California is known to be one of the most expensive states in regards to living expenses, but according to our average car insurance cost per month study, California auto insurance rates may not be the cheapest of all states, however, it is not the most expensive either. Although California isn't one of the top 10 most expensive states to get car insurance in, it's certainly located somewhere in the middle.
California has a lot of emissions regulations that vehicle owners are expected to keep up with. This translates to people having to buy more modern vehicles that are often more expensive and not the cheapest cars to insure . However, several other factors affect California car insurance rates, like the fact that drivers in California aren't always the best and most careful drivers, which adds to their risk for insurers.
Suppose you're thinking about purchasing a vehicle in California or you're wondering how much is car insurance in California per year. In that case, this article will help you understand more about the state car insurance costs and what you can do to get cheap car insurance in California that works for you.
Our California car insurance calculator we will outline the average auto insurance cost in California, in order to help you get a more affordable policy that's below the average - yet keeps you well protected while on the roads of beautiful sunny California!
Let's take a look!
The average cost of California car insurance in 2022 is $2,354 a year for full coverage
Insurance companies in California typically charge the following for the basic types of coverage:
Basic Liability (covers other drivers and property damage): $616
Collision Coverage (covers your vehicle repair costs): $484
Comprehensive Coverage (covers "acts of God, " natural disasters, theft, etc.): $95
Of course, these are just the basics that most California car insurance companies provide. Depending on your personal needs, you may want to pay for additional property damage coverage, uninsured motorist, bodily injury liability, or extra comprehensive coverage to protect you from disasters such as wildfires or earthquakes.
So how much is car insurance in California on average per year? Let's break it down..
Minimum Coverage Cost Per Month | Full Coverage Cost Per Year | Total Average Cost Per Month |
---|---|---|
$570 | $1,700 | $1,840 |
Non Owner Cost Per Month | Comprehensive & Collision Cost Per Month | 16 Year Old Driver Average Cost Per Month |
---|---|---|
$288 | $1,470 | $7,150 |
The insurance rates that we listed above are all based on a typical "insurance year " and are rates that are charged to policyholders per year. However, you'll usually be able to choose between a six-month and a twelve-month policy.
When you first sign up, you'll be required to make a small down payment, and then the rest of your car insurance policy will be paid off in monthly increments. If you're willing to pay for the entire policy upfront, then you may be eligible to receive a small discount. However, most people aren't able to afford to pay their entire policy in one payment, so monthly payments are, by far, more popular.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost of liability insurance in the state of California is just under $500 per year with per-person $30,000 coverage limits. The state also required drivers to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to ensure that they're still covered even if they're involved in an accident with a person who does not have auto insurance. This typically costs an extra $100 per policy period.
So, doing the math, if you have a $600 per year policy that renews on a twelve-month basis, then you'll pay around $50 per month, plus any applicable taxes and fees. This is for the minimum liability policy, though.
Suppose you want a full-coverage insurance policy that covers collision insurance , comprehensive coverage , personal injury protection or bodily injury liability coverage , enhanced property damage liability insurance , and others, though. In that case, you'll typically pay $1,700 per year for your full coverage car insurance in California, or around $148 per month.
As we mentioned, though, these are just averages. The city you live in plays a major role in your car insurance rates in California. For example, car insurance in LA is a lot more expensive than car insurance coverage in San Diego!
How much does car insurance cost per month in California then? Please find this average car insurance cost per month in California breakdown below:
Minimum Coverage Cost Per Month | Full Coverage Cost Per Month | Total Average Cost Per Month |
---|---|---|
$48 | $148 | $154 |
Non Owner Cost Per Month | Comprehensive & Collision Cost Per Month | 16 Year Old Driver Average Cost Per Month |
---|---|---|
$24 | $123 | $596 |
Minimum liability car insurance cost in CA is $48 per month or $574 per year in 2022 . Getting minimum auto insurance in California is not recommended, as it doesn't provide sufficient coverage to protect you from the unexpected and cover potential expenses involved with driving in CA.
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However, in order to get the best car insurance in California, aka cheap auto insurance that also keeps you well protected on the road, we recommend full coverage car insurance , which has an average California car insurance cost of $142 per month or $1,700 per year.
Although California isn't the most dangerous state to drive in (Florida holds that title) or the most expensive state to insure a car, it's still in the the bottom of the top 25 most expensive states to insure a car. This is likely due to the fact that California drivers have to deal with a lot of traffic (especially in large cities with jam-packed rush hours). California is also ranked number 12 in the nation for uninsured motorists, and the state requires all drivers to possess uninsured motorist coverage .
If you're a young driver, own a sports car , have speeding tickets on your record, and a lower credit score, then your average car insurance cost may be a bit higher than the typical California car insurance rates. However, if you have a clean driving record, you're 25-years-old (or older), and haven't been involved in a recent accident, then your average auto insurance rates will probably be on the lower side.
Getting California auto insurance is easy! You can easily compare car insurance quotes online , over the phone, or speak to an insurance agent in-person to receive your quotes.
Most insurance websites, companies and agents will ask you for some basic information about your driving record and your vehicle. Once they process the information, they'll give you their quotes for monthly/6-month/annual payments, and you can finalize the transaction in less than 24 hours, and many times much faster.
Car insurance quotes vary greatly from one company to another. The best way to ensure that you're getting a good deal is to compare quotes online from trusted companies that you can read other people's reviews of, as you can do here. Just be sure to let them know that you're comparing quotes, to reassure that you get their best possible rates!
Leverage California's low cost auto insurance program !
Be a safe driver and maintain a clean driving record
Maintain an excellent credit score
Make sure you own a car that is cheap to insure !
In any case, you want to compare car insurance quotes from the best auto insurance companies in California in order to find the most affordable, cheapest car insurance rates possible near you !
When you compare auto insurance quotes in California, be sure to collect a maximum amount of full coverage car insurance quotes that have your needs protected, so you can later decide which is the cheapest California low cost auto insurance option that is also reliable and protective enough.
We do recommend you to read our car insurance quotes comparison and shopping guide ahead of buying a policy so you understand your options better.
SR22 Cost Per Month | SR-22 Cost Per Year | % Increase | $ Increase |
---|---|---|---|
$425 | $5,100 | 185% | $3300 |
The average SR22 insurance cost in California with 1 DUI is $425 per month or $5,100 per year, which is above the national average . Whatever driving violation you did, it increases your SR22 insurance cost in California by 185% on average! That's a great reason to drive safely and improve yourself as a driver!
To get the cheapest SR22 insurance in California, we recommend you to compare cheap SR22 insurance quotes through this page and find SR22 insurance rates starting from as little as $7/month.
Learn More: SR22 Insurance Cost .
To get the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, our best recommendation for you is to compare San Diego, California low income car insurance quotes through this page and collect as many quotes as you can.
To get the cheapest car insurance in Los Angeles, city of angels, our best recommendation is to compare auto insurance quotes through this page, collect as many price quotes as possible in LA and find the best car insurance in Los Angeles and the best auto insurance rates in California!
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
The minimum insurance coverage required by California drivers is:
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage ($15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident).
Property Damage Liability Coverage ($5,000 per incident).
Uninsured Motorist Liability Coverage ($15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident).
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-auto-insurance
http: //www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/lca/
I was hopeful about going with Travelers. My cousin oversees the building of large hotels (the W and Virgin in Nashville) and told me that is who he had used commercially. But after having roof damage from a storm, I have had a really bad experience. From the very first person I dealt with, it became quickly clear from my first dealings and was confirmed throughout the process, is how little they care about the people they insure and how they truly want to pay as little as possible. While my neighbors were having positive experiences with their insurance companies after the storm, mine has been terrible. I would highly recommend staying far away from Travelers Insurance and going with literally anyone else but them. —Jason McAnally
AAA is only good if you never have to use them. My daughter was borrowing my car and got hit by a hit-and-run driver who left the scene. AAA would not pay for damages on my car because she was not on the policy and I didn't have full coverage on my car I did have uninsured motorists but they still would not pay the claim so I have a wrecked car and now AAA is canceling my insurance What a waste of time and money. We reported to insurance board and still nothing was done. I'm going back to allstate, atleast they pay claims.
The quote they gave me was not the correct price. it turned out to be twice the amount they said. Plus the agency is in California 1500 miles away and I received bad customer service.
Horrible, we are DRIV3 Rentals a Car Rental Company in Los Angeles California. One of our clients purchased a Bonzah policy to rent a vehicle from us. An accident occurred where there has been significant damage to our 2021 BMW M4, we proceeded to file a claim with Bonzah. Let me just say the way this company handles claims is from the stone age. They do not contact you anywhere except emails. Our company has been in a 100+ email chain with Paul and Art from Bonzah for at least a month. They have confused our claim with other claims and at times just simply not responded back at all. We supplied all the necessary information needed for the claim and everything seemed ok. Fast forward to last week out of no where Paul stops answering so we call him over and over until he answers at this point he not once told us this by the way that they pulled the police report and our driver isn't listed, this is false as I immediately went to the LAPD police station and found out the report Paul pulled was filed online from one of the other drivers and not an official report from the officer on the scene, the officer on the scene made a statement in which debunks that whole claim and in fact our driver was the driver. I have never in my 20 years in the auto industry been accused of anything like this furthermore Paul stating that oh we don't know if your driver knows the other driver and they could have planned this. Insane really, Paul stated that if we could get a statement from the officer he would expedite our claim and damages check, Paul, Art and Bonzah has since started to ignore us. They don't answer calls, emails, text messages anything for almost 2 weeks now. How ironic that once we debunk their claim of our client not being the driver they stop responding. Don't use this company, stay far away.
We have been with progressive for 18+ but Have to give a one star with this experience. We hit a big rock on the highway. Randell Fergen repair rep . argued with me; claimed I was off roading in my car, which I have never done . Randell told me “this was not an isolated incident”. Because my other wheels had scratches according to him. The auto shop they picked and Randell told me it the wheel just needs a balance . Randell quoted me the price I would have to pay for the balance. I took the car to Discount Tire since the balance is covered. Discount told me “the wheel is bend badly” We called back to the rep Kiera Washington to update her and ask for a new repair rep. She said she could not and when I asked to speak to her supervisor she said “ I’m not dealing with you” and hung up on me ????