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.Â
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!Â
Let's take a look!
The average cost of California car insurance in 2023 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 2023Â . 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 Â
http: //www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/lca/
1 / 5
I just received a letter in the mail today and it is from Liberty mutual insurance and it had9 items wrong for denying why they are not going to cover my vehicles. I just had the insurance 3months ago and nothing like this had shown up in my files You wouldn't believe how wrong they got my report wrong. I didn't even ask for insurance from them. DON'T BUY ANYTHING INSURANCE FROM THE COMPANY, THEY ARE A BIG FRAUD AND WILL BE REPORTED TO THE BBB. I GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL REGRET IT IF YOU DEAL WITH THESE IDIOTS. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING YOUR HARD EARN MONEY IN THEIR COMPANY.
1 / 5
I just had an appalling experience trying to cancel my Mom's AAA insurance after she developed dementia and stopped driving. They threw up every barrier to what should have been a simple process, and even refused to accept my Power of Attorney documents electronically. The representative was extremely rude and copped an attitude. I think they refuse to close accounts so they can keep fraudulently charging non-driving seniors. This is a crooked company, and nobody should do business with them.
1 / 5
On May 10, 2023, I was involved in an accident with one of USAA's clients. Everything proceeded smoothly until they decided to give me the runaround in repairing my car or compensating me for its worth. The adjuster was nowhere to be found, and it took me a couple of months to receive any response from them. They informed me that my car was a total loss and provided a specific amount they were willing to pay for it via email, stating that I could dispute it if I could find a car in the same category with the same mileage within a 100-mile radius. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an exact match, but I did find a vehicle that was one year older and one year newer, so I disputed the price they were offering. They assured me they would get back to me in a couple of weeks, but I never heard from them again. Frustrated, I took the step of filing a complaint against them with the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of the Attorney General. However, I received no assistance beyond the insurance company responding to me and denying my dispute without providing any tangible reasoning. This was after three months of back-and-forth since my car accident, with no access to a replacement vehicle or rental car. Now, it has been five months, and they are attempting to push the responsibility onto my own insurance. These actions indicate that these individuals are playing games with people's lives, and there seems to be no one holding them accountable. It is disheartening to realize that we live in a country that is supposed to protect average citizens from being taken advantage of by large companies like USAA, but this has proven to be far from the truth. I have lost trust in the entire system, and I am determined to stop paying insurance premiums to these corporate entities that seem only interested in taking our hard-earned money every day, without delivering the support they promise.
1 / 5
I was shopping for auto insurance on 11th September 2023. Liberty took$8614 out of my bank that same night without my permission. And now they will not return my hard earned money. Every time I call ,they give me sorry excuses. And now they tell me that ,yes we took your money by fraud. Go write your congressman. But we'll give it back to you in 15 days. Meanwhile my bills are piling. Liberty Mutual stole my money. Please avoid Liberty Mutual at every cost.
1 / 5
I have dealt with many auto insurance companies in my life time but none as deceitful as AAA!! I signed up with a AAA insurance agent back in March. The premium I was would be $138/month-(all good). The agent told me I had to pay 4 months in advance so I gave my credit card to pay for the 4 months including the current month. One month later I received my monthly invoice for payment. The amount due had jumped from $138 (monthly) to $276. I called AAA and they said this was because of an accident that occurred 5 months prior where the other driver was at fault, though the case was still had yet to be closed. AAA would not accept the quoted premium of $138/month. So I shopped for a new insurance policy. A division of Farmers Insurance (Toggle) sold me their auto policy which was superior to AAA at $118/month with only $500 deductible. I canceled AAA and jumped onto the Farmers policy. I contacted AAA to cancel the policy and requested the 3 months paid in advance be reimbursed to me. I was told that I would not be reimbursed and in fact I was still responsible for the premium payment of $276 - that this payment would not be forgiven. I have since filed a claim with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and if this fails I will take AAA to small claims court. Prior to this experience I respected the AAA name. I've learned that this company is simply TOO BIG and feel they can take advantage of their customers at will. I have since canceled EVERYTHING AAA (roadside service and an insurance policy). This big business corporation is NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!!!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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