Car Insurance in California

The average auto insurance rate in California is around $490 for the minimum liability. Geico provides the lowest rates which is only around $250 (half of the state average). The average cost for full coverage is around $1,518.

The insurance rates vary very much based on the city you live, locality, car you drive, your driving history. For instance Los Angeles has the highest rate around $2500 but in San Diego its only around $1300.

Finding the right car insurance in California

It is smarter to choose the right amount of coverages for your car insurance than opting for minimum requirement. This can vary depending on the car make, age and various other factors.

Insurance companies packs the coverages differently. So it is always better to get quotes from different companies to see who offers the best price.

Get a free online quote from different companies which only takes a couple of minutes.

Car Insurance Laws in California

You must have car insurance when you are registering a vehicle. It is enough to have the minimum coverage as set by California state (15/30/5). But it will be sensible get more coverage than the minimum to avoid spending cash on additional damage costs that your insurance doesn't cover.

Penalty for Driving without Car Insurance in California

It is illegal to drive in California without insurance. It is also not sufficient to have a car insurance that has just lapsed or has not been renewed for a few days and hence there is a break in its continuity. The law requires all car owners to have continuous auto insurance in California, regardless of the age of the car and other factors such as driving history or record of past incidents.

You will get ticket if you do not show proof of insurance when asked. If you do not have insurance coverage, your license can get suspended and the vehicle impounded.

Car Insurance Support in California

If you can't afford to have standard car insurance, you can apply for California's Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program (CLCA). This program allows you to get car insurance for $400/year or less. However, this is offered only to those who meet certain requirements such as lower income (250% or less of the federal poverty level) and your car should not be worth more than $25,000.

If You Have a High-Risk Driving Record you can apply for California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP) which assigns you to a registered insurance company to provide insurance to you. You can continue with this plan until the accident and violations are removed from your record. Once your driving record is clear, you can apply for standard insurance.

References

• California Department of Insurance
• Texas Department of Motor Vehicle