Low-cost car insurance in California

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In California, GEICO offers the cheapest average premium at $2,038 per year. For comparison, the statewide average monthly cost is $251, though individual rates vary depending on your driving profile, location, and vehicle.

Every state sets its own car insurance rules. In California, the minimum liability requirement is $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage per accident.

For drivers who want greater protection, full coverage can be a smart investment. It combines liability with both collision and comprehensive coverage, ensuring that your own car is also covered in the event of an accident, theft, weather damage, or other unexpected events.

Below, we highlight which insurers provide the most affordable rates across different driver categories.

Key Takeaways

GEICO has the lowest average car insurance premium in California, costing $2,038 per year. That’s $972 the state average.
For drivers with an at-fault accident on record, GEICO offers the most affordable coverage at around $4,117 annually.
The 96067 ZIP code stands out as the cheapest area for auto insurance in California, with an average yearly cost of $2,258.

Low-cost car insurance companies in California

Among all insurers in California, GEICO comes in lowest at $2,038 per year – $972 less than the statewide average. Keep in mind that your actual premium depends on factors like age, driving history, ZIP code, and the type of car you drive.

Comparing quotes from multiple companies is the best way to make sure you’re getting a competitive rate.

Below are the annual premiums from the cheapest car insurance companies in California.

Company	Average annual rates
GEICO	$2,038
Kemper	$2,584
Progressive	$2,684
Mercury Insurance	$2,782
CSAA Insurance (AAA)	$2,874
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)	$2,967
State Farm	$3,078
Farmers	$3,409
Travelers	$3,604
Allstate	$3,922
Nationwide	$4,227
USAA*	$2,080

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

How we choose low-cost car insurance companies in California

170+

Carriers reviewed

78M+

Quotes analysed

34K+

ZIP codes examined

ZIP codes with the cheapest car insurance in California

In California, drivers living in the 96067 ZIP code enjoy the lowest average annual premium at $2,258. Check the table below to see which other ZIP codes in the state have more affordable rates.

ZIP code	City	Average annual rates
96067	Mount Shasta	$2,258
96097	Yreka	$2,294
96094	Weed	$2,304
93402	Los Osos	$2,360
96080	Red Bluff	$2,361
93950	Pacific Grove	$2,382
96064	Montague	$2,391
93428	Cambria	$2,399
93930	King City	$2,408
96093	Weaverville	$2,409

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Auto insurance premiums vary significantly from city to city, so drivers need to be sure they’re getting the best deal. Insure.com has done the research for you. Get more information on auto insurance rates by city below.

Car insurance rates in California by city

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Low-cost car insurance in California by age

Teenagers pay significantly more for car insurance than adults in California. For instance, a 16-year-old driver pays $5,030 more on average than a 40-year-old.

The following table shows car insurance rates by age group in California.

Age group	Full coverage annual premiums
Teens (16-19)	$7,103
Young Adults (20-24)	$4,391
Adults (25-60)	$3,052
Seniors (65-75)	$3,016

Low-cost car insurance in California by driver history

Your driving history is one of the main factors insurers look at when determining how much you pay for coverage.Your auto insurance premiums will increase if you’re responsible for an accident or pulled over for a violation. However, if you have a clean driving record, insurance companies see you as a low-risk driver, and you will likely get coverage for a lower price.

Low-cost car insurance after a speeding ticket in California

A single speeding ticket in California can push your rates up by 48%, or about $1,444. Along with the fine, that makes speeding a costly mistake. Here are a few insurers that still provide lower-priced coverage after a ticket.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
GEICO	$2,038	$3,180	56%	$1,142
CSAA Insurance (AAA)	$2,874	$3,646	27%	$772
Mercury Insurance	$2,782	$3,963	42%	$1,180
Progressive	$2,684	$4,149	55%	$1,465
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)	$2,967	$4,273	44%	$1,307
State Farm	$3,078	$4,640	51%	$1,562
Farmers	$3,409	$4,745	39%	$1,336
Travelers	$3,604	$5,419	50%	$1,815
Allstate	$3,922	$5,685	45%	$1,763
Nationwide	$4,227	$7,914	87%	$3,687
USAA*	$2,080	$2,537	22%	$458

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Low-cost car insurance after an accident in California

Being at fault in an accident will drive your premiums up, but some insurers remain more affordable than others. GEICO is the lowest-cost option for these drivers, with an average annual premium of $4,117.

If you’ve had an accident, comparing quotes can help you avoid overpaying. See the table below for the cheapest companies after one at-fault accident.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
GEICO	$2,038	$4,117	102%	$2,079
CSAA Insurance (AAA)	$2,874	$4,379	52%	$1,505
Progressive	$2,684	$4,435	65%	$1,751
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)	$2,967	$4,818	62%	$1,852
Mercury Insurance	$2,782	$4,880	75%	$2,097
State Farm	$3,078	$5,179	68%	$2,100
Farmers	$3,409	$5,495	61%	$2,086
Travelers	$3,604	$6,244	73%	$2,640
Nationwide	$4,227	$8,006	89%	$3,779
Allstate	$3,922	$9,367	139%	$5,445
USAA*	$2,080	$3,423	65%	$1,343

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Low-cost car insurance after a DUI in California

Being labeled a high-risk driver after a DUI usually means paying much more for car insurance. However, some insurers are less expensive than others. The table below shows which companies in California offer the most affordable rates after a DUI conviction.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	$ Increase	% Increase
Mercury Insurance	$2,782	$4,954	$2,172	78%
GEICO	$2,038	$5,125	$3,087	151%
Progressive	$2,684	$6,506	$3,823	142%
Travelers	$3,604	$7,690	$4,086	113%
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)	$2,967	$9,299	$6,333	213%
CSAA Insurance (AAA)	$2,874	$10,382	$7,508	261%
State Farm	$3,078	$10,827	$7,749	252%
Nationwide	$4,227	$12,117	$7,890	187%
Farmers	$3,409	$13,507	$10,098	296%
Allstate	$3,922	$15,641	$11,719	299%
USAA*	$2,080	$6,477	$4,397	211%

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Average cost of car insurance California

Full coverage insurance costs more than minimum liability insurance, but the extra cost is worth it for most drivers. That’s because minimum liability only pays for injuries or damage you cause to others, leaving you to cover repairs or replacement of your own car out of pocket. Full coverage, on the other hand, includes collision and comprehensive insurance, so your vehicle is protected in situations like accidents, theft, storms, or vandalism.

The average cost of full coverage car insurance in California is $497 more than the national average car insurance rates in the U.S.

We recommend that you carry at least coverage limits of 100/300/100 – that’s $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage coverage. These limits provide a better safety net if you’re involved in a serious accident where costs could quickly exceed minimum requirements.

What is full coverage car insurance?

Full coverage includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Collision covers your car if it’s damaged in an accident, while comprehensive applies to damage from non-collision events such as theft, fire, or hail.

If you finance or lease your vehicle in California, your lender may require both collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to state-mandated liability insurance.

The bottom line on saving and staying protected

It’s natural to look for ways to lower your insurance costs, but cutting corners on coverage can leave you financially vulnerable after an accident.

Make sure you choose a policy that balances affordability with protection. Always compare quotes from at least three companies to find low-cost car insurance in California.

Methodology

Insure.com gathered data from Quadrant Information Services to get car insurance rates in California. The rates are based on a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driving a Honda Accord LX with a good insurance score and no violations on record for a full coverage insurance policy with limits 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles.

We analyzed 53,409,632 insurance quotes from 170 insurance companies across 34,588 ZIP codes nationwide.

To determine car insurance rates for high-risk drivers with a history of traffic violations, we used a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driver who own a Honda Accord LX.

We also used sample profiles of drivers from different age groups: Teen drivers (Age 16-19), young drivers (Age 20-24), adult drivers (Age 25-60) and senior drivers (Age 65-75)

We determined the premiums for a high-risk driver with the following incidents applied

1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K
1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K
At-fault bodily injury accident
Poor credit
DUI/DWI first offense
Speeding 30+ over limit
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over the limit

These are sample rates, and your exact rates may vary.

Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.