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t32c002.php) — South Carolina Legislature; §32-2-10, hold harmless clauses in certain construction contracts. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^2]: [Title 15, Chapter 38, South Carolina Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t15c038.php) — South Carolina Legislature; §15-38-15, version effective January 1, 2026, subsections (A), (F)–(H); Act 42 of 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^3]: [south-carolina insurance regulator](https://doi.sc.gov/) — State insurance regulator; Official home and consumer services pages describe regulator scope.. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^4]: [SCDOI Online Services](https://online.doi.sc.gov/Eng/Public/Common/OnlineServices.aspx) — State insurance regulator; General Public offers Licensee Lookup for licensed individuals and insurers.. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^5]: [SCDOI Consumer Services](https://doi.sc.gov/consumers) — 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](https://www.doi.sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15210/2026-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](https://www.doi.sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15210/2026-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](https://www.at-bay.com/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](https://www.coalitioninc.com/legal/licenses) — 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](https://www.corgi.insure/broker-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](https://www.hiscox.com/about-hiscox-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](https://www.nextinsurance.com/insurance-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](https://www.techinsurance.com/legal/licenses) — 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](https://www.vouch.us/legal/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 2026-09-28. This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](/contact) with a supporting source. ## Agent and Developer Resources - [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/coverage/general-liability/south-carolina.md) - [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers) - [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp) - [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json) - [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json) - [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)