California Car Insurance Quotes & Average Rates
Full coverage car insurance in California is estimated at $2,932 a year, or $244 a month, for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record. A state-minimum liability policy comes in near $858 a year. California is an at-fault state, and drivers must carry 30/60/15 liability limits. Below you will find estimated rates for 395 California cities, a breakdown by age and driving record, and the coverage the state actually requires.
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Car insurance calculator — California
Estimated from state average premiums and your rating factors. Not a quote.
Your estimated premium
$244/ month
$2,932 per year · carriers in California typically quote $2,082 – $4,046
We may be paid a referral fee when you request quotes through partner links on this page. It never changes what you pay. Estimates are modelled, not quoted — see our methodology.
Cheapest car insurance companies in California
| Insurer | Est. annual | Est. monthly | vs. average | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | $2,228 | $186 | -24% | Military members and families only |
| Geico | $2,404 | $200 | -18% | Usually cheapest for clean records |
| State Farm | $2,580 | $215 | -12% | Strong for young and student drivers |
| Progressive | $2,785 | $232 | -5% | Competitive after a ticket or accident |
| Travelers | $2,844 | $237 | -3% | Good multi-policy discounts |
| Nationwide | $2,932 | $244 | 0% | Mid-market, wide availability |
| Allstate | $3,342 | $279 | +14% | Higher base rate, heavy discount stacking |
| Farmers | $3,548 | $296 | +21% | Agent-led, priced above market |
Modelled estimates for a 35-year-old with a clean record and full coverage in California. USAA tends to sit lowest, but the ranking flips constantly by ZIP and driver profile — which is exactly why quoting three carriers is worth the ten minutes.
California car insurance rates by age
| Driver age | Full coverage / yr | Minimum / yr | Full coverage / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 years old | $7,919 | $2,318 | $660 |
| 18 years old | $6,680 | $1,955 | $557 |
| 20 years old | $5,531 | $1,619 | $461 |
| 22 years old | $4,594 | $1,345 | $383 |
| 25 years old | $3,506 | $1,026 | $292 |
| 30 years old | $3,023 | $885 | $252 |
| 40 years old | $2,841 | $832 | $237 |
| 50 years old | $2,720 | $796 | $227 |
| 60 years old | $2,690 | $787 | $224 |
| 65 years old | $2,811 | $823 | $234 |
| 70 years old | $3,083 | $902 | $257 |
| 75 years old | $3,597 | $1,053 | $300 |
Estimated premiums by age in California, clean record, sedan.
How violations change your California premium
| Driving record | Est. annual | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Clean record | $2,932 | — |
| 1 speeding ticket | $3,606 | +23% |
| 1 at-fault accident | $4,310 | +47% |
| DUI / DWI | $5,541 | +89% |
What a violation costs a 35-year-old in California. Surcharges normally stay on the policy for three to five years.
A DUI in California usually also triggers an SR-22 filing requirement, which most standard carriers will not write.
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California minimum insurance requirements
| Required coverage in California | Minimum limit |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability, per person | $30,000 |
| Bodily injury liability, per accident | $60,000 |
| Property damage liability | $15,000 |
| Insurance system | At-fault (tort) |
Limits are set by statute and change from time to time. Confirm the current figures with the California Department of Insurance before you buy.
Coverage levels in California
| Coverage level | Est. annual | Est. monthly |
|---|---|---|
| State minimum liability | $858 | $72 |
| Full coverage (100/300/100 + comp & collision) | $2,932 | $244 |
| Full coverage, high limits + low deductible | $3,489 | $291 |
Coverage level comparison for California.
Car insurance rates in California cities
Estimated annual full-coverage premium for a 35-year-old with a clean record, across the 395 California cities we price.
Los Angeles$3,452San Diego$3,452San Jose$3,229San Francisco$3,229Fresno$3,229Sacramento$3,229Long Beach$3,229Oakland$3,229Bakersfield$3,007Anaheim$3,007Riverside$3,007Santa Ana$3,007Stockton$3,007Chula Vista$3,007Irvine$3,007Fremont$3,007San Bernardino$3,007Fontana$3,007Modesto$3,007Oxnard$3,007Moreno Valley$3,007Huntington Beach$3,007Glendale$3,007Santa Clarita$3,007Santa Rosa$3,007Oceanside$3,007Garden Grove$3,007Rancho Cucamonga$3,007Ontario$3,007Elk Grove$3,007Corona$3,007Lancaster$3,007Palmdale$3,007Hayward$3,007Salinas$3,007Sunnyvale$3,007Pomona$3,007Escondido$3,007Valencia$2,784Torrance$2,784Pasadena$2,784Orange$2,784Fullerton$2,784Roseville$2,784Visalia$2,784Thousand Oaks$2,784Concord$2,784Simi Valley$2,784East Los Angeles$2,784Santa Clara$2,784Victorville$2,784Vallejo$2,784Chico$2,784Berkeley$2,784El Monte$2,784Carlsbad$2,784Downey$2,784Costa Mesa$2,784Fairfield$2,784Inglewood$2,784Antioch$2,784Temecula$2,784Murrieta$2,784Richmond$2,784West Covina$2,784Norwalk$2,784Daly City$2,784Burbank$2,784Santa Maria$2,784Clovis$2,784El Cajon$2,784San Mateo$2,784Rialto$2,784Vista$2,784Compton$2,784Mission Viejo$2,784Vacaville$2,784Ventura$2,784South Gate$2,784Hesperia$2,784Carson$2,784Santa Monica$2,784San Marcos$2,784Arden-Arcade$2,784Westminster$2,784Santa Barbara$2,784Redding$2,784San Leandro$2,784Hawthorne$2,784Livermore$2,784Indio$2,784Whittier$2,784Menifee$2,784Newport Beach$2,784Tracy$2,784Citrus Heights$2,784Chino$2,784Alhambra$2,784Redwood City$2,784Hemet$2,784Buena Park$2,784Lake Forest$2,784Merced$2,784Lakewood$2,784Tustin$2,784Mountain View$2,784Napa$2,784Pleasanton$2,784Alameda$2,784Bellflower$2,784Chino Hills$2,784Milpitas$2,784Baldwin Park$2,784Upland$2,784Folsom$2,784San Ramon$2,784Manteca$2,784Perris$2,784Union City$2,784Turlock$2,784Apple Valley$2,784Lynwood$2,784Redlands$2,784Rancho Cordova$2,784Pittsburg$2,784Walnut Creek$2,784Redondo Beach$2,784Yorba Linda$2,784Davis$2,784Camarillo$2,784South San Francisco$2,784Yuba City$2,784Palo Alto$2,784Laguna Niguel$2,784San Clemente$2,784Lodi$2,784Santa Cruz$2,784Pico Rivera$2,784Madera$2,784Montebello$2,784Florence-Graham$2,784Encinitas$2,784Tulare$2,784La Habra$2,784Lake Elsinore$2,784Carmichael$2,784Monterey Park$2,784Castro Valley$2,784Rocklin$2,784National City$2,784Cupertino$2,784Gardena$2,784Petaluma$2,784La Mesa$2,784Huntington Park$2,617San Rafael$2,617Eastvale$2,617Brentwood$2,617Woodland$2,617Arcadia$2,617Santee$2,617Dublin$2,617South Whittier$2,617Fountain Valley$2,617Diamond Bar$2,617Porterville$2,617Hanford$2,617Novato$2,617Paramount$2,617Rosemead$2,617Highland$2,617Colton$2,617Hacienda Heights$2,617Cathedral City$2,617Watsonville$2,617Yucaipa$2,617Gilroy$2,617Delano$2,617West Sacramento$2,617Placentia$2,617Glendora$2,617Palm Desert$2,617Aliso Viejo$2,617Poway$2,617Cerritos$2,617Lincoln$2,617Azusa$2,617La Mirada$2,617Rancho Santa Margarita$2,617Cypress$2,617Rowland Heights$2,617Covina$2,617Ceres$2,617Florin$2,617Palm Springs$2,617San Luis Obispo$2,617San Jacinto$2,617Antelope$2,617Newark$2,617Coachella$2,617Danville$2,617Lompoc$2,617El Centro$2,617Beaumont$2,617San Bruno$2,617Bell Gardens$2,617Morgan Hill$2,617Altadena$2,617Rancho Palos Verdes$2,617North Highlands$2,617Rohnert Park$2,617El Dorado Hills$2,617Brea$2,617Campbell$2,617La Puente$2,617La Quinta$2,617San Gabriel$2,617Calexico$2,617Oakley$2,617Pacifica$2,617Stanton$2,617Montclair$2,617Martinez$2,617Monrovia$2,617Hollister$2,617Los Banos$2,617San Juan Capistrano$2,617Temple City$2,617Claremont$2,617Bell$2,617Moorpark$2,617Willowbrook$2,617Manhattan Beach$2,617Wildomar$2,617Bayview-Hunters Point$2,617Pleasant Hill$2,617San Dimas$2,617Rubidoux$2,617Dana Point$2,617La Presa$2,617Orangevale$2,617Foster City$2,617Menlo Park$2,617Lawndale$2,617Adelanto$2,617Foothill Farms$2,617Seaside$2,617Oildale$2,617La Verne$2,617Westmont$2,617Laguna Hills$2,617Saratoga$2,617Banning$2,617Goleta$2,617Fair Oaks$2,617Los Gatos$2,617Los Altos$2,617Santa Paula$2,617Fallbrook$2,617Burlingame$2,617San Pablo$2,617Walnut$2,617San Carlos$2,478Atascadero$2,478East Palo Alto$2,478Atwater$2,478Orcutt$2,478Ridgecrest$2,478Monterey$2,478Desert Hot Springs$2,478Spring Valley$2,478Benicia$2,478Suisun$2,478Maywood$2,478Windsor$2,478Imperial Beach$2,478Belmont$2,478Paso Robles$2,478Agua Caliente$2,478Eureka$2,478Lemon Grove$2,478Paradise$2,478Norco$2,478Wasco$2,478South Pasadena$2,478Twentynine Palms$2,478Brawley$2,478Lafayette$2,478Lemoore$2,478Reedley$2,478West Whittier-Los Nietos$2,478Hercules$2,478Galt$2,478Soledad$2,478Sanger$2,478North Tustin$2,478Vineyard$2,478Coronado$2,478Seal Beach$2,478Selma$2,478Cudahy$2,478Barstow Heights$2,478Riverbank$2,478Loma Linda$2,478Bloomington$2,478Dinuba$2,478Barstow$2,478El Cerrito$2,478San Lorenzo$2,478Laguna Beach$2,478Isla Vista$2,478Ladera Ranch$2,478Valinda$2,478Millbrae$2,478Lennox$2,478Rosemont$2,478West Puente Valley$2,478Corcoran$2,478Port Hueneme$2,478Oakdale$2,478Duarte$2,478Jurupa Valley$2,478Ashland$2,478South Lake Tahoe$2,478West Carson$2,478Yucca Valley$2,478Bay Point$2,478Patterson$2,478Marina$2,478Rancho San Diego$2,478Agoura Hills$2,478South El Monte$2,478Arvin$2,478Lathrop$2,478Lomita$2,478Lakeside$2,478Winter Gardens$2,478American Canyon$2,478South San Jose Hills$2,478Agoura$2,478Granite Bay$2,478Ramona$2,478La Canada Flintridge$2,478Glen Avon$2,478Hermosa Beach$2,478Albany$2,478La Crescenta-Montrose$2,478Dixon$2,478Orinda$2,478Pinole$2,478Blythe$2,478Castaic$2,478Casa de Oro-Mount Helix$2,478Chowchilla$2,478Mead Valley$2,478Shafter$2,478Cameron Park$2,478Rosamond$2,478Arroyo Grande$2,478Rancho Mirage$2,478Santa Fe Springs$2,478Arcata$2,478Linda$2,478Prunedale$2,478Stevenson Ranch$2,478East Hemet$2,478Moraga$2,478Greenfield$2,478Live Oak$2,478Bayside$2,478Imperial$2,478El Segundo$2,478Artesia$2,478Nipomo$2,478Coalinga$2,478Laguna Woods$2,478Truckee$2,478Oroville$2,478Walnut Park$2,478Vincent$2,478Ukiah$2,478La Palma$2,478Pacific Grove$2,478Fillmore$2,478Avocado Heights$2,478Bostonia$2,478Susanville$2,478South Yuba City$2,478Clearlake$2,478McKinleyville$2,478Ripon$2,478Parlier$2,478East Rancho Dominguez$2,478Lamont$2,478Rio Linda$2,478
Frequently asked questions
▸How much is car insurance in California?
Full coverage in California is estimated at $2,932 a year, or $244 a month, for a 35-year-old with a clean record. A state-minimum policy is estimated at $858 a year.
▸What car insurance is required in California?
California requires $30,000 bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage.
▸Is California a no-fault state?
No. California is an at-fault (tort) state, so the driver responsible for a crash — through their liability insurance — pays for the other party's injuries and property damage.
▸Which California city has the cheapest car insurance?
Of the 395 California cities we price, Rio Linda carries the lowest estimate at $2,478 a year, while Los Angeles is highest at $3,452. Urban density is the main driver of the gap.
▸How can I get cheaper car insurance in California?
Re-quote at every renewal rather than letting the policy roll, raise your deductible to $1,000 if you can absorb it, bundle with home or renters cover, and ask specifically about low-mileage, defensive-driving and telematics discounts. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive carrier on an identical risk is routinely close to 2x.
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