South Dakota Car Insurance Calculator: Cost and Coverage Estimates

• MoneyGeek sources rate data from Quadrant Information Services, which pulls actual premiums from insurer filings with the South Dakota Division of Insurance. These are the rates insurers charge, not estimates.
• We track every residential ZIP code in South Dakota and update rates monthly.
• Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, wrote this page. Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute reviewed it for accuracy.
• Our editorial standards keep recommendations free from any influence by carrier relationships. Our rating guidelines apply the same criteria to every insurer we analyze.

Progressive charges $52 per month for full coverage in South Dakota, while Farmers charges $149 per month for the same driver and policy. Each carrier prices risk differently based on its own claims history and business model, which is why two drivers with identical profiles pay such different rates. A driver currently with Farmers who switches to Progressive saves $97 per month while keeping full coverage intact.

That comparison still leaves out one of South Dakota's most competitive options. Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nebraska writes policies only in South Dakota and Nebraska, so it has no presence on national comparison platforms covering multiple states. At $58 per month, it's the second cheapest option for good-credit adult drivers and the cheapest at every other credit level. A driver who only gets quotes through a national site is comparing rates without seeing the most competitive carrier at most credit levels in South Dakota.

Your ZIP code can add up to $18 per month to your South Dakota car insurance rate. Most of that range exists within Sioux Falls alone, where the difference between the most and least expensive ZIP codes costs $15 per month. Sioux Falls ZIP code 57104 is the most expensive in the state at $45 per month for minimum coverage, while ZIP code 57107, across town, costs $30 per month for the same coverage.

That $15-per-month difference within the city stems from a documented surge in theft. Sioux Falls recorded 1,602 vehicle thefts in 2023, a 363% increase from 346 thefts in 2014, according to the South Dakota Searchlight, citing Sioux Falls Police Department data. South Dakota also ranks among the states with the highest per-capita hail damage rates in the country, and the Sioux Falls area recorded 49 hail detections in 12 months with 75 confirmed ground reports, according to HailScore's analysis of NOAA radar records. Both risks are priced into rates by ZIP code. If you've moved recently and haven't updated your garaging address, you may still be paying for a ZIP code you no longer live in.

Young drivers (16-25) usually pay an average of $250 per month for full coverage on a family plan, 2.43 times the adult rate of $103 per month on the same plan.

At 17, drivers in South Dakota receive the largest premium reduction for young drivers, dropping an average of $132 per month, and 19-year-olds’ rates drop by $97 per month. Surprisingly, the 25th birthday delivers just $21 per month, the smallest single-year drop in the 16-to-25 range.

Progressive is the cheapest insurer in the state for adults with a clean driving record at $52 per month, but charges young drivers $136 monthly. Compared with Farmers Mutual at $92, young drivers and their families should consider switching if currently insured with Progressive or another auto insurer.

For seniors, South Dakota rates reach a low point around age 60 and begin rising again by 70. Get new quotes at 70, and at each renewal thereafter.

In South Dakota, your credit score is one of the biggest factors affecting your car insurance premium. The difference between poor and good credit is $187 per month, or $2,244 per year.

Drivers in South Dakota who improve their credit score from fair to good should reshop immediately after the improvement - doing so could save up to $73 per month. To capture the most savings, reshop with Farmers Mutual for poor to fair credit, and excellent as well. Drivers with good credit should start with Progressive, where the average adult pays $52 per month for full coverage.

Submit a written request to your insurer when your score improves, then get new quotes to confirm whether Farmers Mutual or Progressive offers the better rate at your new credit level.

Your driving record raises South Dakota rates from the first incident. A speeding ticket adds $18 per month, a texting violation adds $18 per month, an at-fault accident adds $47 per month and a DUI adds $91 per month. South Dakota also charges not-at-fault drivers an average of $2 per month at renewal at three of the state's 11 carriers, while eight carriers charge nothing for the same incident.

After a DUI, the carrier choice determines how much more you pay. Progressive charges $69 per month post-DUI while North Star charges $369 per month for the same driver, a $300 monthly difference on the same violation. State Farm charges $95 per month post-DUI and applies a flat $5 per month surcharge across all violations, so future incidents add almost nothing to the rate.

South Dakota's SR-22 requirement runs three years from the conviction date. Get new quotes at month 33, before the next renewal locks in another year of surcharge pricing.

Dropping from full coverage to South Dakota's 25/50/25 minimum saves $71 per month. Switching from the most expensive carrier to the cheapest while keeping full coverage saves $97 per month. The carrier switch saves more without reducing your coverage.

South Dakota requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on every policy, so the question isn't whether to carry it but whether the state minimum limits are enough given what you own. South Dakota is an at-fault state, which means a judgment above your policy limit can reach your savings, home equity and future wages directly. If your car is financed or leased, your lender sets its own coverage requirements that override the state minimum.

South Dakota has one of the highest hail-damage rates in the country, and hail is covered under comprehensive, not collision. A driver who drops comprehensive to save money on an older car also gives up the coverage that pays when a hailstorm totals it. The state holds the record for the largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States, an eight-inch stone in Vivian in 2010.

On a $10,000 vehicle with a $1,000 deductible, the maximum payout on a total loss is $9,000. Comprehensive and collision insurance in Sioux Falls costs approximately $804 per year. Get your car's current value from Kelley Blue Book or NADA, subtract your deductible and compare that to your annual premium before deciding.

Bodily injury liability pays the medical bills, lost wages and legal costs of people you injure when you're at fault. South Dakota requires a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. A single serious injury can exceed the per-person minimum, and the at-fault driver covers every dollar above their policy limit personally. Drivers with home equity or savings above $50,000 should carry at least 100/300 limits.

Property damage liability pays for damage you cause to other vehicles and property when you're at fault. South Dakota's minimum is $25,000 per accident. A single totaled mid-size vehicle at current prices can exceed that figure. Drivers whose assets exceed the state minimum should consider at least $100,000 in property damage coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and repair costs when the driver who hit you has no insurance or not enough to cover the damage. South Dakota law requires this coverage on every auto policy. You can't opt out. The relevant decision for most South Dakota drivers is whether the state-minimum limits of 25/50/25 are adequate for their asset picture, or whether higher limits make more sense.

Collision pays for damage to your own vehicle from a crash, regardless of fault. Comprehensive pays for theft, fire, weather damage and other non-collision events. South Dakota's hail exposure makes comprehensive more valuable here than the standard break-even calculation suggests.

Gap insurance pays the difference between what your car is worth and what you still owe on the loan if it's totaled. In the first few years of a loan, the balance often exceeds the car's market value. Gap insurance covers that shortfall, so a total loss doesn't leave you making payments on a vehicle you no longer have.

South Dakota requires an SR-22 after a DUI conviction or driving without insurance. The filing must stay active for three years from the conviction date, with no grace period for lapses. A single lapse suspends your license immediately, restarts the three-year clock and requires a $50 reinstatement fee. South Dakota doesn't use FR-44. Drivers who need coverage without owning a vehicle can satisfy the requirement through a non-owner SR-22 policy.

1. Get a Farmers Mutual quote before finalizing any comparison. Farmers Mutual writes only in South Dakota and Nebraska and doesn't appear on national platforms. At $58 per month for full coverage, it's the second cheapest car insurance in South Dakota for good-credit adult drivers and the cheapest for every other credit level. Contact Farmers Mutual through an independent agent licensed in the state.
2. Get new quotes on the 17th birthday, not the 25th. South Dakota's largest single-year rate drop is at 16 to 17 at $132 per month. The 19th birthday drop rate is $97 per month, and the 25th birthday drop rate is $21 per month. Set a reminder for the 17th and 19th birthdays and requote both times. Farmers Mutual leads for young drivers at $92 per month, while Progressive leads for adults at $52 per month, so the cheapest carrier changes with age.
3. Target good credit, not excellent, and request a written credit recheck when your score improves. Seven of 11 South Dakota insurers charge more for excellent credit than for good, making good the better target. When your score improves, submit a written recheck request to your insurer, then get new quotes to confirm whether Farmers Mutual or Progressive offers the better rate at your new credit level.
4. Get new quotes at month 33 after a DUI. South Dakota's SR-22 runs three years from the conviction date. Requoting at month 33, before the next renewal, avoids locking in another year of surcharge pricing. Start with Progressive ($69 per month post-DUI) and State Farm ($95 per month with a flat $5 surcharge across all violations). Avoid North Star after a DUI at $369 per month.