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Geico provides the cheapest car insurance in California at $1,919 a year. Your rates may vary, but the average premium is $201 per month in California, according to Insure.com’s rate analysis.

Car insurance requirements vary by state, and in California, drivers must carry at least the minimum liability coverage: $30,000 for bodily injury protection per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $15,000 for property damage per accident.

However, many drivers choose to purchase full coverage car insurance, which provides additional protection in the event of an accident.

Below, you’ll find which insurance companies are the most affordable for different categories.

Cheapest overall: Geico
$1,919/year
National avg. rate
Cheapest for at-fault accident: Mercury Insurance
$3,563/year
Avg. rate after an at-fault accident
Cheapest for speeding ticket: Mercury Insurance
$2,893/year
Avg. rate after speeding ticket

Key Takeaways

  • Geico offers the lowest car insurance rate in California, at $1,919 per year, which is about 21% cheaper than the state average.
  • Mercury Insurance has the cheapest rates for drivers with a history of at-fault accidents, with an average annual cost of $3,563.
  • The ZIP code 96067 has the most affordable car insurance rates in California, at an average annual cost of $1,832.

Cheap car insurance companies in California

Geico offers the cheapest car insurance in California, with an average price of $1,919 per year. It’s 21% less expensive than the average car insurance cost in California. The rates will vary based on factors such as your driving history, age, ZIP code, and the make and model of your car.

When shopping for auto insurance, compare rates from multiple companies to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Below are the annual rates for car insurance from the cheapest car insurance companies.

CompanyAverage annual rates
Geico$1,919
Mercury Insurance$2,031
Progressive$2,179
Kemper$2,429
Travelers$2,460
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)$2,466
CSAA Insurance (AAA)$2,600
Allstate$2,627
State Farm$2,701
Nationwide$2,799
Farmers$3,035
USAA*$1,827

*Note: USAA only offers coverage to military members, veterans and their families.

How we choose the cheapest car insurance companies in California

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170+

Carriers reviewed
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53M+

Quotes analysed
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34K+

ZIP codes examined

Cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance in California

In California, the 96067 ZIP code has the most affordable car insurance rates at $1,832. The table below shows the cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance rates.

ZIP codeCityAverage annual rates
96067Mount Shasta$1,832
96097Yreka$1,858
96094Weed$1,859
96080Red Bluff$1,916
93402Los Osos$1,927
96064Montague$1,930
93950Pacific Grove$1,936
96093Weaverville$1,944
93930King City$1,946
93428Cambria$1,949

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

Cheapest car insurance in California by age

In California, insurance rates for young drivers are significantly higher than for adults, as they are more prone to accidents and filing claims. Insure.com’s analysis shows that a 16-year-old pays $4,908 more for car insurance than a 40-year-old driver.

The following table shows the cheapest car insurance premiums for drivers of different ages.

Age groupFull coverage annual premiums
Teens (16-19)$6,233
Young Adults (20-24)$3,622
Adults (25-60)$2,460
Seniors (65-75)$2,424

Cheapest car insurance in California by driver history

Your driving history is one of the main factors insurers look at when determining insurance rates. If you are responsible for a car accident or are convicted of a driving infraction, your auto insurance premiums will likely go up. However, if you have a clean driving record, insurance companies see you as a low-risk driver, and you are likely to get cheap car insurance.

Cheapest car insurance after a speeding ticket in California

Below is a list of the top three companies that provide affordable car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket.

  • Mercury Insurance: $2,893 per year
  • Geico: $2,994 per year
  • CSAA Insurance (AAA): $3,299 per year

A single speeding ticket in California can cause your insurance rates to go up by 48%, or $1,159, according to Insure.com’s analysis.

Dealing with a speeding ticket can be a hassle, as it involves paying a fine and facing increased insurance rates. However, there are some insurers who offer affordable premiums to drivers with a speeding ticket on their record.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident% Increase$ Increase
Mercury Insurance$2,031$2,89342%$862
Geico$1,919$2,99456%$1,075
CSAA Insurance (AAA)$2,600$3,29927%$699
Progressive$2,179$3,36855%$1,189
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)$2,466$3,55344%$1,087
Travelers$2,460$3,70050%$1,240
Allstate$2,627$3,80845%$1,181
State Farm$2,701$4,07151%$1,370
Farmers$3,035$4,22439%$1,189
Nationwide$2,799$5,24187%$2,442
USAA*$1,827$2,23022%$403

*Note: USAA only offers coverage to military members, veterans and their families.

Cheapest car insurance after an accident in California

Below are the top three insurance companies that provide affordable car insurance rates after an accident.

  • Mercury Insurance: $3,563 per year
  • Progressive: $3,600 per year
  • Geico: $3,876 per year

Mercury Insurance has the cheapest auto insurance rates for California drivers after an at-fault accident at $3,563 a year.

If you’re responsible for an accident, expect your car insurance rates to increase. However, you can still shop around to find affordable car insurance rates.

Below, you’ll find a list of companies that offer affordable car insurance for drivers with an accident on their record.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident% Increase$ Increase
Mercury Insurance$2,031$3,56375%$1,532
Progressive$2,179$3,60065%$1,421
Geico$1,919$3,876102%$1,957
CSAA Insurance (AAA)$2,600$3,96152%$1,361
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)$2,466$4,00662%$1,540
Travelers$2,460$4,26373%$1,803
State Farm$2,701$4,54368%$1,842
Farmers$3,035$4,89261%$1,857
Nationwide$2,799$5,30189%$2,502
Allstate$2,627$6,275139%$3,648
USAA*$1,827$3,00765%$1,180

*Note: USAA only offers coverage to military members, veterans and their families.

Cheapest car insurance after a DUI conviction in California

Below is a list of the top three companies offering affordable car insurance following a DUI conviction.

  • Mercury Insurance: $3,616 per year
  • Geico: $4,825 per year
  • Travelers: $5,250 per year

If you’ve recently been convicted of a DUI, you might be concerned about how it will impact your car insurance rates. Most insurance companies will consider you a high-risk driver and increase your premiums. But some insurers offer relatively affordable rates.

The table below outlines the insurance companies that offer the most affordable car insurance rates following a DUI conviction.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident$ Increase% Increase
Mercury Insurance$2,031$3,616$1,58578%
Geico$1,919$4,825$2,906151%
Travelers$2,460$5,250$2,790113%
Progressive$2,179$5,283$3,104142%
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA)$2,466$7,730$5,264213%
Nationwide$2,799$8,024$5,225187%
CSAA Insurance (AAA)$2,600$9,392$6,792261%
State Farm$2,701$9,499$6,798252%
Allstate$2,627$10,478$7,851299%
Farmers$3,035$12,025$8,990296%
USAA*$1,827$5,690$3,863211%

*Note: USAA only offers coverage to military members, veterans and their families.

Average car insurance cost in California

While full coverage insurance is more expensive than minimum liability insurance, many drivers find the extra cost worth it. In California, the average cost of full coverage car insurance is $521 more than the national average car insurance cost.

While multiple full coverage limits are available, Insure.com editors recommend getting a policy with 100/300/100 coverage limits for adequate protection.

What is full coverage car insurance in California?

Full coverage car insurance covers bodily injury liability, property damage liability, collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision insurance helps pay for repairs if your car is damaged in an accident, while comprehensive insurance protects against damage from non-collision events like theft or natural disasters.

In California, if you’re leasing or financing your car, your lender might require you to purchase collision and comprehensive insurance on top of the state-required liability coverage.

Final thoughts

When it comes to car insurance, everyone is looking for ways to save. However, skimping on coverage to save a few dollars now could end up costing you more down the road.

Make sure you’re adequately protected and take into account your specific needs before buying an auto insurance policy. Car insurance rates vary, so compare quotes from at least three different companies to get the cheapest coverage 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 violation 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. 1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K
  2. 1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K
  3. At-fault bodily injury accident
  4. Poor credit
  5. DUI/DWI first offense
  6. Speeding 30+ over limit
  7. Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit
  8. Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over the limit

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

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Shivani Gite
Contributing Writer

 
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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.

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