Cheap Auto Insurance in California

Whether you live in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, or Fresno, with so many companies offering California automobile insurance, how do you know what policy is right for you? Finding a good deal on an auto insurance policy isn’t easy these days, especially if you live in a high-cost state such as California. CheapCarInsuranceinc.com is a great place to start your search.

California Auto Insurance – Average Premiums

Your typical California driver can expect to be forking out around $118 each month to maintain their Automobile insurance every month. Of course, these rates aren’t exactly typical for everyone. Some cities have rates as low as $87/mo in San Jose, or as high as $174 monthly in (you guessed it) Los Angeles.

 

The website provides average annual California vehicle insurance rates quoted to consumers in each state. California ranks 20 out of 50 states, with regard to price and value. To get your personalized auto insurance quote and compare rates in your area, please enter your zip code into the search box. Do you live in Long Beach, Sacramento, Oakland, or Santa Ana, CA? You can save money on your insurance by shopping around!

Important California Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements

California requires liability insurance, with minimum of $15,000 for injury liability, $30,000 for all injuries, and $5,000 in property damage. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and no-fault insurance are not required in this state. Find cheap California car insurance today.

 

Choosing the Right Amount of California Car Insurance Coverage

Don’t forget that whatever you eventually end up forking out each month will vary according to the type of vehicle you own, and how well you plan to protect it. Older cars which have already been paid off are the best candidates to state minimum coverage; newer cars, however, or more expensive cars will probably require more varied coverage (and also in higher amounts).

 

California DUI Laws

For the first DUI offense, drivers can receive up to a $1,000 fine, face a 6 months license suspension, and up to 6 months of imprisonment. Drivers are required to file an SR-22 to reinstate a suspended driver license after a DUI, uninsured auto accident, or driving without insurance. And don’t forget that your insurance company will very likely raise your rates after a DUI conviction. As a matter of fact, some companies may refuse to cover you based on DUI violations alone.

 

Age Limit Laws

When a young driver is 15 years and 6 months of age, they may apply for a Learner Stage driver permit. For their first 6 months of driving, they must gather 50 hours of supervised driving hours (as well as 10 hours of supervised driving at night) before they can apply for an Intermediate Stage permit at the age of 16. Once obtained, their intermediate driver permit prohibits driving between the hours of 11:00 PM- 5:00 AM, and they may not have any passengers in their car under the age of 20 unless they are family (but these violations are only secondary level enforcement). At the age of 17, they can apply for a full license.

 

Credit Score Laws and Regulations

In the state of California, it is illegal for your insurance company to use your credit score in order to charge you different rates. But there are both positive and negative consequences for this. Drivers with poor credit get to pay less for their insurance policy, and can perhaps use the extra cash to pay other bills and improve their credit score slowly over time. Drivers with better credit, however, may be charged a slightly higher rate so that the insurance company can make up the difference on lost profits.

 

Insuring your Vehicle in California

There are many reasons why insurance companies ask about the make and model of your vehicle before they offer you a policy. And it isn’t just so that they know how much coverage to recommend that you buy. It’s also because your insurance policy follows your vehicle – not specifically you, the driver. This means that if a friend or family member borrows your vehicle and causes an accident, you and your insurance company will be responsible for the financial damages.

 

Additional California Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements

The elements discussed thus far will have some of the most significant influence on the grand total of what you pay each month. However, the elements we are about to discuss are important to know about as well. At the very least, knowing which driving laws to follow can help protect against collecting citations which will raise your monthly premiums.

Highway Safety Laws

The state of California does have laws against aggressive driving. However, these laws are targeted at street racers for the most part. This means that driving at high speeds against other drivers, and causing bodily harm to pedestrians and other drivers while doing so, can qualify as aggressive driving.

Aggressive Driving	Yes
Cell Phones and Texting Laws	Yes
Inc. Penalty for High BAC	BAC 0.15
Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense	6 months

 

Speed Limits and Cell Phone Use

California does have an all-driver ban against both texting while driving, and talking on your cell phone while driving. And, for the most part, these are considered primary offenses, which means that law enforcement can pull you over and ticket you for just this one offense alone. However, it is only a secondary level violation for novice drivers under the age of 18.

Rural Interstate	70 mph
Urban Interstate	65 mph
Other Limited-Access	70 mph

Important California Contacts

California Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle Division – click here for information on obtaining your driver’s license, requirements for ID cards, and vehicle registration.

Official State California Website

California Department of Insurance

How to contact directly:

California Department of Insurance
Consumer Services Division
300 South Spring Street, South Tower
Los Angeles, CA 90013

You Can’t Save If You Don’t Shop – These California Car Insurance Companies Offer Lowest Rates In Your Area – See How Much You Can Save!