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Product Liability in South Carolina

South Carolina applies a 10-year period to actions based on a product defect or failure, measured from the product’s first purchase for use or consumption. The statute includes an exception for latent injuries caused by prolonged toxic exposure, so preserve first-purchase and exposure records rather than treating 10 years as universal. 1,2

What Is Product Liability?

Product liability can cover claims that a product you make, import, distribute or sell injured someone or damaged property. If your business handles products, describe every role in the supply chain and ask how the quote treats product damage and recall costs. Read the national Product liability guide.

What to Watch for in South Carolina

  • Capture the first-purchase date

    Section 15-3-645 measures 10 years from the date the product was first purchased for use or consumption. Maintain model, lot, shipment, and first-sale records so you can identify the product’s age if a claim arrives years after distribution. 1

  • Flag latent toxic-exposure allegations

    The statute’s exception covers certain injury or property damage that could not be discovered with reasonable diligence when it occurred and resulted from prolonged exposure to a toxic or harmful substance. Preserve chemical composition and exposure history, and send these allegations for early legal and insurance review. 1

  • Identify the business’s seller role

    Section 15-73-10 imposes seller liability for a defective product that is unreasonably dangerous and reaches the user without substantial change. Document any product modifications, installation, repackaging, or warning changes performed by your business. 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

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 Product 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 the product is available in South Carolina. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’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. 14Vouch lists product liability among the core coverages in its technology-company programs.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in South Carolina

  1. Which entities design, import, manufacture, label, distribute, install, or sell our products in South Carolina?
  2. What product dates, warnings, warranties, and change records should we preserve for claims in South Carolina?
  3. How do the policy’s product wording, reporting terms, and defense provisions apply when a claim involves several product-chain businesses?

Product Liability in South Carolina: FAQ

Does South Carolina’s 10-year product period cover latent exposure claims? 1,2

Section 15-3-645 excludes certain latent injury or property claims caused by prolonged exposure to toxic or harmful substances when they could not have been discovered through reasonable diligence at the time. 1,2

What event starts South Carolina’s 10-year product repose period? 1

Section 15-3-645 generally measures the 10-year period from the product’s first purchase for use or consumption, subject to the statute’s exceptions. 1

Product Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in South Carolina

Sources

  1. South Carolina Code § 15-3-645. South legislature / statutes; Ten-year period for product defect/failure claims and latent toxic exposure exception. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. south-carolina insurance regulator. State insurance regulator; Official home and consumer services pages describe regulator scope. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. SCDOI Online Services. State insurance regulator; General Public offers Licensee Lookup for licensed individuals and insurers. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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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