Auto Insurance in California

Q: Can I save money on my California car insurance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Yes. Many people can save at least 15%. In California, 15% of the average car insurance price for Liability, Collision and Comprehensive equals $268. Some people can save as much as 60%. In California, 60% of the average car insurance price for Liability, Collision and Comprehensive equals $1070. To find out if these savings apply to you, go to this blog post on saving on car insurance due to COVID-19.

Q: How much does California car insurance cost?

On average, California residents pay $1495 per year for car insurance. This equals $125 per month or $748 per six months. Car insurance prices vary significantly based on insurance company and the level of risk they believe you represent. To find out what your car insurance should cost, use the ValChoice car insurance calculator.

Q: What is the cheapest car insurance in CA?

Only liability insurance (this pays for others when you cause an accident) is mandatory in California. Therefore, getting only liability insurance is the cheapest. On average, liability insurance in California costs $889 per year, $445 per six months and $74 per month.

However, many people want to protect their vehicle and themselves in the event they are in an accident (collision insurance), or something out of their control (comprehensive insurance) happens. In California, the average price for collision insurance is $724 per year, $362 per six months and $60 per month. On average, comprehensive insurance in California costs $170 per year, $85 per six months and $14 per month.

Find out what your liability, collision and comprehensive insurance should cost with the ValChoice car insurance calculator.

Q: Is full-coverage auto insurance worth it?

The combination of liability (required by law in California), collision and comprehensive insurance is sometimes called “Full coverage.” Whether this is worth it depends on the value of your car. The value of your car only effects collision and comprehensive insurance. Use the ValChoice car insurance calculator to see what the additional cost of collision and comprehensive insurance should be for you.

Q: What is the best, cheap auto insurance in California?

Bad insurance doesn’t necessarily cost less, and good insurance doesn’t necessarily cost more. In fact, some companies with the worst claims handling in the industry, sell insurance at high prices because they think their customers will believe the insurance is better because it is high priced.

When buying car insurance, start with the ValChoice car insurance calculator. We will let you know a fair price. If you want us connect you with one of the best insurance companies, click the button at the end of the calculator asking for this help and we will.

5 Best Car Insurance Companies in California

ValChoice uses multiple sets of data collected by the California department of insurance, and other sources, to determine the top rated insurance companies. We analyze the data to determine the best car insurance companies in CA. Our objective is to let consumers know the best insurance companies so you can make informed decisions when buying protection for you and your family.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) it's often not the market share leaders that rank highest for best insurance. Why is that? The reason is the industry is focused on delivering low-cost offerings. Low prices often come at the expense of good claims handling.

ValChoice analysis includes price (value), claims handling (quality) and overall service as the three factors used in our ratings. Price is not the only factor that matters when buying quality coverage.

Best Car Insurance in California

ValChoice Score
BROOKFIELD REINS LTD GRP
100 out of 100
Oregon Mutual
100 out of 100
Electric Insurance Company
91 out of 100
Grange Insurance
88 out of 100
Cincinnati Insurance Companies
82 out of 100
All ratings are based on high-quality data and analysis. Data sources include: SERFF, state insurance commissioners, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, AM Best Company and S & P Market Intelligence. Data used by permission.
Published by ValChoice on December 17, 2023

 

How do your California car insurance and home insurance companies rate?

ValChoice ratings analyze the value, claims handling and service insurance companies provide. Find out how your insurance company rates by clicking the buttons below. We've discounted the premium report (a $9.95 value) to $0 for users that click the buttons below.

FREE CAR INSURANCE RATING
 — OR — 
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Minimum Car Insurance Coverage Required in California

California laws require drivers to have the minimum insurance coverage shown in the table below. The important point to know about auto insurance coverage amounts is they define the maximum amount any California car insurance company is obligated to pay. If the costs are more than the amount of insurance coverage you purchased, you will be personally responsible for the costs above your coverage limits. More information on how insurance coverage protects you is included below the table.

Minimum Coverage
Bodily Injury, per person 15000
Bodily Injury, per accident 30000
Property Damage 5000

 

Types of California Car Insurance

Under California insurance laws, the costs of an accident are allocated to the driver who is at fault. This means, if you cause an accident, your insurance pays the medical bills, lost wages and cost of repairing the cars and property you damaged. If you don't have insurance, or don't have enough insurance, you are personally responsible.

Bodily injury

Bodily injury protection is a type of liability insurance. Liability insurance means it pays for the other party, not you. In the table above the minimum bodily injury coverage you can buy in California is specified in the first line of the table. The minimum bodily injury coverage amount you can purchase to pay the bill when more than one person is injured in an accident is shown in the second line of the table.

Property Damage Protection

The property damage protection that is required under California law is also liability insurance coverage. Property damage liability insurance pays for repairs to the other person's vehicle or property, not your own. The maximum amount the car insurance company will pay on your behalf is the coverage limit that you purchased. If you want coverage above the minimum amount, that can be purchased but is not required.

Protecting Yourself, Your Passengers and Your Car

Coverage for your own vehicle, yourself and your passengers can also be purchased. However, this type of accident insurance is not required by law. Instead, it's optional. Reasons you may not want this additional car insurance could be that you have an old car that isn't worth repairing if something happens. You may not want bodily injury coverage for yourself if you have a good health insurance policy. However, don't forget that when you are the driver, you need to protect your passengers too. When you take the option to buy bodily injury insurance for you and your passengers, it is sometimes called personal injury protection. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is a type of accident insurance where your own car insurance company pays first. This is not required in California. Don't let the different terms confuse you.

The flooding that occasionally occurs in streams and rivers has many people wondering what coverage they have for a vehicle that gets damaged by floodwater. Floodwater damage protection is part of your comprehensive insurance. For more details on insurance coverage for flooded vehicles, read our blog post titled "Does Your Car Float Like a Boat? What to do if it Won't!"

Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist

Despite laws that every driver have auto insurance, not everyone does. Or, they don't have enough coverage to pay the costs of a serious accident. Uninsured motorist coverage will pay the costs the other drivers insurance should have paid when they don't have insurance to cover the cost of an accident. Uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance changes the arrangement so your auto insurance company will pay the costs the other drivers insurance doesn't cover.

Getting an Auto Insurance Quote

When you get a car insurance quote, be sure to get an example of the insurance policy, or the declarations page. This will be proof of how much insurance you're actually buying. Also, be sure to keep a copy of the insurance policy so you know the full extent of your coverage.

Always ask your agent to provide you with a ValChoice report. ValChoice reports are the only reliable way to know how well insurance companies perform for providing a good value, their performance when handling claims and the level of service they provide.

Want the best auto insurance and homeowners insurance in California?

ValChoice grades every auto insurance company and every homeowners insurance company in every state where they do business. Click the buttons below to find the best car insurance and best home insurance companies in California.

BEST CALIFORNIA CAR INSURANCE — OR — BEST CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE

 

Get a Home Insurance Price Estimate with this California homeowners Insurance Calculator

ValChoice also offers homeowners insurance calculators. Just click the button below to be taken to the page with the Alabama home insurance premium calculator.

CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE CALCULATOR