Car Insurance in California

California drivers spend an average of $1,225 a year on auto insurance according to the NAIC — ▼ −4% versus the national average of $1,282, ranking 18th most expensive of 51. The state requires 30/60/15 liability coverage and follows an at-fault system.

Landscape in California — Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 3.0

These are estimates, not quotes. Figures are modeled from public data (NAIC, Census, FEMA, IIHS/HLDI) for comparison only. Your actual premium depends on your insurer, driving history, vehicle and coverage choices. We are not an insurance company or agency. How we estimate

Average car insurance cost in California

NAIC avg. expenditure

$1,225

per insured vehicle / year

Est. full coverage

$1,555

$130/mo · 30s, clean record

Est. state minimum

$575

$48/mo · 30/60/15

Uninsured drivers

20.4%

national 15.4%

Traffic deaths

1.19

per 100M miles · U.S. 1.19

Vehicle thefts

317

per 100k people · U.S. 197

The NAIC average expenditure is what insured drivers actually paid on average, including people who carry only liability. For those who buy each coverage, the average premium was $661 for liability, $607 for collision and $150 for comprehensive ($1,418 combined, versus $1,439 nationally). That average expenditure is 13% higher than the NAIC's previous data year ($1,087). Comprehensive coverage is cheaper than average here, a sign of lower weather and theft losses.

Liability

$661
$737

Collision

$607
$464

Comprehensive

$150
$238

CaliforniaU.S. averageSource: NAIC

Minimum car insurance requirements in California

California's minimum is written as 30/60/15: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $15,000 in property damage liability. Those limits are low compared with the cost of a serious injury claim, so many drivers choose 100/300/100 — we estimate that "standard" level at about $800 a year here, $225 more than the minimum.

California minimum car insurance (30/60/15)
Coverage	Required?	Minimum	What it pays for
Bodily injury liability	Yes	$30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident	Injuries you cause to other people
Property damage liability	Yes	$15,000	Damage you cause to other vehicles and property
Personal injury protection (PIP)	No	— California does not require personal injury protection.	Your own medical bills and lost wages, regardless of fault
Uninsured motorist (UM)	No	— Insurers must offer uninsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage; declining it requires a signed waiver.	Your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance
Underinsured motorist (UIM)	No	— Underinsured motorist coverage is offered with uninsured motorist coverage and can be waived in writing.	The gap when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low
Medical payments (MedPay)	No	— Medical payments coverage is optional.	Medical bills for you and your passengers

Income-eligible good drivers can meet the law through the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program at lower limits of 10/20/3.

Minimums were raised recently from 15/30/5.

Compare with another state

Is California a no-fault state?

No — California is an at-fault (tort) state. California is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other party's injuries and property damage. Injured people can claim against the at-fault driver's insurer, use their own coverage, or sue.

No-fault vs. at-fault explained

Uninsured drivers in California

The Insurance Research Council estimates 20.4% of California drivers are uninsured — 8th highest in the country, compared with 15.4% nationally. That's roughly one uninsured driver in every 5 on the road. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage isn't mandatory here (Insurers must offer uninsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage; declining it requires a signed waiver), but with an above-average uninsured rate it is worth pricing.

SR-22 requirements in California

California uses the SR-22 — a certificate your insurer files with the state to prove you carry at least the minimum liability coverage. It is usually ordered after a DUI, driving uninsured, serious violations or a license suspension, and is typically kept for about 3 years. After a suspension, the DMV usually requires an SR-22 (or SR-1P) insurance certificate to stay on file for three years.

By our model, a driver in their 30s with a DUI would pay about $1,085 a year for minimum coverage in California, versus $575 with a clean record. What is SR-22 insurance?

Estimate your premium in California

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State ZIP code or city (optional) Driver age Vehicle make Model Coverage Driving record Annual mileage

Estimated annual premium

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Per month

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Car insurance by city in California

We cover 77 California cities. Estimates are for full coverage for a driver in their 30s with a clean record; hover a city to find it on the map. The lowest estimate is in Redding ($1,350) and the highest in Antioch ($1,795).

Estimated cost by driver profile in California

Age and driving record move premiums more than almost anything else. A teen on their own policy pays about 2.8× what a driver in their 30s pays for the same full coverage in California.

Estimated annual premium by driver profile
Driver	Minimum	Standard	Full coverage	Full / month
Teen driver (18, own policy)	$1,575	$2,195	$4,280	$357
Young adult (22)	$915	$1,280	$2,490	$208
Adult in their 30s	$575	$800	$1,555	$130
Adult in their 50s	$525	$735	$1,430	$119
Senior (72)	$640	$895	$1,740	$145
30s, one at-fault accident	$830	$1,160	$2,255	$188
30s, DUI on record	$1,060	$1,475	$2,880	$240

By coverage level

Estimated premium by coverage level (driver in their 30s, clean record)
Coverage level	What it includes	Per year	Per month	Typical range
State minimum liability	Only the liability (and PIP/UM where required) limits your state mandates. No coverage for your own car.	$575	$48	$470–$675
Standard liability (100/300/100)	Higher liability limits plus uninsured motorist coverage. Still no coverage for damage to your own car.	$800	$67	$655–$940
Full coverage	Standard liability plus collision and comprehensive, typically required on a financed or leased car.	$1,555	$130	$1,275–$1,835

Cheapest and most expensive cars to insure in California

Full-coverage estimates for current models, using HLDI insurance-loss data where available. Vehicle choice alone can swing the premium by more than $3,600 a year here.

Cheapest to insure
Model	Segment	Est. / year
GMC Acadia	Midsize SUV	$1,000
Chevrolet Traverse	Midsize SUV	$1,050
Subaru Forester	Small SUV	$1,120
Subaru Crosstrek	Small SUV	$1,135
Subaru Outback	Wagon	$1,140
Honda Pilot	Midsize SUV	$1,145
Honda CR-V	Small SUV	$1,160
MINI Cooper	Subcompact car	$1,180
Ford Bronco	Midsize SUV	$1,225
Acura RDX	Luxury SUV	$1,230

Most expensive to insure
Model	Segment	Est. / year
BMW M4	Luxury sports car	$4,600
BMW M3	Luxury car	$4,575
Lamborghini Urus	Luxury SUV	$4,110
BMW 7 Series	Luxury car	$3,815
Lucid Air	Luxury car	$3,080
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	Luxury car	$2,975
Audi RS 7	Luxury car	$2,535
Porsche Taycan	Luxury sports car	$2,435
Mercedes-Benz G-Class	Luxury SUV	$2,385
BMW M2	Luxury sports car	$2,385

Cheap car insurance in California: how to lower your rate

Raise your deductible. Going from $500 to $1,000 on collision and comprehensive saves about $105 a year on a typical California full-coverage policy.
Match coverage to your car's value. On a 10-year-old car, dropping collision and comprehensive could cut the bill from about $1,215 to $800.
Drive less, pay less. Low-mileage and usage-based programs can save around $110 a year if you drive under 7,500 miles.
Protect your record. A single speeding ticket adds roughly $345 a year in our model; an at-fault accident adds much more.
Shop at renewal. Rates for the same driver differ widely between insurers. Compare identical limits and deductibles. The California Department of Insurance publishes a rate comparison tool.
Ask about discounts — bundling home and auto, good student, safe-driver, paid-in-full and defensive-driving course discounts. See common discounts.

Complaints and help: California Department of Insurance

The California Department of Insurance licenses insurers and agents, reviews rates and handles consumer complaints about claims, cancellations and billing — free of charge.

Website: www.insurance.ca.gov
File a complaint: Consumer complaint page
Consumer helpline: 1-800-927-4357
Rate comparison: Official premium comparison

Homeowners insurance in California →

California vs. neighboring states

State	NAIC avg.	Minimums	System	Uninsured
California	$1,225	30/60/15	At-fault (tort)	20.4%
Arizona	$1,344	25/50/15	At-fault (tort)	10.6%
Nevada	$1,462	25/50/20	At-fault (tort)	11.1%
Oregon	$1,170	25/50/20	At-fault (tort)	14.7%

Frequently asked questions

How much is car insurance in California?

NAIC data puts the average California auto insurance expenditure at $1,225 a year, 4% less than the national average of $1,282 (rank 18 of 51, where 1 is the most expensive). Our estimate for full coverage for a driver in their 30s with a clean record is about $1,555 a year ($130 a month); state-minimum liability is about $575.

What is the minimum car insurance required in California?

California requires at least 30/60/15 liability coverage: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage.

Is California a no-fault state?

No. California is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other party's injuries and property damage.

How many drivers in California are uninsured?

The Insurance Research Council estimates that about 20.4% of California drivers are uninsured, ranking 8th in the nation (national estimate: 15.4%).

Does California require SR-22 insurance?

Yes, California uses the SR-22 certificate for drivers who must prove financial responsibility, typically for about 3 years. After a suspension, the DMV usually requires an SR-22 (or SR-1P) insurance certificate to stay on file for three years.

Which California city has the cheapest car insurance?

Among the 77 cities we cover, Redding has the lowest full-coverage estimate at about $1,350 a year, while Antioch is the highest at about $1,795. Differences come from population density, commute length and local weather risk.

How much does car insurance cost for a teen driver in California?

An 18-year-old on their own full-coverage policy would pay roughly $4,280 a year in California by our estimate, or about $1,575 for minimum coverage. Joining a parent's policy usually costs less.

How do I file a complaint against a car insurance company in California?

Contact the California Department of Insurance (consumer line 1-800-927-4357). It handles consumer complaints about claims, cancellations and rates at no cost.

How we estimate this

We start from the state's average liability, collision and comprehensive premiums published by the NAIC, then apply a location factor (population density and commute time from the Census ACS, weather hazard scores from FEMA's National Risk Index), a vehicle factor (HLDI insurance-loss data where available, otherwise vehicle segment), and a driver-profile multiplier. Results are rounded ranges for comparison, not quotes. Read the full methodology.

Sources used on this page