The Best Car Insurance in California: A Comprehensive Guide

Whether you’re a first-time driver or an experienced veteran, finding the best car insurance in California can be a daunting task. With so many options to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start!

Best Car Insurance in California – This comprehensive guide to the best car insurance in California will show you the way through this confusing world, including tips on choosing coverage, picking an insurer, and getting the best rates available to you.

Why Do I Need Car Insurance?

Auto insurance is mandatory in California, and you can be fined up to $500 if you’re caught driving without it. But beyond law enforcement, there are a host of reasons why car insurance is essential. If you get into an accident, comprehensive coverage can help pay for damage to your car.

In some cases, comprehensive coverage can even help cover injuries—if a deer jumps into your windshield while you’re driving on an empty road at night.

Best Car Insurance in California – However, comprehensive insurance typically comes with an additional premium that can cost $1,000 or more per year.

Which Type of Coverage Do I Need?

Best Car Insurance in California

There are three main types of coverage—liability, collision and comprehensive—each with its own set of rules and regulations. Liability insurance is legally required, but not carrying enough liability can leave you on the hook for damages beyond your means to pay.

Collision and comprehensive may be optional, but they can save you big bucks if an accident occurs. We’ll lay out your options so you’re well-informed before buying car insurance in California.

What Makes One Auto Insurance Policy Better Than Another?

Part of our goal is to help you find cheap car insurance, and you can read about our top picks for the best auto insurance companies here. But other factors determine how expensive your policy will be, such as your credit history, driving record and coverage requirements.

Best Car Insurance in California – If you have a perfect score on your credit report and no at-fault accidents on your record over 5 years, for example, then you’ll qualify for a safe driver discount and consequently, some of our recommended policies will be cheaper than others.

If it’s important to you to only pay out once, then having more coverage required by your state may make more sense than a policy with higher liability limits but lower collision and comprehensive options.

Am I Required to Have Specific Kinds of Coverage?

The state of California is one of only a few states to require drivers to carry liability insurance. This means you’ll need to carry at least $15,000 OR $30,000 worth of coverage.

If you cause an accident with enough damage, bodily injury, or death that would exceed your coverage limits, your policy will cover any additional costs. The law also requires all drivers to carry a minimum amount of uninsured motorist coverage.

This provides compensation for victims if someone else who caused an accident has little or no insurance coverage and can’t pay for your damages.

Choosing Between Fully-Comp or Modified Comp Coverage

Generally speaking, you’ll pay more to insure your vehicle depending on your state. The value of a vehicle and location are both factors that influence rates.

Best Car Insurance in California – Auto insurance is required by law for all states and many drivers, it is mandated by their lender when purchasing a new or used car. Knowing how much it costs to insure your vehicle can help you get the best deal possible.

How Much Does It Cost to Insure My Vehicle?

There are a few different factors that go into determining how much you’ll pay for car insurance. Some of those factors, like your age and driving record, you can control—though it’s helpful to know what affects your rate, so you can be conscientious about staying safe on the road.

It might seem insignificant, but a single ticket or accident could increase your premium substantially. Meanwhile, other factors you don’t have as much say over—but will still affect your rates.

Remember: The more expensive your car is to repair or replace, generally speaking, the higher your premiums will be as well.

How Much Does Bodily Injury Liability Cover?

As part of your basic Auto Insurance Policy, you’re required to have bodily injury liability coverage. This type of coverage protects you against claims made by other drivers for property damage and medical expenses. It also covers any injuries suffered by their passengers or other parties.

In most states, drivers are required to purchase at least $50,000 worth of bodily injury liability coverage per individual and up to $100,000 per accident.

When it comes to medical expenses related to an accident that isn’t covered by health insurance, Bodily Injury Liability will be there for you.

How Much Does Property Damage Liability Cover?

Best Car Insurance in California – If you have a car accident and are at fault, your liability coverage will cover damage to other people’s cars and property. However, it’s important to know that there is a limit on how much you can be sued for under most policies.

The maximum amount per accident is usually between $100,000 and $300,000; higher limits are typically available. This doesn’t mean that you’ll have to pay out all of that money if you’re sued—many lawyers are willing to take smaller amounts to settle out of court—but it’s still something you need to know about when shopping for insurance.

How do I Know If My Rates Are Competitive?

When you’re getting quotes, always compare apples to apples. Auto insurance companies list different coverage amounts on their websites and directly on your quote request forms.

You should always check these numbers against other carriers to make sure you aren’t under or over-insuring yourself. For example, it’s not enough to simply compare premiums from GEICO and State Farm; rather, you’ll want to verify that they are both quoting $100,000 – $300,000 coverage limits for your vehicles’ bodily injury liability coverage as well as for property damage liability.

How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance?

It’s no secret that premiums are increasing, but there are still ways to save money on auto insurance. To start, shop around and compare quotes from different carriers.

Price isn’t everything when it comes to finding a quality auto insurance provider; for example, an insurer may offer reasonable rates but cut corners by offering limited coverage options.

One way to assess coverage options is by comparing policies offered through major rating companies such as A.M. Best, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s. These top-rated insurers must meet rigorous standards—for example, A.M.

Where Can I Get Help Finding Cheap Auto Insurance in California?

Best Car Insurance in California – There are two main options for getting cheap car insurance quotes. You can either talk to a local agent or you can get quotes online.

Talking to an agent is better because agents have access to many different companies and insurance rates, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get some good quotes from an online service.

We recommend using Quote Wizard because it provides prices from multiple companies so you can find exactly what you need at a competitive price.

Best Car Insurance in California – You may be able to lower your auto insurance premiums by as much as 40% just by switching providers! That is huge money that could be used towards making payments on your student loans or paying down other bills.

3 Best Car Insurance in California

Best Car Insurance in California – Following are the Top 3 Car Insurance California:

Geico

The auto insurance carrier is one of California’s most popular, with more than 30% of all drivers in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento choosing Geico to insure their cars.

Best Car Insurance in California – Geico insures both personal and commercial vehicles, offering a wide range of coverage that includes property damage, bodily injury and collision.

It also offers several discounts to help drivers save money on their premium—but only if they’re smart about applying for them. If you’re looking for car insurance in Los Angeles or anywhere else in California, try Geico first. It has great rates and is rated highly by customers across all cities.

State Farm

3.9 stars on Google reviews, making it one of America’s most popular car insurance companies. State Farm gets its name from being originally owned by a man named State. How awesome is that?

State Farm has over 20 million policyholders and offers a variety of policies, which makes it simple to find an option that meets your needs. State Farm focuses on customer service and has 34 regional offices, 7,000 auto repair facilities, 5,000 service shops, 2 mobile repair fleets and more than 25 call centres to serve customers from before to after their claims are made.

Customers can download mobile apps for iPhone or Android devices as well as manage their policies online with 24/7 access to account details.

Mercury

Best Car Insurance in California – If you have no idea what you’re doing, start with a safe bet. Mercury has been ranked #1 by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction seven years running, which gives them an edge over competitors like State Farm and Allstate.

They’ve got one of the best claims-to-car-insurance-ratio out there, meaning they’re likely to get you back on track as quickly as possible after an accident.

With their wide range of plans and options from state to state, Mercury can be a great option for residents of California looking for car insurance that fits all their specific needs.

Final Verdict – Best Car Insurance in California

The best car insurance in California is not one company but rather a combination of companies. There are four main elements to a good auto insurance policy, and many California drivers find it beneficial to get coverage from multiple carriers.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our top picks for each category that make up a great policy, including best for teens, full coverage and low-cost options. Compare quotes now to see how much you can save!