How much is car insurance in California?
Average car insurance in California cost $1,418 a year for full coverage in 2023 (NAIC), about the same as the $1,439 national average, or about $1,680 a year in California today (about $140 a month, brought up to August 2026 with the government's price index). In California, the law asks for at least 30/60/15 liability, and California liability-only coverage—the closest NAIC figure to a minimum policy—averaged $661 in 2023 (about $780 today).
Average car insurance cost in California: $1,418 in 2023, about $1,680 today
Typical California full-coverage price today
about $1,680 a year in California (about $140 a month)
California's 2023 NAIC full-coverage average ($1,418) adjusted +18% to August 2026 using the US motor-vehicle insurance price index; your California rate depends on your car, driving history, and coverage limits.
That $1,418 2023 full-coverage figure makes California the 17th most expensive of the 50 states and DC (against $1,439 nationally), with 47% going to liability ($661, 21st highest in the US) and 53% covering physical damage to your own vehicle. NAIC also tracks California's average expenditure per insured vehicle—$1,225 in 2023 (18th highest in the US, or about $1,450 today)—which sits 14% ($193) below California's full-coverage average because many California drivers drop collision or comprehensive on older cars.
What sample drivers pay in Los Angeles, Irvine, and Alturas (CDI, 2026)
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) 2026 Automobile Premium Survey compares company rates effective January 1, 2026 in three places. For a single driver licensed 14 to 25 years with a clean record on a Honda Accord (Profile 2542A, Standard full coverage), the median yearly quote moves from $3,278 in rural Alturas to $5,033 in Central Los Angeles.
| Location | Companies | Median yearly rate | Lowest–highest company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (Central) | 40 | $5,033 | $2,807–$8,653 |
| Irvine (Orange County) | 40 | $3,853 | $2,495–$5,773 |
| Alturas (Modoc County) | 42 | $3,278 | $1,997–$5,119 |
| Location | Companies | Median yearly rate | Lowest–highest company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (Central) | 41 | $1,673 | $828–$3,395 |
| Irvine (Orange County) | 41 | $1,319 | $756–$2,684 |
| Alturas (Modoc County) | 43 | $830 | $466–$1,849 |
These are sample rates before applicable discounts (including California's Good Driver discount) for specific profiles in three locations, not statewide averages. Seven companies whose footnotes state they priced different limits or deductibles are left out. Source: California Department of Insurance, 2026 Automobile Premium Survey (comparison tool) (rates effective January 1, 2026; checked September 22, 2026).
How California compares with Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon
A typical policy in California ($1,418 in 2023) costs more than in Oregon and less than in Arizona and Nevada. Among California's neighbors, Oregon had the lowest 2023 average ($1,268, moving to California is about $200 more a year) and Nevada had the highest ($1,600, moving to California is about $240 less a year).
| State | 2023 average | Moving to California from there |
|---|---|---|
| California | $1,418 | Current state (California) |
| Arizona | $1,505 | About $120 less a year |
| Nevada | $1,600 | About $240 less a year |
| Oregon | $1,268 | About $200 more a year |
| US average | $1,439 | US benchmark |
States with similar 2023 full-coverage averages: Massachusetts ($1,413 in 2023, about $1,670 today), Mississippi ($1,395 in 2023, about $1,650 today), Connecticut ($1,508 in 2023, about $1,790 today), and Oklahoma ($1,324 in 2023, about $1,570 today).
California: 30/60/15 minimums today, scheduled to rise in 2035
- California liability (per person / per crash / property)
- $30,000 / $60,000 / $15,000
- Personal injury protection (PIP) in California
- Not required
- Medical payments in California
- Not required
- No-fault system in California
- No
- Uninsured motorist in California
- Included unless you decline in writing
- Underinsured motorist in California
- Included unless you decline in writing
Set by Cal. Veh. Code 16056(a)(2), (d), California's 30/60/15 minimum pays up to $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for injuries you cause to others, plus $15,000 for others' property—the legal floor in California, not a coverage recommendation, and it excludes collision or comprehensive repairs on your own car.
Liability-only coverage in California—the closest NAIC figure to what a California minimum policy costs—averaged $661 in 2023 (about $780 in California today), the 21st highest of the 50 states and DC. That makes liability 47% of California's full-coverage average ($1,418), while the remaining 53% goes toward collision and comprehensive coverage for your own car.
California requires at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for injuries, plus $15,000 for property damage, for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025. Uninsured and underinsured-motorist coverage is included unless you sign a form removing it. The minimums are set to rise again in 2035.
Coming January 1, 2035: Vehicle Code 16056(d) raises each minimum by $20,000/$40,000/$10,000, to $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, for policies issued or renewed from 1 January 2035. Source
Good to know: You can also meet California's requirement with a bond, a cash deposit, or self-insurance instead of a policy. Uninsured motorist coverage in California includes underinsured drivers, so if you keep one you have both.
What we couldn’t confirm: We marked medical payments coverage not required because we found no law requiring it, not because a law says it's optional.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
- Uninsured motorist coverage comes with every policy that has injury liability, unless you remove it by signing the state's form. You can also agree to lower limits, but not below the state minimums. Any policy with this coverage must also include underinsured motorist coverage.
- History and recent checks
- 30/60/15 for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2025 (was 15/30/5). Scheduled: for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2035, minimums rise by $20,000/$40,000/$10,000 (to 50/100/25).
- Checked
- September 22, 2026
- Sources
- Cal. Veh. Code 16056(a)(2), (d)
for any policy or bond issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 ... thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) ... sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) ... fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000)
- Cal. Veh. Code 16056(d)
For a policy or bond issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035, the minimum liability coverage shall be increased by twenty thousand dollars ($20,000)
- Cal. Veh. Code 16020(a)
All drivers and all owners of a motor vehicle shall at all times be able to establish financial responsibility pursuant to Section 16021
- Cal. Ins. Code 11580.2(a)(1), (p)(7)
may, by agreement in writing ... delete the provision covering damage caused by an uninsured motor vehicle completely; Underinsured motorist coverage shall be included in all policies of bodily injury liability insurance providing uninsured motorist coverage
- Cal. Veh. Code 16056(a)(2), (d)
Adding a 16-year-old driver in California: about $1,110 more a year
Adding a 16-year-old to a California policy
about $1,110 more a year
About $95 a month (+66% over a typical California adult policy of $1,680), bringing the combined California family policy to roughly $2,100–$3,700 a year.
On a separate California policy of their own with the same car, a 16-year-old in California would pay about $4,820 a year (roughly $3,650–$6,900), so sharing a parent's California policy saves about $3,710 a year. In California Department of Insurance's 2026 sample survey (Basic liability-only 30/60/15 (Profile 1142A, Toyota Camry)), the median company quote in Los Angeles (Central) is $1,673 a year ($828–$3,395).
Our teen-driver multipliers come from California's published age-rating filings scaled to California's baseline. How adding a teen driver works.
Cheapest cars to add a teen with in California
In California, the 2022 Subaru Forester and Outback come out the same, the least of the 33 cars on the site's popular lists to add a teen with: about $990 more a year on a California policy, versus about $1,670 more a year for the 2022 Tesla Model 3 at the top of California's list.
| 2022 model | Added to a California policy | Own California policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Forester | +$990 in California | $4,300 in California |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | +$990 in California | $4,310 in California |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | +$1,000 in California | $4,330 in California |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | +$1,070 in California | $4,630 in California |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | +$1,080 in California | $4,710 in California |
The order is the same in every state, because our car data is national. What changes from state to state is the price level. See all 33 teen cars and how we rank them.
What popular cars cost to insure in California
In California, a 45-year-old with full coverage pays from about $1,870 a year for a 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross to about $2,250 for a 2024 Nissan Altima on these California sample models.
| Car | 45-year-old in California | Adding a teen in California |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | about $1,930 a year | +$1,270 a year |
| 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross | about $1,870 a year | +$1,240 a year |
| 2024 Nissan Altima | about $2,250 a year | +$1,490 a year |
| 2024 Nissan Versa | about $2,170 a year | +$1,430 a year |
| 2024 Nissan Kicks | about $1,980 a year | +$1,310 a year |
| 2024 Kia K5 | about $2,240 a year | +$1,480 a year |
| 2024 Hyundai Sonata | about $2,130 a year | +$1,410 a year |
| 2024 Chevrolet Malibu | about $2,220 a year | +$1,460 a year |
See all 121 popular cars, SUVs, pickups, and EVs.
Common questions about car insurance in California
- How much is car insurance in California?
- In California, full-coverage car insurance averaged $1,418 a year in 2023 (the 17th most expensive of the 50 states and DC per NAIC), or about $1,680 a year ($140 a month) in California as of August 2026. California liability-only coverage averaged $661 in 2023 (47% of California's full-coverage figure, or about $780 today), and California drivers spent $1,225 per insured car across all policies.
- What are the minimum car insurance limits in California?
- Under Cal. Veh. Code 16056(a)(2), (d), California requires 30/60/15 liability: $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage. 30/60/15 for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2025 (was 15/30/5). Scheduled: for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2035, minimums rise by $20,000/$40,000/$10,000 (to 50/100/25).
- How much does adding a 16-year-old teen driver cost in California?
- Adding a 16-year-old to a parent's full-coverage policy in California adds about $1,110 more a year ($95 a month), bringing the California household policy to roughly $2,100–$3,700 a year versus about $4,820 a year (roughly $3,650–$6,900) on a standalone California teen policy.
- Is California a no-fault car insurance state?
- No—California is a fault-based (tort) state where the at-fault driver's insurer pays for crash damages, and California does not require personal injury protection (PIP). For uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in California: Uninsured motorist coverage comes with every policy that has injury liability, unless you remove it by signing the state's form. You can also agree to lower limits, but not below the state minimums. Any policy with this coverage must also include underinsured motorist coverage.
- How do sample car insurance rates vary across California in California Department of Insurance's 2026 survey?
- In California Department of Insurance's 2026 rate comparison (Standard full coverage (Profile 2542A, Honda Accord)), the median company rate goes from $3,278 a year in Alturas (Modoc County) ($1,997–$5,119) to $5,033 a year in Los Angeles (Central) ($2,807–$8,653).
Sources for California
- California average premiums ($1,418 full coverage, $661 liability-only, $1,225 average expenditure): National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report (2023 data, trended to today with the BLS CPI motor-vehicle insurance series).
- California sample rate survey: California Department of Insurance, 2026 Automobile Premium Survey (comparison tool) (checked September 22, 2026).
- California minimum coverage statutes (Cal. Veh. Code 16056(a)(2), (d); Cal. Veh. Code 16056(d); Cal. Veh. Code 16020(a); Cal. Ins. Code 11580.2(a)(1), (p)(7)), checked September 22, 2026. Page updated for California. See methodology and all sources.
This is an estimate to help you plan, not a quote. We don't sell insurance, and nothing you type is sent to us. Only an insurer can give you a real price.