however, despite the high gear indemnity costs in California, those looking for reasonably priced coverage have many high-quality alternatives to choose from. To help you find the best choice, we ranked all the car indemnity companies in California. Our criteria took the quality of the customer service, affordability, fiscal strength, and the number of discounts and extra coverage options all into history .
furthermore, we provide a guide for each park customer group on how to get the most out of their coverage. Whether you are a bad driver, military extremity, or a senior citizen, you can find the best car insurance for you here .
Best Car Insurance Companies in California – 2022
- Wawanesa Insurance – Overall Winner
- Geico Insurance – Runner-up
- USAA – Best for the Military
- Progressive – Optimal for Young and High-Risk Drivers
- Esurance – Best for Customer Service
- AAA Club of California – Best for Extensive Benefits
Overall Winner: Wawanesa Insurance
Wawanesa is the most low-cost insurance company in LA, and it is the second most low-cost option, after Progressive, in California ’ s other boastfully cities. The deviation between the prices of these two companies is about negligible. Wawanesa is not an enterprise adenine big as Geico, Progressive, or State Farm, but it is clearly the best California car insurance company .
For starters, the company is ranked fifth overall among 14 insurers in J.D. Power ’ mho 2019 customer gratification study for the California region. On top of that, Wawanesa offers a significant number of useful discounts and extra coverage options. You can check them on Wawanesa ’ s fine-looking and handy web site .
On the other hand, Wawanesa is not as financially guarantee as the big players, but it ’ randomness A. M. Best military rank is still a respectable a or “ excellent. ” This is one minor chink in its otherwise pristine armor. In the end, the combination of all factors—especially since Wawanesa offers the cheap car indemnity in CA—makes this company merely the finest choice in California. Ignore it at your risk .
Choose Wawanesa for excellent customer service and affordability .
Look elsewhere if you are looking for the best fiscal strength .
The Runner-up: Geico Insurance
Geico is one of the leading insurers in the US, and it ’ randomness besides an excellent option in California. In terms of customer serve, it is precisely a surround below Wawanesa, scoring 4 out of 5 stars in J.D. Power ’ s survey in California. furthermore, the caller ’ south NAIC ratio is way below the diligence modal, at 0.62. The lower the proportion, the fewer complaints the company gets .
Those looking for brassy car policy in California will be pleased to know that Geico lives up to its repute as a low-cost insurance company. Its prices are slenderly higher than Progressive ’ south and Wawanesa ’ s, which makes it the third base most low-cost option in California .
What very sets Geico apart is its excellent fiscal strength. The party is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which is one of the most achieve and financially stable corporations in the US. This suggests Geico won ’ thyroxine be looking for excuses when the here and now to pay any claims expenses arrives. On top of that, Geico ’ s web site and mobile app are among the sleekest in the business. If you are looking for low-cost car indemnity in California, Geico deserves your attention .
Choose Geico for a great drug user know, affordability, and the best fiscal potency .
Look elsewhere if you want the finest customer overhaul .
The Best for the Military: USAA
Looking at its near-perfect marks in our expert evaluation, you might be wondering why USAA is not the best overall insurance company in California. The suffice is, only former and current US military members and their kin members can get car indemnity from USAA, so any California quotes will be issued to them alone .
however, if you qualify, we urge you to give this caller a find. It scores in the very top across all possible car insurance parameters. From a sleek web site and a broad stove of discounts and optional coverages to top-of-the-line customer service, victor fiscal military capability, and low-cost policies, you can count on USAA to deliver. If you can get their insurance, obtaining a USAA quotation mark is a must .
Choose USAA for all parameters if you are eligible .
Look elsewhere if you are not a member of the US united states army or a class member .
The Best for Young and High-Risk Drivers: Progressive
Progressive offers some of the best low-cost car indemnity California residents can get. The company is the cheapest option on the market, and it doesn ’ triiodothyronine inflate the prices for bad car insurance .
furthermore, customer service is quite reliable, if not the best, and we like the caller ’ second commodious on-line quoting system so much that we often use their quotes as the reference. If you want satiny user experience and dirt-cheap prices evening if you are a hazardous driver, give Progressive a probability .
Choose Progressive for brassy car indemnity in CA, even for bad drivers .
Look elsewhere if you want the best customer service
The Best for Customer Service: Esurance
Esurance reigns supreme when it comes to the quality of its customer serve ; it is the sole insurance company with a full 5-star rating in J.D. Power ’ mho 2018 California study ( USAA gets 5 stars besides, but it has restricted handiness ). On top of that, it offers many discounts, benefits, and optional coverages to choose from .
however, as we noted in our Esurance reappraisal, such high-grade overhaul comes at a price. So don ’ triiodothyronine expect it to quote rates that are a goods as the more low-cost options in California, such as Progressive, Wawanesa, and Geico. Nonetheless, drivers looking for pocket-friendly California car indemnity can save substantially with Esurance if they qualify for one of its many discounts .
When it comes to fiscal stability, Esurance boasts of a stellar record, as reflected by its second-highest rate of A+ from A.M. Best .
Choose Esurance for the highest-quality customer service .
Look elsewhere if you want low-cost car indemnity .
The Best for Extensive Benefits: AAA Club of California
AAA is actually an automotive club that besides sells car policy to its members. This means that you get all the perks of being a abdominal aortic aneurysm extremity in addition to their solid cable car insurance. These include rid hand brake wayside aid, travel vouchers, and discounts at over 100,000 shops, restaurants, and hotels in the US. The classic package costs lone $ 56 year, which is a belittled price to pay for all you ’ rhenium getting .
On the early hand, AAA ’ s car indemnity prices in California are above average in all of the seven boastful cities in our test. furthermore, the fiscal forte of this company is entirely “ A ” or excellent, compared to the higher scores of Geico, State Farm, and Progressive .
compensation for the high prices and mediocre fiscal strength comes in the form of excellent customer service : AAA is the third best caller in J.D. Power ’ second 2018 California discipline. Buying policy from any US company is a tradeoff, but if AAA insurance sounds like your cup of tea, give it a find .
Choose AAA for excellent customer military service, across-the-board coverage .
Look elsewhere if you want low-cost cable car insurance and ace fiscal potency .
The Cheapest and Best
Car Insurance in California by City
We requested a quote for a 40-year-old male driver with a clean and jerk record from five different companies to determine which of the seven biggest cities in California has the best policy prices. Our quote included full coverage limits .
Los Angeles
The city of Hollywood and the LA Lakers has, unsurprisingly, the highest indemnity prices in California. The average premium in this town is $ 241, which is $ 58 more than the second most expensive city, Oakland. The City of Angels is the second most populous US city, with a booming economy that drives the wages and real estate prices up. furthermore, California is the leading US express in car larceny. All these factors mean that car policy companies have to keep steep prices to stay adrift .
fortunately, the cheapest car indemnity companies in California are besides very well rated, meaning you can save a copulate of dollars and calm get excellent service. The cheapest companies in LA are Progressive, Geico, and Wawanesa. The last one is besides the best car indemnity company in California, but either of these three is a fine option .
San Diego
Did you know that San Diego has to the 6th largest menagerie in the world and it ’ second one of the rare menagerie that breeds giant pandas ? It is besides the hometown of one of the most beloved children ’ second authors, Dr. Seuss.
San Diego has the cheapest average cable car policy out of all the big cities in California, at $ 122. so, if you live in this town, looks like you ’ re in luck. Despite being the moment most populous city in California, San Diego is one of the safest places in the United States, which explains the low indemnity prices. Wawanesa, Geico, and Progressive—the common suspects for the best car policy rates in California—are besides the cheapest options in San Diego .
San Jose
Did you know that San Jose was once a capital of California ? It was established as a farmer ’ mho community. local agriculturists grew pears, prunes, peaches, broccoli, and grapes. however, it later became an urban environment, and the city declared itself the “ Capital of Silicon Valley ” in 1988. many technical school giants, such as eBay, IBM, and Adobe are headquartered in San Jose .
vitamin a far as cable car policy rates are concerned, the modal price of $ 127 in San Jose is only $ 5 higher than in San Diego, which is the cheapest big California city. Wawanesa is the best of the bum car policy companies in San Jose, California, because it has a great read in customer serve to go along with its low-cost rates .
San Francisco
Frisco has arguably the highest concentration of money and brains in the world. Companies such as AMD, Apple, Asus, Cisco, HP, Intel, NVidia, Facebook, eBay, Google, and Twitter are located in the City by the Bay. The gold Gate City is besides a center of liberal activism, being home to numerous countercultural movements since the Summer of Love in 1967 .
The indemnity prices in San Francisco are $ 3 below the national average, which is quite a surprise given how expensive the city is. This means that even the priciest option for the car insurance California drivers want—which is State Farm at $ 213—is quite low-cost for the majority of Cisco City ’ s inhabitants .
Fresno
Fresno translates to “ ash corner ” in spanish, the symbol that ’ second besides used on the city ’ south iris. Fresno ’ s residents enjoy its proximity to Yosemite National Park. It ’ s besides home to one of the biggest raisin industries. The hale thing started by accident when grapes person forgot to pick dried on the vine .
The rates in Fresno are below the average cable car insurance prices in California. Our top choices in this city would be Wawanesa and AAA, but we would besides consider Geico and Progressive if we were a younger driver .
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of California and home to one of the most ridicule teams in late NBA history, Sacramento Kings. It is besides the hippie kernel of the US and the state ’ s most divers city according to the 2002 Harvard University Civil Rights Project .
a far as car policy rates are concerned, the average price is $ 152, which is quite alike to San Francisco. The cheapest car policy company in Sacramento, California, by far is liberal, while Wawanesa, Geico, and AAA are besides an excellent option for those looking for low-cost car policy .
Long Beach
farseeing Beach is all about the water. It ’ s base to the second gear biggest container port in the US and the Aquarium of the Pacifics, which has more than one million visitors per year. The celebrated RMS Queen Mary is anchored in Long Beach, where it functions as a restaurant .
The policy prices in Long Beach are slenderly above the above the California average. The brassy car policy in this function of California is from either Progressive or Wawanesa, while Geico and AAA extend prices closer to the national average .
Oakland
Oakland is home to the Golden State Warriors the current NBA champion, and the team that holds the commemorate for the most wins in a regular season, at 73. The city ’ s name and its coat of arms represent an oak tree, which is quite common in this area. A fortune of timber was extracted from these oak woods to build San Francisco .
Oakland is the second most expensive city for cable car indemnity in California, with an average price of $ 183. The capital news program is that the prices of the most low-cost companies, Wawanesa and Progressive, are not a lot different from the prices in the less expensive cities .
Minimum Auto Insurance Limits Required in California
You will be pleased to know that this department of state has the second lowest minimum coverage behind Florida, which helps bring down the prices of the cable car indemnity California buyers are looking for. The minimum liability limits are $5,000 for property damage and $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury. And that is all that ’ s required by law. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist, Medical Payments, Collision, and Comprehensive coverages are all optional. however, if you are leasing a fomite, a lender may require Collision or Comprehensive .
Settling for the minimal coverage may seem appealing to those looking for low-cost car policy quotes in California. however, in event of an accident, you will probably have to pay large amounts of money out of your pouch .
California is a affluent state, meaning there ’ s a significant number of expensive cars being driven around. even a minor fender-bender can easily cost over $ 5,000, not to mention the impact of serious car accidents. Add any payments for checkup expenses to that, and your wallet will abruptly feel like it ’ south on a diet. That ’ s why it ’ second chic to increase your limits, specially since importantly better security will cost you 15 % –25 % more, think of you are decidedly getting your money ’ sulfur deserving .
Out of State Tickets in California
If you are a California driver that received a tag in another state, you should deal with that ticket equally soon as potential. The same applies to out-of-state drivers that received a ticket in California. That ’ s because there are multiple agreements signed between different US states that regulate handling out-of-state tickets. Failing to pay one may result in goodly fiscal fines, fuss when renewing a license, and higher indemnity agio .
Discounts on Car Insurance in California
If you still having trouble finding the cheapest car policy California drivers can buy, there ’ s no better remedy than investigating the many discounts out there. These are some of the most coarse :
Good Driver Discount – You can get up to 20 % off your premium if you ’ ve been driving safely. To qualify, you must have a valid license for at least the end three years, no more than one minor accident in the lapp prison term menstruation, and no convictions for DUIs or felonies in the previous ten years .
Good Student Discount – A young driver or a adolescent can qualify for this discount rate by having eight or fewer years of driving experience, being enrolled full-time in an approve academic institution, and by maintaining a GPA of 3.0 ( B ) or higher .
Bundle Discount – All the car indemnity California providers offer include this discount rate in some manner. If you ’ re insuring multiple vehicles or buy home and car policy from the lapp ship’s company, you ’ re bind to get a discount .
California Deductible Waiver – Though not an actual discount, it ’ second still a useful have. If you have collision coverage, you may qualify for this release. If you do, your indemnity company will cover the collision deductible if an uninsured driver struck you .
Safety Features Discounts – Did you know that California is # 1 in the US in car larceny ? We ’ rhenium certain that the insurance companies calculated this into their premiums. That ’ randomness why having a factory-installed anti-theft system will make those prices more low-cost. evening standard safety features like air-bags will get you a discount .
How Much Does Auto Insurance in California Cost?
The average price of car indemnity in California for a male 40-year-old driver with a clean record who owns a 2018 Honda Accord is $160. We based the average on a quote from five different companies in the seven biggest cities in California. furthermore, we requested a quote for a 21-year-old, 40-year-old, and 70-year-old driver from eight different insurers in Los Angeles, and our average in that city is $241 .
These prices are way above the national average, chiefly due to California ’ second gamey living standards, high car-theft rate, and high population density. however, the cheapest car indemnity offered in California is still quite good, meaning you can get an excellent protection plan on a budget .
How to Find the Best Car Insurance in California
Unlike in New York and New Jersey, prize optimization is banned in the state of California. This means that indemnity companies can not sneak a few extra dollars into your premium if they estimate you ’ re a loyal customer .
One may think that in these circumstances it doesn ’ triiodothyronine give to shop around, but this international relations and security network ’ thyroxine entirely true. therefore many individual factors determine your premium, from the company ’ s annual price plans to the tiniest details of your driver profile. To get the best and the cheapest car insurance in California, you will have to explore the market .
Conclusion
car indemnity in California is quite expensive, but there are enough of high-quality budget offers around. Three out of our six best companies in this state are besides the most low-cost insurers, indicating that more expensive doesn ’ thymine always mean better. In summation, it good so happens that the ship’s company that has the best car indemnity in California overall, Wawanesa, is among the most low-cost options in the state .
however, one case where it makes smell to pay extra is when choosing coverage limits. The minimal legal car insurance limits are quite low in California and provide insufficient security. Purchasing broader coverage from an cheap party is lone fractionally more expensive, but it significantly improves your fiscal security .
together with purchasing higher limits, shopping about, and reading car policy review is a no-brainer. so many individual factors influence the quality of insurance. only by exploring the market can you be indisputable that you ’ re getting the best coverage for your profile .
People Also Ask
Is auto insurance expensive in California? Yes. Most of the car insurance California residents can buy is among the most expensive in the US, at $ 160 per month on average for a 40-year-old driver on the state level. The senior high school car larceny rates, person wages, and substantial estate of the realm prices, along with the high population concentration, spike the indemnity prices.
Consider choosing low-cost companies like Progressive, Geico, and Wawanesa to save on California car insurance. Furthermore, try getting discounts like good Driver, Safety Features, and good student to decrease your bounty even further ( If you are a youthful pornographic, check our guide for college students to save even more ). How much is full coverage car insurance in California? We acquired a quote for 2018 Honda Accord EX 4D, with the liability limits of $ 50,000/ $ 100,000. furthermore, we purchased the basic personal injury protection design, together with $ 5,000 in MedPay. On top of that, we added comprehensive examination and collision coverages, with $ 500 deductibles each. Our plan habit was regular travel, with 10,000 miles covered annually.
We requested the same car insurance quotes in California from multiple companies, ampere well as for different age categories. Our entire average is $ 160 per month. The progressive policy bounty for a 40-year-old driver in San Diego was the cheapest, at $ 90 a calendar month, while State Farm indemnity for a 21-year-old driver in LA was the most expensive, at $ 487 a calendar month.
Which is the best auto insurance in California? Per our psychoanalysis, the best car insurance company for the majority of drivers is Wawanesa. It offers super low-cost prices, coupled with rock-solid customer service. The lone better option in California is USAA ; however, that company lone sells policy to former and current military members and their families. Geico, Progressive, Ameriprise, and AAA are besides worthwhile options.
Remember, numerous factors influence your final examination agio. The more you shop around, the better the chances of finding the best coverage for you are. For starters, getting quotes from these five companies is a no-brainer. What car insurance is required in California? Auto insurance laws in California are quite forgiving. The lone compulsory policy is liability, with the limits of $ 5,000 for property price, and $ 15,000 per person/ $ 30,000 per accident for bodily injury. however, we would strongly urge anybody capable to get higher limits and broader coverage. It costs 10 % –20 % more annually, but it provides more authentic protective covering if an accident happens—no more worrying about paying for damages out of your pocket. How much is car insurance in California for new drivers? The kind of car indemnity California residents can buy is predictably more expensive for newer drivers than the same auspices plan for a more know driver. Our average from the seven biggest companies in LA is $ 340 per month for a 21-year-old driver, compared to $ 192 per calendar month for a 40-year-old driver with the lapp fomite and same protective covering plan. however, there are ways to lower that bombastic agio. Consider choosing a company that ’ south more welcome to bad drivers, like Progressive, or an insurance company that offers certify courses for youthful drivers, like State Farm.