Cheapest Car Insurance in California for 2026

fact checked icon

Updated: May 6, 2026

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

At $155/month, California full coverage averages 28% above the national average, making it the fifth most expensive state and 46th most affordable of 50 states. GEICO is cheapest for minimum coverage, full coverage and all four violation categories among the 10 analyzed providers. 

California bans both gender and credit scoring as auto insurance rating factors, two of the most common pricing variables in other states, and raised its minimum liability limits from 15/30/5 to 30/60/15 in January 2025, the first increase since 1967.

Cheapest in California by coverage type

Cheapest by city

Cheapest by driver age

Cheapest by driving record

Companies analyzed: ten across all California ZIP codes. Baseline: 40-year-old driver, clean record, good credit, 100/300/100 full coverage, $1,000 deductible. California bans both gender and credit score as auto insurance rating factors. The young driver analysis uses a single combined table and no bad credit profile is included. Wawanesa and California Casualty are California-focused regional carriers. Data: Quadrant Information Services.

Cheapest Minimum and Full Coverage Car Insurance in California

GEICO has the cheapest minimum coverage at $39/month and full coverage at $90/month among the 10 analyzed California providers. Choosing GEICO over Nationwide, the most expensive at $207/month, saves $117/month ($1,404 a year). See how GEICO compares to other options in the best car insurance in California.

California updated its minimum liability requirement in January 2025 to 30/60/15: $30,000 per person bodily injury, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage, the first increase since 1967. Drivers on older policies should verify they meet the new requirements at next renewal. California is an at-fault state with no PIP requirement and no mandatory UM/UIM coverage.

GEICO
$39
$90
Progressive
$50
$96
State Farm
$56
$127
AAA
$60
$129
Mercury
$66
$136
Wawanesa
$67
$146
Auto-Owners
$73
$159
Allstate
$74
$178
California Casualty
$87
$187
Nationwide
$100
$207

Cheapest Car Insurance by City in California

GEICO is cheapest in nine of 10 analyzed California cities; Progressive leads in Anaheim at $105/month. Los Angeles is the most expensive city at $136/month and San Jose is the cheapest at $85/month, a $51/month ($612 a year) gap. Los Angeles has some of the highest uninsured driver rates in the state, extreme traffic density, high auto theft and one of the most expensive vehicle repair markets in the country.

San Francisco ($88/month) and San Diego ($87/month) are both priced below what their metro size would suggest, with lower claim frequency despite higher vehicle values. Bakersfield ($89/month) and Fresno ($90/month) are inland Central Valley cities with lower urban density and theft rates than coastal metros. 

Compare car insurance options across all California cities.

City
Cheapest Provider
Monthly Full Coverage Rates

Los Angeles

GEICO

$136

San Diego

GEICO

$87

San Jose

GEICO

$85

San Francisco

GEICO

$88

Fresno

GEICO

$90

mglogo icon
MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

"California bans gender and credit as rating factors, which simplifies the comparison considerably. There's no bad-credit outlier to watch for and no gender split in the young driver tables. What makes California unusual is the DUI window: records stay on file for 10 years, not three. A DUI at 25 affects your rates until you're 35. GEICO is still cheapest for DUI at $212 a month, but the 10-year exposure makes the choice of insurer at the time of the violation more consequential than in any other state in this analysis." 

— Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut

Cheapest Car Insurance by Age in California

California bans gender as an auto insurance rating factor, so one rate applies to all drivers at each age. Boys and girls pay the same premium, and families don't need to compare rates by gender. Review how car insurance rates change by age for a full breakdown.

State Farm
$121
GEICO
$170
Wawanesa
$171
Progressive
$188
AAA
$203

Cheapest Car Insurance for High-Risk Drivers in California

Across all four violation categories in California, GEICO has the cheapest rates: speeding ticket ($133/month), at-fault accident ($152/month), DUI ($212/month) and texting while driving ($153/month). GEICO's DUI rate of $212/month is $122 above its clean-record rate of $90/month; Auto-Owners is the most expensive for DUI at $311/month. 

California retains DUI records for 10 years, the longest-lasting surcharge category in the state. Most violations affect rates for three years.

Profile
Cheapest Provider
Monthly Rate

Speeding Ticket

GEICO

$133

At-Fault Accident

GEICO

$152

DUI

GEICO

$212

Texting While Driving

GEICO

$153

How to Get the Cheapest Car Insurance in California

GEICO is cheapest in every category analyzed for drivers ages 16 through 24 and for the standard adult and senior profiles. Progressive is consistently second across multiple categories, so get quotes from both before buying. California drivers should also verify their policy meets the 30/60/15 minimums that took effect in January 2025.

  1. 1
    Start with GEICO and Progressive

    GEICO is cheapest across most driver profiles, but Progressive is close across multiple categories. Both quotes take minutes and the savings can add up.

  2. 2
    Verify your policy meets the updated 2025 minimums

    California raised its minimums to 30/60/15 in January 2025. Drivers who haven't renewed since the change should confirm their policy meets the new limits.

  3. 3
    Match coverage to vehicle value

    Full coverage averages $155/month. Drivers financing a vehicle need full coverage regardless of age. Find out how much car insurance you need before choosing your coverage limits.

  4. 4
    Enroll in a telematics program

    GEICO DriveEasy and Progressive Snapshot reward safe driving with discounts. Contact your insurer for current discount availability and amounts.

  5. 5
    Bundle home and auto policies

    Bundle home and auto policies with the same carrier to lower costs on both policies. California drivers often save 5% to 15% through multi-policy discounts. GEICO, State Farm and Allstate all offer bundling discounts in California, though savings and availability vary by provider.

  6. 6
    Take a defensive driving course

    California drivers can dismiss one ticket through traffic school. A DMV-approved course may also qualify for insurer discounts, so contact your carrier for current availability.

  7. 7
    Re-shop when violations age off

    Most violations affect rates for three years. A DUI stays on the driving record for 10 years. Set a reminder at three years to re-shop.

  8. 8
    Consider non-owner coverage

    Non-owner car insurance in California covers drivers without a vehicle who need to maintain continuous coverage.

What Does Minimum Coverage Actually Protect You From in California?

California's 30/60/15 minimums place it among the more permissive states in the country despite the January 2025 increase. The bodily injury limits remain below the national median, and the $15,000 property damage limit may not fully cover repairs for a newer vehicle. Legal and adequate are not the same thing here.

If you cause a crash that injures someone, your policy pays up to $30,000 for that person's medical bills. The average ER visit alone often runs past that. Cause a crash with multiple people hurt, and $60,000 gets divided between them, not multiplied. And none of it touches your car, your injuries, or any damage beyond those hard ceilings.

California also bans insurers from using credit scores to set rates, which is unusually consumer-friendly. But it doesn't change what minimum coverage will and won't pay when it counts.

Here's how California's required limits compare nationally, and where the gaps are.

An image showing how California's state minimum coverage compares to other states and an explanation of what is covered and where you are left unprotected.

MoneyGeek analyzed 10 auto insurance providers across all California ZIP codes using Quadrant Information Services data. California bans both gender and credit score as rating factors, so the young driver analysis uses a single combined table and no separate bad credit profile. Rates reflect a 40-year-old driver with 100/300/100 full coverage and a $1,000 deductible. See our methodology.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for almost a decade, first with LendingTree and now with MoneyGeek, conducting original research on hundreds of insurance companies and millions of insurance rates for insurance shoppers. 

He writes about economics and insurance on MoneyGeek, breaking down complex topics so people can have confidence in their purchase. Like all MoneyGeek analysts, Mark collects and analyzes independent cost and consumer experience data on insurance companies to provide objective recommendations in our content that are independent of any of MoneyGeek's insurance company partnerships. 

His insights on products ranging from car, home and renters insurance to health and life insurance have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among others. 

Mark holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He started his career working in financial risk management at State Street before transitioning to the analysis of the personal insurance market. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

Read Full Bio »
Sources