Best Car Insurance In California

Looking For Cheapcar Insurance In California

BEST CALIFORNIA CAR INSURANCE – 30 Hours of Research

The best car insurance California drivers can get is thekind that will leave them fully covered in the event of an accident withoutcosting them too much money in monthly or annual premiums. At Freedom National,thats exactly what we offer.

Wondering whether Freedom National covers your city orregion? Dont worry, we cover the entire state of California. If you want tolearn more about coverage and regulations in your specific city, you can checkout our specific city pages for these major California locations:

What Percentage Of California’s Motorist Population Is Uninsured

California insurance companies are also required to offer you uninsured motorist coverage, but you aren’t required to purchase it. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage offers protection in the event you are involved in an accident with a driver who either doesnât have insurance or doesnât have enough coverage.

While buying the coverage would increase your premium, it may be a wise purchase. Californiaâs percentage of uninsured drivers is 15.2 â the 12th highest in the United States, according to 2015 data from the Insurance Information Institute. That ranks higher than the 2015 national average of 13 percent.

Talk To The Department Of Insurance

We are the state agency that regulates the insurance industry. We also work to protect the rights of insurance consumers.

Contact the California Department of Insurance :

If you feel that an insurance agent, broker, or company has treated you unfairly.
If you have questions or concerns about insurance.
If you want to order CDI brochures.
If you want to file a request for assistance against your agent, broker, or insurance company.
If you are having difficulty opening a claim with your insurance company.
To check the license of an agent, broker, or insurance company.

Q How Much Coverage Do You Need In California

A. California requires motorists to carry liability insurance to lawfully drive a car. The minimum coverage requirement is 15/30/5 for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. That pays $15,000 per passenger and $30,000 per accident for someone elses medical costs when you are liable for a traffic accident. It also pays up to $5,000 to cover damage to their vehicle.

Bear in mind that if you purchased a vehicle with an auto loan, your loan servicer will most likely insist you carry full coverage until the balance is paid. Similarly, when you are leasing a car in California, the dealership or rental car company may require a liability policy of 100/300/100 that pays $100,000, $300,000, and $100,000, respectively.

Required Minimum Auto Insurance In California

Liability insurance pays for damage and injuries you cause to others. In turn, if someone else crashes into you, you should be able to make a claim on their liability coverage. Car owners in California must buy at least:

$15,000 for injury/death to one person.
$30,000 for injury/death to more than one person.
$5,000 for damage to property.

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Minimum California Car Insurance Coverage

California requires drivers to carry at least the following auto insurance coverages:

Bodily injury liability coverage: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident minimum
Property damage liability coverage: $5,000 minimum
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage¹: $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident minimum
Uninsured motorist property damage coverage¹: $3,500 minimum

While these are the minimum coverages California requires you to have, everyone’s insurance needs are unique. Visit our Coverage Calculator to get a personalized recommendation.

Alternative Car Insurance In California

If you have a high number of accidents, DUIs or other factors making it hard to find auto coverage, you might qualify for insurance through the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. This organization connects high-risk drivers to insurance companies that will cover them.

For more help finding the most competitive prices in California, try NerdWallets car insurance comparison tool.

Also Check: Car Insurance For New Drivers Over 21

How Soon After Buying A Car Do I Need Auto Insurance

You need car insurance to drive a car off the lot after purchase. Reputable dealers wont allow you to leave until you provide proof of insurance. You can get insurance in an hour or less. Make sure you know what you need to have to be driving legally. Ask an insurance agent or search online to get the information you need.

Who Has The Cheapest Car Insurance In California

Best Auto Insurance Rates in California (2019) (part 1)

Getting the cheapest car insurance in California may sound great, but that cheap rate can come at a cost when you need it most. You want auto insurance thats affordable, but even more importantly reliable, in case you have an accident.

A Liberty Mutual auto insurance policy can cost less than you think4

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Best Car Insurance Deals

The biggest way most policyholders save is by taking advantage of car insurance discounts offered by providers. If youre shopping for insurance, search for the company that gives the best discounts for you. You can also ask your existing provider about available discounts.

Common discounts include:

Military: Applies whether youre active military or a veteran
Senior: Usually for policyholders who are 55 and older
Homeowners: If youre paying a mortgage, you could qualify for this discount
Good student:Typically for college and high school students under 25 who maintain a B average in their courses
Good driver: Applies to drivers with a clean driving record
Defensive driving: Take a defensive driving course to qualify for this discount
Driver training: Get a discount by taking a driver training course
New car: Given to drivers who have purchased a new vehicle, typically three model years or newer
Safe car: If your vehicle has safety features like automatic braking or anti-theft technology, you may qualify for this
Multi-policy: Bundling two or more insurance policies, such as adding a homeowners or renters policy to your auto coverage
Multi-vehicle: Insuring multiple vehicles on the same policy or combining auto policies with your roommates or family members
Paperless: Get a discount by opting to receive your documents via email
Pay-in-full: Save on your premium by paying your policy in full up front
Sign online: Earn a discount by signing documents online

Auto Insurance Coverage In California

If you just moved to California and need auto insurance coverage, or you’ve been here for a while and are looking for cheap car insurance that doesn’t cut corners, you’ll be glad you got a quote with GEICO. So, how much is car insurance in California for your ride? You can get a free car insurance quote with GEICO online to find out. California also has some unique car insurance laws that make insuring a vehicle here different than other states, so read on to stay up to speed.

Also Check: Harry E. Reed Insurance Agency.

How To Get Cheap Car Insurance In California

There are many ways for drivers to save money on their insurance, including bundling policies, keeping their driving record clean, and increasing their deductibles. However, sometimes that isnt enough. For people who cant afford even a basic minimum liability insurance policy, the state offers California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program.

Californias Low Cost Auto Insurance Program offers consumers the opportunity to purchase lower levels of coverage. The CLCA policy includes basic liability levels of:

$10,000 bodily injury or death per person
$20,000 bodily injury or death per accident
$3,000 property damage liability per accident

For an additional charge of $39-$104 per year, drivers can also purchase:

$1,000 medical payments per person
$10,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
$20,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident

Pro tip

Policygenius recommends drivers have a minimum of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $100,000 in property damage liability coverage to ensure the maximum amount of protection.

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What Are The Fair Claims Settlement Practices

This regulation was established to protect the consumer.

It gives the insurance company 40 days to accept or deny a claim.
It demands the insurer provide a written explanation for denials.
It demands the insurer pay for claims within 30 days of acceptance.

The bullet list above is just a brief summary of all the law requires.

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California Car Insurance State Minimums

Coverage type
Helps cover expenses related to the injury or death of another driver or a pedestrian when an accident is your fault.	$15,000 limit per person/ $30,000 limit per accident
Helps cover expenses related to the damage of another person’s property like vehicles, homes, buildings and other structures when an accident is your fault.	$5,000 limit
Helps cover your medical expenses if you’re in an accident, the other driver is at fault and doesn’t have any insurance.	Not required
Helps cover your medical expenses if you’re in an accident, the other driver is at fault and doesn’t have enough liability insurance.	Not required
If you and/or your passengers are hurt in an accident, this helps cover medical or funeral expenses.	Not required
Helps cover expenses to repair or replace your vehicle that’s been damaged in an accident.	Not required¹
Helps cover expenses to repair or replace your vehicle that’s been stolen or damaged by things like storms or vandalism.	Not required¹

All coverages are subject to the coverage limits stated in your policy.

¹Although California law does not require drivers to carry this coverage, it may be required by your lender if you are leasing or financing your vehicle.

Does Gender And Age Affect My Car Insurance In California

Until 2019, car insurance companies in California used gender for auto insurance rate adjustments. The resulting differences in prices between men and women sometimes favored men and sometimes favored women. However, gender as a factor in adjusting insurance rates is no longer legal in California.

Universally, 17-year-old males paid significantly more for car insurance than their female counterparts. The statistics for male teen drivers back up the argument that they present more risk to the insurance company. More risk equals higher rates.

Genderless car insurance rates are one of the natural outcomes of Californias law that adds a third choice to the gender options for drivers licenses and birth certificates. The choices are:

This law went into effect on January 1, 2019, and car insurance companies were given six months to comply with gender-neutral rates.

For the most part, residents havent experienced a huge impact on their rates, as already, the rates were split with some males paying slightly more and some females paying slightly more.

The demographic that will see the biggest financial impact are teen females. Despite their statistically lower risk than males, they will be charged identical rates as their male counterparts.

For detailed average insurance rates in California by both age and gender combined, take a look at this chart.

We have averaged the male and female rates to give you a more accurate idea of the rates you can expect under current laws.

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How To Save On Insurance

The best way to save money on car insurance is to comparison shop. Requesting quotes from three to five companies will undoubtedly yield both the highest and lowest insurance rates.

Many owners assume prices are fairly consistent and will take the first insurance quote they get but this is a common mistake. Insurance costs vary significantly between providers because each assesses risk differently. So comparison shopping will help you save hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, over the life of your policy.

Plus, shopping your insurance rate with multiple providers gives you leverage to negotiate. While an insurance agent is under no obligation to negotiate with you, theres nothing stopping you from asking one to beat your lowest quote.

Thankfully, there are additional money-saving strategies California motorists can use to reduce the cost of their premiums. Here are a few of the more effective techniques.

Uninsured Motoristproperty Damage Coverage

How to Get Cheap Car Insurance in California Best California Auto Insurance Quotes

If another driver causes an accident that results indamage to your personal property, including your vehicle, but that persondoesnt have insurance or enough coverage to cover those costs, uninsured motoristbodily injury coverage will help cover the cost of the damage.

Now that you know about each of these coverage types,lets take a look at Californias minimum requirements in each category:

Bodily InjuryLiability Coverage Minimum

$15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident

Property DamageLiability Coverage Minimum

$5,000 per accident

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How Aaa Car Insurance Works In California

AAA, the automobile club best known for its roadside assistance memberships, also sells insurance in many states. But just like the clubs themselves, AAA insurance companies are separate companies that operate independently. If you use a AAA webpage, it will ask for your ZIP code in order to ensure you’re looking at information for your local AAA club.

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Best Minimum Coverage: Safeco

Only sold through independent agents
Safe driving rewards program not available in California
Mobile app receives poor reviews among Android users

Carrying the bare minimum coverage isnt always the best choice, but if youre strapped for cash and need to keep expenditures to a minimum, Safeco is the way to go. Our sample driver was quoted just $65 per month for basic coverage in California, with the states liability requirements of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage.

Keep in mind that this is simply the bare minimum required by law and wont be sufficient for everyone, particularly those with more assets. We found that Safecos rates remain low even when raising limits, so dont be afraid to check pricing for various coverage levels when getting a quote.

Safeco also gives drivers the ability to further reduce premiums by staying safe on the road. For every year that you go without a claim for an at-fault accident, Safeco will write you a check for up to 5% of your annual premium. Unfortunately, Safecos more advanced safe driving program, RightTrack, isnt available in California.

If you need to file a claim, you can do so in under 10 minutes through Safecos website or by downloading their smartphone app.

Minimum Auto Insurance Limits Required In California

You will be pleased to know that this state has the second lowest minimum coverage behind Florida, which helps bring down the prices of the car insurance California buyers are looking for. The minimum liability limits are $5,000 for property damage and $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury. And that is all thats required by law. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist, Medical Payments, Collision, and Comprehensive coverages are all optional. Nonetheless, if you are leasing a vehicle, a lender may require Collision or Comprehensive.

Settling for the minimum coverage may seem appealing to those looking for affordable auto insurance quotes in California. However, in case of an accident, you will likely have to pay large amounts of money out of your pocket.

California is a wealthy state, meaning theres a significant number of expensive cars being driven around. Even a minor fender-bender can easily cost over $5,000, not to mention the impact of serious car accidents. Add any payments for medical expenses to that, and your wallet will suddenly feel like its on a diet. Thats why its smarter to increase your limits, especially since significantly better protection will cost you 15%25% more, meaning you are definitely getting your moneys worth.

Factors That Can Impact Your Car Insurance Rates In California

In addition to selecting the coverages, limits and deductibles that’s right for you, these factors could also affect your car insurance rates in California:

The type of car you’re insuring
Your driving habits and annual mileage
Demographic factors, like zip code
Any discounts you may qualify for

Learn more about these factors that could impact your car insurance premium.

Cheapest Car Insurance For High

Not everyone has the ideal driving history and situation to get the cheapest rates. In the sections below, you can see some popular providers average full coverage car insurance rates for drivers with a recent accident, speeding ticket or DUI.

Cheapest Car Insurance After a DUI

Below are the cheapest monthly car insurance rates for drivers who have had one DUI compared to rates for those without a DUI:

Car Insurance Company	Monthly Rate Estimate With One DUI	Monthly Rate Estimate With No DUI
State Farm
$88

*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.

Nationally, average car insurance rates increase by over 60% after one DUI. This number varies in different regions of the country and among providers.

Cheapest Insurance for Drivers With Accidents

State Farm, Nationwide and Geico typically offer the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a recent accident.

Car Insurance Company