SCDOI + Licensing
14%of exam
SCDOITitle 38Pearson VUEAppointmentsCE RulesFingerprints
SC Property + Coastal
25%of exam
SC Casualty + Auto
35%of exam
25/50/25Mandatory UMSCAIPAt-Fault StateWorkers CompCGL
Ethics + Claims
25%of exam
Unfair PracticesClaims HandlingSCPCIGARebatingTrust FundsPenalties
National P&C Core
77%of exam
Policy PartsPerils + HazardsValuationNegligenceAuto PartsBonds
Quick Facts
- Exam
- SC Property and Casualty
- Regulator
- SCDOI
- Provider
- Pearson VUE
- Questions
- 140 total
- Scored split
- 100 national + 30 SC
- Time
- 165 minutes
- Pass
- Scaled score 70
- Exam fee
- $59
- Prelicensing
- None required
- Auto minimum
- 25/50/25
License Sequence
Exam, fingerprints, background, NIPR application.
Pass examIdentoGO printsSLED/FBINIPR apply
Exam Map
- Total questions
- 140 items
- Scored items
- 130 questions
- Pretest items
- 10 unscored
- National scored
- 100 questions
- SC scored
- 30 questions
- Time limit
- 165 minutes
- Passing
- Scaled score 70
- Result
- Immediate score report
SC Law Split
- Common SC law
- 18 scored items
- P&C-specific law
- 12 scored items
- Common topics
- SCDOI, licensing, CE
- Common topics
- Unfair practices, fraud
- Specific topics
- Auto, UM/UIM, SCWHUA
- Specific topics
- Valued policy, workers comp
- National share
- About 77%
- SC share
- About 23%
License Path
- Minimum age
- 18 or older
- Prelicensing
- None required
- Exam provider
- Pearson VUE
- Fingerprints
- Required since 2017
- Background
- SLED and FBI
- Apply within
- 12 months
- Application route
- NIPR submission
- Remote testing
- Available option
SCDOI Rules
- SCDOI
- State insurance regulator
- Governing law
- Title 38 Code
- Director
- Appointed by Governor
- Not elected
- Unlike some states
- Rate system
- File-and-use
- Market conduct
- Insurer exams
- Licensing
- Producer authority
- Consumer role
- Complaints and protection
CE + Renewal
- License term
- Two years
- CE total
- 24 hours
- Ethics CE
- 3 hours
- First renewal
- CE exempt
- Senior exemption
- Age 65, 25 years
- Approved courses
- SCDOI approved
- Appointment
- Insurer authorizes producer
- Lapse risk
- Expiration, reinstatement fee
Valued Policy
Total fire pays full; chattels excluded.
Real propertyTotal lossFull amountNo chattels
ACV vs Replacement Cost
ACV
- Replacement minus depreciation
- Lower settlement
- Older property issue
Replacement cost
- New-for-old basis
- No depreciation
- Higher premium
Depreciation is the divider
Property Market Picker
- Standard home available→Voluntary insurer
- Owner occupies home→HO policy
- Rental dwelling→Dwelling policy
- Tenant contents only→HO-4
- Coastal wind declined→SCWHUA(Wind/hail only)
- Need full property too→Companion policy
- Flood exposure→NFIP or private
- Small business package→BOP
SCWHUA Wind Pool
- SCWHUA
- Wind/hail residual market
- Coverage
- Wind and hail only
- Area
- Designated coastal counties
- Zone 1
- Original beach area
- Zone 2
- 2007 expansion area
- Eligibility
- Declined voluntary market
- Created
- 1971, expanded later
- Members
- All SC property insurers
Wind Pool Zones
Zone one beach, zone two expansion.
Zone 1 originalZone 2 addedCoastal countiesWind/hail only
HO-3 vs HO-5
HO-3
- Open dwelling perils
- Named contents perils
HO-5
- Open dwelling perils
- Open contents perils
Contents coverage differs
Loss Settlement Picker
- Total fire, real property→Full policy amount(Valued policy)
- Partial fire loss→Actual loss amount
- New-for-old wanted→Replacement cost
- Older property only→ACV(Less depreciation)
- Value set upfront→Agreed value
- Underinsured to value→Coinsurance penalty
- Insurer paid claim→Subrogation
- Other coverage exists→Pro rata
SC Coastal Property
- Hurricane deductible
- Percentage of dwelling
- Range
- Often 1-5%
- Trigger
- Named storm event
- Wind exclusion
- Coastal policy possible
- Companion policy
- Pairs with SCWHUA
- Flood
- NFIP or private only
- Nonrenewal notice
- 60 days homeowners
- Coastal market
- Limited voluntary capacity
SCWHUA vs Standard
SCWHUA
- Wind and hail only
- Coastal last resort
- Needs companion policy
Standard policy
- Voluntary market
- Broad property perils
- Normal underwriting
Wind pool after declination
Valued Policy Law
- Statute
- S.C. Code 38-75-20
- Applies to
- Fire on real property
- Total loss
- Pay full policy amount
- Partial loss
- Actual loss amount
- Cap
- Never above policy limit
- Excludes
- Chattels, personal property
- Amount fixed
- Set at issuance
- Multiple policies
- Pro rata contribution
SC Property Forms
- HO-2
- Broad named perils
- HO-3
- Open dwelling perils
- HO-4
- Renters contents
- HO-5
- Open property perils
- HO-6
- Condo unit owners
- HO-8
- Modified older homes
- DP-1
- Basic dwelling perils
- BOP
- Small business package
SC Auto Limits
Twenty-five, fifty, twenty-five plus mandatory UM.
25 BI person50 BI accident25 propertyUM equal
SC UM vs UIM
UM
- No insurance, hit-run
- Mandatory, non-waivable
- Equal to liability
UIM
- Limits too low
- Optional, must offer
- Gap above other limits
None versus not enough
SC Auto Picker
- Legal minimum→25/50/25
- Other driver uninsured→UM(Mandatory)
- Hit-and-run driver→UM
- Other limits too low→UIM(Optional)
- Declined standard market→SCAIP
- Hit vehicle or object→Collision
- Theft, fire, or glass→Comprehensive
- Business-owned vehicle→Commercial auto
Auto Financial Limits
- BI per person
- $25,000 minimum
- BI per accident
- $50,000 minimum
- Property damage
- $25,000 minimum
- 25/50/25
- Current SC minimum
- Statute
- S.C. Code 38-77-140
- Proof
- Required to register
- Fault system
- Tort, at-fault
- Comparative fault
- 51% bar rule
SC UM / UIM
- UM
- Mandatory, non-waivable
- UM limits
- Equal to liability
- UM property
- $200 deductible
- Statute
- S.C. Code 38-77-150
- UIM
- Optional, must offer
- UIM offer
- Up to liability limits
- UM triggers
- No coverage, hit-run
- UIM triggers
- Limits too low
SCAIP Auto Plan
- SCAIP
- Auto residual market
- Purpose
- High-risk driver access
- Eligible
- Declined standard market
- Coverage
- Required minimum limits
- Rates
- Higher than standard
- Loss sharing
- All auto insurers
- Typical user
- DUI, poor record
- New drivers
- May use plan
SC Casualty Other
- Workers comp
- Four or more employees
- WC nature
- No-fault, exclusive remedy
- WC commission
- Administers SC system
- CGL
- Third-party BI/PD
- Professional liability
- Errors and omissions
- Negligence test
- Duty, breach, cause, damages
- Bonds
- Three-party guarantee
- Umbrella
- Excess over underlying
SCPCIGA Range
Above two-fifty, below three hundred thousand.
$250 floor$300,000 capAdmitted onlyInsolvency
Cancellation vs Nonrenewal
Cancellation
- Ends mid-term
- Limited valid reasons
- Stricter notice
Nonrenewal
- Ends at expiration
- 60-day homeowners notice
- No new term
Mid-term vs term end
Regulatory Picker
- Producer authority needed→SCDOI license
- Sell for insurer→Carrier appointment
- Keep license active→24-hour CE
- First renewal cycle→CE exempt
- Age 65, 25 years→CE exemption
- Insurer becomes insolvent→SCPCIGA
- Surplus-lines policy→No SCPCIGA
- Unfair practice found→Director penalty
Claims + Conduct
- Acknowledge claim
- Reasonable promptness
- Investigate
- Timely and fair
- Denial
- Written reason required
- Good faith
- No unfair settlement
- Misrepresentation
- False policy statement
- Rebating
- Illegal premium inducement
- Twisting
- Misleading policy replacement
- Commingling
- Mixing premium funds
SCPCIGA vs SCWHUA
SCPCIGA
- Insolvency backstop
- Admitted insurers
- $250 to $300,000
SCWHUA
- Coastal wind insurer
- Residual market
- Wind/hail coverage
Backstop versus insurer
SCPCIGA Guaranty
- SCPCIGA
- P&C guaranty association
- Authority
- Title 38, Chapter 31
- Purpose
- Insolvent insurer claims
- Lower floor
- Above $250
- Upper cap
- Below $300,000
- Members
- Admitted P&C insurers
- Workers comp
- No statutory cap
- Surplus lines
- Not protected
SC Penalties
- Administrative fine
- Up to $15,000
- Willful violation
- Up to $30,000
- License action
- Suspend or revoke
- Fraud
- Fines and imprisonment
- Trust funds
- Separate premium account
- Records
- Retain per rule
- Cease and desist
- Director order
- Restitution
- Repay harmed consumer
Policy DICE
Declarations, Insuring, Conditions, Exclusions.
D: who/limitsI: promiseC: dutiesE: no coverage
Occurrence vs Claims-Made
Occurrence
- Event date triggers
- Late claim okay
- No retro date
Claims-made
- Claim date triggers
- Retro date matters
- Tail coverage option
Event date vs claim date
National Core
- Peril
- Cause of loss
- Hazard
- Increases loss chance
- Pure risk
- Loss or no loss
- Indemnity
- Restore, no profit
- Insurable interest
- Financial loss exposure
- DICE
- Declarations to exclusions
- Subrogation
- Insurer recovers from wrongdoer
- Coinsurance
- Insure-to-value clause
Named vs Open Peril
Named peril
- Only listed perils
- Insured proves cause
Open peril
- All but exclusions
- Insurer proves exclusion
Listed vs excluded
Common Traps
Auto Minimum Limits
SC minimum is 25/50/25 ≠ Older limits now outdated
Mandatory UM
SC UM non-waivable ≠ Not optional like many states
Prelicensing Education
SC requires no prelicensing ≠ Some old guides say 40 hours
Director Selection
SC Director appointed ≠ Not elected commissioner
Valued Policy Scope
Applies to real property fire ≠ Not chattels or personal
SCWHUA Scope
Wind and hail only ≠ Not full property coverage
SCPCIGA Coverage
Admitted insurers only ≠ Surplus lines excluded
Claim Denial
Oral denial insufficient ≠ Written basis required
Last Minute
- 1.Exam: 140 questions, 165 minutes
- 2.Scored split: 100 national, 30 SC
- 3.Passing is scaled score 70
- 4.No prelicensing education in SC
- 5.Director appointed by Governor
- 6.Auto minimum is 25/50/25
- 7.UM mandatory, equal to liability
- 8.SCWHUA covers coastal wind/hail
- 9.Valued policy: total fire, full amount
- 10.Valued policy excludes chattels
- 11.SCPCIGA: above $250, below $300,000
- 12.CE: 24 hours, 3 ethics
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