California Car Insurance

by Bianca Garrison - November 1, 2019

View of California skyline and palm trees

If you live in the Golden State, you probably drive a lot. Whether you live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or San Diego, you can bet that commute times are long, and public transportation is not convenient. If you are driving along the beautiful California highways for work or pleasure, make sure you have California car insurance. All drivers must carry car insurance that meets the state’s minimum requirements.

California Car Insurance Requirements

To comply with California’s car insurance requirements, you must get a California car insurance policy from a licensed insurer such as Bluefire. California’s minimum requirements for liability car insurance coverage are as follows:

Bodily Injury Liability Insurance–$15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident
Property Damage Liability Insurance–$5,000 per accident

The state has set these limits as minimum amounts that every driver should carry. You can (and should) have higher limits. If you cause an accident that costs more than the minimum amounts, you will be responsible for paying the balance out-of-pocket. Consider getting insurance with higher insurance limits so that you will be protected if you are ever in an accident that causes costly damage.

Liability insurance only covers damage that you cause to other people. If you want coverage that will include your car and your injuries, then you will need personal injury protection and/or collision coverage.

You may also want to consider adding uninsured/underinsured motorists’ coverage to your car insurance, California has one of the highest rates of uninsured claims in the country. This coverage can provide you with financial protection if you’re in an accident with someone who has no car insurance or who has insurance that doesn’t meet the state’s minimum requirements.

Auto Insurance California

California is an “at-fault” state, which means that you if are found legally responsible for a car accident, then you are liable for the damages.

The injured party has three options: pursue a claim with your insurance company, file a claim with their own insurance company, or they can file a personal injury lawsuit against you.

California follows a comparative fault model when determining fault in a car accident. Under a comparative fault law, you can still collect compensation for an accident, even if you are partially at fault for causing the accident. But any compensation you recover will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

In a “no-fault” state, a driver who is injured in a car accident has to file a claim with their insurance company to cover medical bills, vehicle damage, etc.

High-Risk Drivers in California

If you are a high-risk driver with a DUI, you may need SR-22 insurance. Bluefire offers affordable SR-22 insurance for high-risk drivers.

Cheap Car Insurance California

California has a low-cost auto insurance program. With this program, low-income, good drivers get low-cost automobile insurance for under $556 a year (liability only). Program eligibility is based on the household’s gross annual income, which must be 250% or less of the federal poverty level.