How to File a Complaint with the South Carolina Department of Insurance
The South Carolina Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints about insurers, including slow, denied and underpaid property claims. Here is how to file one and what it can and cannot do.
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Contact information
- Office of Consumer Services, South Carolina Department of Insurance.
- Phone 803-737-6180, toll-free 1-800-768-3467.
- Email consumers@doi.sc.gov.
- Mail: 1201 Main Street, Suite 1000, Columbia, SC 29201.
- Online: the Department links to the NAIC online complaint form. Details at doi.sc.gov/Consumer.
Before you file
The Department asks consumers to contact the insurer first and give it a chance to resolve the issue. Put your request to the insurer in writing and keep a copy.
What to include
- Your name, address and phone, the insurer’s name, and your policy and claim numbers.
- The date of loss and a short timeline of what happened.
- What you are asking for, such as a decision, payment or an explanation.
- Copies of letters, emails, estimates and denial letters.
What a complaint can do
The Department can ask the insurer to respond and can act against improper claim practices listed in S.C. Code § 38-59-20, including cease and desist orders and penalties (§ 38-59-30). A complaint does not award money for your loss and does not stop the 3-year deadline to sue on your policy. See claim deadlines in South Carolina.
2025 homeowners complaints
In its 2025 summary, the Department reported 1,101 homeowners complaints and 141 confirmed complaints, across about $3.5 billion in South Carolina homeowners premium. See our claim guides for complaint counts by insurer.
See also insurance bad faith and denied claims.
Questions about a claim? Call 843-284-5790 or request a case review.
This page is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every claim depends on its own policy and facts.