Cheap Auto Insurance in San Jose, CA

Do you need auto insurance in San Jose? At CheapCarInsuranceinc.com, you’ll find the very best insurance rates in your town. To obtain free car insurance quotes from the best providers today, enter your zip code into the quote box on this page.

San Jose used to be a flourishing agricultural center a little over 60 years ago. But thanks to technological development and a little bit of luck, the city was strategically placed for the Silicon Valley economic boom which took place from 1950-1980. This rapid growth is not without its problems, however; the infrastructure of San Jose still hasn’t quite caught up to the city’s large, bustling population.

Fun fact: did you know that San Jose is #6 on the list of “Top 50 cities with greatest precentage of females working in industry: Electrical and electronic goods merchant wholesalers (population 50,000+)”? Learn more about San Jose, CA.

Coverage Requirements - Auto Insurance in San Jose California

Motorists who wish to drive in California legally need to purchase the following coverage:

Coverage	Requirements	Most Common
Liability Bodily Injury	15,000/30,000	100,000/300,000
Liability Property Damage	5,000	100,000
Bodily Injury - Motorist Uninsured	Not required	20,000/40,000
Not required Coverage	Medical Payments Coverage	5,000
Collision Coverage	Not required Coverage	700 Insurance deductible
Comprehensive	Not required	250 deductible

If you’re thinking about only purchasing the bare minimum level of coverage, take a minute to understand exactly what Liability coverage takes care of. With only Liability insurance, your provider will only pay out claims for accidents which are deemed your fault. If you’re involved in a hit-and-run, or of severe weather damages your vehicle, you will have to foot the bill for getting it fixed.

For many California drivers, average monthly premiums can run as high as $164 per month or more. Luckily, San Jose motorists have the opportunity to get rates as low as $38/mo*! If you know what to look for, you can earn some significant discounts.

Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers are offering some of the lowest rates in San Jose right now. But drivers should keep in mind that other elements, such as good customer service and a streamlined claims process, are just as essential as getting the lowest possible rate.

Auto insurance carriers consider numerous variables when assessing insurance quotes, including marital status, type of vehicle owned, education, how many years of driving experience you have, and your current insurance coverage and limits. Also keep in mind that premiums differ from company to company. If you want to learn how to avoid forking out high prices for your car insurance in California, keep reading.

Most Car Insurance Facts to know in San Jose CA

There is a range of various things that can factor into the rate quotes you get. Even though a portion of these details aren’t actually anything you can do something about, some of them are elements which you can change for the better. Here are a few things which may affect your car insurance premium:

Your Zip code

The cheapest car insurance is usually found in cities with a lower population density. Because there are fewer vehicles on the road, there are fewer possibilities for you to get into a major car accident with another driver. The population of San Jose is 998,537 and the median household income is $80,977.

Automobile Accidents

For a city with nearly one million residents, San Jose has some fairly low accident statistics. This is good news, because it means that auto insurance providers in your area are more likely to offer lower monthly rates.

Car Thieving in San Jose

Auto theft is a major problem, especially in densely populated cities. If your location and/or vehicle model put you at a greater risk for theft, you may have trouble finding low-cost car insurance. The total number of stolen vehicles in San Jose was 7,926 in 2013. Due to such high rates of theft, you should strongly consider adding Comprehensive coverage to your policy – it’s the only way your provider will pay out theft claims.

Your Credit Score

California is one of three states which prohibits Automobile insurance companies from charging higher or lower rates based on your credit score. For motorists with bad credit, this helps them get a fair price for insurance. But Automobile insurance companies are also more likely to charge everyone a higher rate on average – even with good credit – to offset the risk.

Your Age

Did you know that some companies will charge teenage drivers up to 300% more for insurance than someone twice their age? It all has to do with their overall lack of driving experience. Because of their inexperience, they are much more likely to get into an accident.

Your Driving Record

significant driving violations – such as a DUI, or a reckless driving citation – can send your monthly premiums through the roof. Some companies may even refuse to cover you altogether. But if you only have minor citations, such as a speeding ticket, as your provider if you can save money with “Accident Forgiveness”.

Your Vehicle

Some drivers, especially those with an older or less expensive vehicle, can get away with the bare minimum insurance coverage. However, before you rush out to purchase a luxury vehicle for yourself, consider the fact that it will also come with a huge insurance bill each month. After all, you wouldn’t insure a luxury vehicle with Liability only, would you?

Minor Car Insurance elements in San Jose

Don’t ignore the following elements completely, but don’t underestimate them, either:

Your Marital Status

As an individual, being married won’t get you very significant discounts on Automobile insurance. However, bundling multiple policies with your spouse will drastically lower your monthly rate. This is also true for homeowner’s or boat insurance – the more policies you bundle, the more you can save.

Your Gender

The days of one gender being “known” as the better driver are becoming a relic of the past – at least, some insurance providers think so. These days, multiple major providers charge the exact same rate, regardless of gender. And those who still do charge different premiums usually raise prices no more than 2% on average.

Your Driving Distance to Work

The average San Jose worker can spend anywhere from 20-30 minutes driving to work each day (or more if you live in the outskirts of the city). More than three quarters of motorists choose to drive their own car to work, whereas 9-21% of people prefer to carpool.

You’d think that in a place like California, doing your best to limit your mileage each year would yield significant discounts. Regrettably, you’d be wrong. At best, you can only lower your monthly premium by about 3-4%. Be careful, though, before listing your vehicle as a business vehicle on your policy. Those types of vehicles can cost over 10% more to insure each month than vehicles used for work, school, or pleasure commutes.

Your Coverage and Deductibles

Raising your deductible is a good way to add some extra coverage and benefits to your Automobile policy without seeing your monthly rate skyrocket. But make sure you have some money saved up, just in case the worst happens and you actually have to file a claim.

Your Education

Most drivers in San Jose either have a bachelor’s degree or are still on the path towards completing high school. And, believe it or not, this does much more to help them get lower insurance rates than having a fancy job or a huge salary. A good number of motorists have a high school diploma. Education, by the way, is also a great way to save money on car insurance; the more education you have, the lower your rates will be.

There are many different options to choose from as far as San Jose universities are concerned. There’s San Jose State University, which is one of the oldest public universities anywhere on the West Coast. There’s also the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District which offers a variety of associates degrees to more than 30,000 young and old students each year.

Finding affordable auto insurance can be a hassle. There’s a lot of information you need to consider, and figuring out how insurance companies evaluate your potential risk can be complicated. But don’t let the wrong insurance company talk you into purchasing the wrong policy.