Rachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.
Expert reviewed
Expert reviewed
This article has been reviewed by a licensed Policygenius expert to ensure that sources, statistics, and claims meet our standard for accurate and unbiased advice.
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
We found that Wawanesa has the cheapest car insurance rates in California. On average, Wawanesa costs $93 per month. That’s $1,110 per year, 40% less than the average rate for a full-coverage policy in California.
Besides Wawanesa, our other picks for the best and cheapest car insurance in California are GEICO, USAA, Mercury, and National General.
Wawanesa’s straightforward car insurance doesn’t leave much room for customization. But Wawanesa, which only offers coverage in California and Oregon, is still a top pick (especially for budget-conscious drivers) for its cheap rates and discounts.
Pros
Low average premiums
A cheap option for drivers with an accident on their records
Top-rated customer service
Offers several discounts
Cons
Only endorsements offered are rental car coverage, roadside assistance, and special parts coverage
On average, Wawanesa has the cheapest car insurance rates in California. At just $93 per month, car insurance from Wawanesa costs $747 less per year than the state average for a full-coverage policy.
We also found that Wawanesa remains affordable for drivers after an accident, DUI, or speeding ticket — all of which can mean serious price increases at most car insurance companies.
How we score: Policygenius’ ratings are determined by our editorial team. Our methodology takes multiple factors into account, including pricing, financial ratings, quality of customer service, and other product-specific features.
GEICO is nationally available and often has some of the cheapest rates. GEICO gets fewer service complaints than average, even though claims satisfaction can be mixed. Drivers can also customize their car insurance from GEICO with a few useful add-ons.
Pros
Available in every state and the District of Columbia
Usually has some of the cheapest rates
Gets fewer complaints than expected for its service
Allows drivers to add different types of useful coverages to a basic policy
GEICO is the cheapest car insurance company in California when it comes to national carriers. A full-coverage policy from GEICO costs an average of $122 per month (or $1,465 per year), which is $392 less per year than average in the state. If you’ve got a past driving violation, though, GEICO can be one of the more expensive companies for car insurance.
USAA
4
Policygenius rating
How we score: Policygenius’ ratings are determined by our editorial team. Our methodology takes multiple factors into account, including pricing, financial ratings, quality of customer service, and other product-specific features.
USAA is one of the most reliably cheap car insurance companies in the country. It also has a long-standing reputation for great customer service. Unlike other providers, USAA is only offered to drivers who are affiliated with the military.
Pros
Offers coverage in every state and the District of Columbia
Usually has some of the cheapest car insurance rates of any company
Drivers can use discounts to lower their rates
Consistently high customer satisfaction
Cons
Limited options for adding extra coverage
Only available to members of the military, veterans, and their families
USAA is among the cheapest auto insurance companies in California, but it’s only an option if you’re a member of the military or a part of a military family. On average, USAA costs California drivers $125 per month ( or $1,502 per year). That’s $355 less each year than average in the state.
How we score: Policygenius’ ratings are determined by our editorial team. Our methodology takes multiple factors into account, including pricing, financial ratings, quality of customer service, and other product-specific features.
Mercury offers drivers fewer add-ons and endorsements than some competitors, but drivers will find affordable rates (especially after a driving violation or accident) and a handful of discounts that could lower costs even more.
Pros
Lower-than-average rates after a violation
Offers discounts for extra savings
Cons
Only add-ons are rental car coverage, rideshare coverage, and roadside assistance
Mercury is one of the cheapest car insurance companies in California. We found that the average cost of auto insurance from Mercury is $127 per month ($1,520 per year). That’s $337 less than average. Mercury can also be slightly cheaper than average after a driving violation.
National General
3.9
Policygenius rating
How we score: Policygenius’ ratings are determined by our editorial team. Our methodology takes multiple factors into account, including pricing, financial ratings, quality of customer service, and other product-specific features.
National General is best known for being a top provider of insurance for drivers who don’t have clean driving records, but the company also offers coverage to those who haven’t been in an accident or received a violation before
Pros
Known for offering coverage to high-risk drivers
Good drivers can save with company’s DynamicDrive telematics discount
Offers a wide range of discounts
Cons
Receives far more complaints than average for its service
National General rounds out our list for the cheapest car insurance companies in California. Besides having low average rates, National General is known for offering coverage to high-risk drivers.
That means that California drivers with a recent accident, DUI, traffic ticket, or a suspended license who are having trouble getting covered elsewhere should consider National General.
Cheapest car insurance companies by age in California
Young adults typically have very high insurance rates because their inexperience behind the wheel means they are more likely than older drivers to be in an accident. However, most companies base rates on years of driving experience instead of age, which means a 40-year-old and a 16-year-old who both got their license this year will be charged similar rates.
In many states, different insurance companies have the lowest prices for various age groups based on their internal rating systems. California, however, has one company that ranks lower than the competition in every single age group.
Age
Cheapest company
Average cost
16
Wawanesa
$2,205
18
Wawanesa
$1,926
21
Wawanesa
$1,434
25
Wawanesa
$1,210
30
Wawanesa
$1,153
35
Wawanesa
$1,101
45
Wawanesa
$1,076
55
Wawanesa
$1,045
60
Wawanesa
$1,018
65
Wawanesa
$1,019
70
Wawanesa
$1,044
Choosing the right car insurance company in California
Choosing the best car insurance company for you doesn’t have to be difficult. There are several factors to consider, including:
Cost: Nobody wants to pay too much for car insurance, so getting quotes from multiple companies can help you find the most affordable option.
Coverage: Choosing a plan that offers enough coverage to protect you in case of an accident is vitally important.
Customer service: Having an easy, comfortable experience when buying a policy or filing a claim is extremely valuable and could even be worth paying a little more for insurance coverage.
If you're ready to start shopping for insurance, our insurance experts at Policygenius are ready to help you find the right insurance coverage for your needs.
Compare rates and shop affordable car insurance today
Car insurance rates for drivers with driving violations in California
Your driving history is one of the factors insurance companies use to help determine your rates, which means an accident or a traffic ticket could have a significant impact on how much you pay for insurance.
Keeping your driving record clean is the easiest and most effective way to keep your insurance costs low. Take a look at how different violations increased the cost of insurance in California with five of the cheapest car insurance companies in the state.
Violation
Wawanesa
GEICO
USAA
Mercury Insurance
National General
At-fault accident
$1,733
$2,690
$2,156
$2,655
$2,427
DUI
$2,060
$3,764
$4,432
$2,529
$2,249
Suspended license
$1,640
$2,689
$3,132
$2,529
$2,307
Open container
$2,060
$3,764
$3,332
$2,529
$1,724
Expired registration
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Driving without lights
$1,640
$2,427
$1,546
$2,023
$1,724
Not showing documents
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Running a red light
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Failure to yield
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Following too closely
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Hit and run
$2,060
$2,500
$3,546
$2,529
$2,307
Illegal turn
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Improper passing
$1,640
$2,427
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Not-at-fault accident
$1,153
$1,493
$1,546
$1,534
$1,648
Passing a school bus
$1,640
$2,427
$2,276
$2,023
$1,724
Racing
$2,060
$2,689
$3,343
$2,529
$2,307
Reckless driving
$2,060
$2,689
$2,666
$2,529
$2,307
Speeding
$1,640
$2,333
$1,693
$2,023
$1,724
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad credit in California
Insurance companies in some states rate drivers based on their credit score. Theoretically, this is because drivers with lower credit scores are more likely to file a claim instead of paying for damages out-of-pocket, but in practice it sometimes ends up unfairly penalizing some drivers. Because of this, California laws prevent insurance companies from rating based on credit history.
Car insurance costs in California cities
Things like crime rates, population density, or the number of accidents in a given area mean that insurance costs can vary significantly from one city to another. Here’s how car insurance rates compare in the ten biggest cities in California.
Los Angeles: $2,642
San Diego: $1,775
San Jose: $1,829
San Francisco: $2,194
Fresno: $1,799
Sacramento: $2,017
Long Beach: $2,068
Oakland: $2,156
Bakersfield: $1,833
Anaheim: $1,965
Compare rates and shop affordable car insurance today
$15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability
$5,000 for property damage liability
Drivers who don’t carry minimum levels of liability insurance or higher will have their registration suspended by the state, which means the car cannot legally be driven or parked on public streets.
In order to provide cheap liability insurance, California minimum insurance requirements are very low. This means they may not provide enough protection if you are at fault for an accident that is more than a simple fender bender.
The state also does not require you to carry anything more than basic bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, which means drivers carrying state minimum coverage levels don’t have coverage for damage to their own vehicle and they have no protection against uninsured or underinsured motorists.
Pro tip
As of 2019, 16.6% of drivers on the road in California were uninsured, which makes it all the more important to protect yourself by carrying full coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which covers the costs if you’re hit by a driver without insurance.
California is also one of several states that have made it illegal for policy providers to use gender to determine insurance rates. Other states with similar laws are Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
How to get cheap car insurance in California
There are many ways for drivers to save money on their insurance, including bundling policies, keeping their driving record clean, and increasing their deductibles. However, sometimes that isn’t enough. For people who can’t afford even a basic minimum liability insurance policy, the state offers California's Low Cost Auto Insurance Program.
California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance Program offers consumers the opportunity to purchase lower levels of coverage. The CLCA policy includes basic liability levels of:
$10,000 bodily injury or death per person
$20,000 bodily injury or death per accident
$3,000 property damage liability per accident
For an additional charge of $39-$104 per year, drivers can also purchase:
$1,000 medical payments per person
$10,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
$20,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
Pro tip
Policygenius recommends drivers have a minimum of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $100,000 in property damage liability coverage to ensure the maximum amount of protection.
How much is car insurance per month in California?
Drivers in California pay an average of $1,857 per year for car insurance, which breaks down to $154.75 per month.
Why are car insurance prices in California so high?
There are many reasons car insurance is so expensive in California. California has several cities with very dense populations, which means there is an increased chance of accidents. California also has significant numbers of natural disasters, like wildfires and earthquakes, that contribute to more claims being filed under comprehensive coverage.
Who has the best car insurance in California for students?
According to our data, Wawanesa offers the best car insurance for young drivers, but most insurance companies offer a good student discount. For example, GEICO offers a discount of up to 15% for good students.
Is California a fault or no fault state?
California is an at-fault state, which means a driver who is at fault in an accident is responsible for the bodily injury and property damage costs caused by the accident, whether or not they have enough car insurance to cover those costs.
Methodology
Policygenius has analyzed car insurance rates provided by Quadrant Information Services for every ZIP code in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. For full coverage policies, the following coverage limits were used:
Bodily injury liability: 50/100
Property damage liability: $50,000
Uninsured/underinsured motorist: 50/100
Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Collision: $500 deductible
In some cases, additional coverages were added where required by state or insurer.
Rates for overall average rate, rates by ZIP code, and cheapest companies determined using averages for single drivers ages 30, 35, and 45. Our sample vehicle was a 2017 Toyota Camry LE driven 10,000 miles/year.
Rates for driving violations and “Poor” credit determined using average rates for a single male 30-year-old driver with a credit score under 578.
Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.
Rachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.
