Best car insurance in California for 2024

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories. 

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

California requires drivers to carry at least minimum levels of liability insurance coverage on their vehicles to drive legally in the state. This includes the required minimum amounts of bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. All California motorists must carry at least:

• $15,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person
• $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per accident
• $5,000 in property damage liability per accident

California also requires that insurance companies offer you uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage, along with uninsured motorist property damage, but you can decline in writing if you do not want to have and pay for them. Understanding California’s car insurance laws can help you understand if you need additional coverage or higher limits.

If you finance or lease your vehicle, you may need to purchase a car insurance policy that complies with your financial institution’s requirements. For example, collision and comprehensive insurance are typically optional coverage types, but if your car is financed, most lenders will require you to purchase them. This is commonly known as a full coverage policy.

Your financial institution may also require you to purchase higher liability limits, especially if you lease your vehicle. You might also want to consider gap insurance, which is designed to pay the difference between your vehicle’s actual cash value and the loan or lease amount if your car is totaled or stolen. According to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), it is typically cheaper to purchase gap insurance from your insurer instead of from an auto dealer.

Every driver has a different set of auto insurance considerations. You might live in an area where traffic and tourism are heavy, like Los Angeles or San Francisco, have a teen driver to insure or maybe have a few accidents or moving violations on your driving record. Based on your unique needs, it could make sense to have collision coverage and comprehensive coverage, uninsured motorist coverage or towing and rental reimbursement.

Understanding your individual coverage needs might help you narrow down the companies you request quotes from. Households with teen drivers might look for companies with specialized young driver discounts, for example.

When looking for the best car insurance in California, it can help to first consider your priorities since what is most important to you may be different from what your neighbor considers most important. For example, if affordable coverage is your highest priority, you may want to consider a company known for writing cheap policies in the state. On the other hand, if you are retired or work from home, a company that writes low-mileage coverage may be a good fit. If you have some marks on your license, you could be better off with an insurer that specializes in high-risk insurance. Once you have determined what's most vital for your coverage, it will be easier to find a company that is a good fit for your needs.

There isn’t a singular car insurance company that’s cheapest for all drivers in California (or any other state). Car insurance rates vary widely from driver to driver and company to company based on several rating factors individual to you and your vehicle, as well as the coverage you choose. Minimum coverage usually saves you money on rates, but full coverage can provide more financial security in the event of vehicle damage or personal injury. Experts recommend comparing quotes from several insurers for the same coverage types and policy limits in order to find the best deal available to you. Bankrate’s research on the cheapest coverage in California may be useful in identifying carriers to seek quotes from first.

No, California insurance carriers are not allowed to consider credit history when determining car insurance rates. The state of California is one of a handful that does not allow car insurance companies to consider your credit rating as a factor when calculating car insurance rates. What this means is that your credit score will not affect your car insurance costs in this state, whether your credit rating is poor, good or excellent. California also prohibits the use of gender in auto insurance ratings. Credit history is allowed as an auto insurance rating factor in all states except California, Michigan, Hawaii and Massachusetts.

California’s Low-Cost Automobile Program (CLCA) could be a potential solution for drivers who meet its low-income requirements and want savings on car insurance. However, it’s important to understand that auto insurance policies through the CLCA are not like standard car insurance policies. One such caveat is that its coverage is below state minimum requirements. For this reason, and because of its strict eligibility requirements, CLCA isn’t intended as an option for most drivers wanting cheap car insurance in California.

California allows self-insurance but requires making a sizable deposit or purchasing a surety bond. In either case, the driver must provide $35,000 to self-insure their vehicle. While California allows this, drivers should be cautious before deciding between self-insurance and traditional car insurance. The limits of liability and the potential out-of-pocket costs are essential to be aware of before making this decision. For instance, without insurance, you are financially responsible for all damage you cause with your vehicle. Consider speaking with an insurance agent to decide what’s right for you.