California Car Insurance Laws

California is a state where drivers who cause car collisions are responsible for repairing the damages to other people’s property. They also must pay the medical bills of people they injure in these collisions. It is important to get the right car insurance protection when being on the roads. Enter your ZIP code into our FREE auto insurance comparison tool to find good rates now.

If someone dies in the crash, the at-fault driver will be the one who will be charged with paying for the victim’s funeral. All these events can be very costly, so the most common way that drivers in California demonstrate that they can pay for them is to purchase a liability insurance policy. Our FREE car insurance comparison tool can give you great rates when you enter your ZIP code!

Demonstrating Financial Responsibility for Damages and Injuries

The most common way of taking financial responsibility for causing injuries and damages is car insurance, but Californians are also given many other options, such as leaving a $35,000 deposit with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), by self-insuring or by obtaining a surety bond in the amount of $35,000.

The Minimum Amount of Car Insurance Required in California

When people opt to purchase car insurance, they will need to signify the amount of money they would like their car insurance companies to pay in the event of an accident.

The maximum amount will be determined by the car insurance company, but the minimum amount is determined by the state. Find out how much you will pay for car insurance by entering your zip code!

$15,000 for One Person’s Medical Bills

California drivers are required to purchase bodily injury liability coverage. This would be the insurance that covers one person’s medical bills who is hurt when the policy holder runs into another vehicle. In California, this person is entitled to at least $15,000 for his or her medical bills.

$30,000 for All Injured People’s Medical Bills

Bodily injury liability also covers more than one person. Two or more people who are hurt in the crash are entitled to receive $30,000 for all of their medical bills. If the policy holders would like to provide more money under these policies, they can choose to increase the limits. It depends on how much their car insurance companies can accommodate.

$5,000 for Damaged Vehicles and Other Property

For the repair of other people’s vehicles or city or personal property that is damaged in a car collision, California drivers must have property damage liability coverage. The state has set the minimum amount of this type of car insurance at $5,000. As can be done with bodily injury liability, property damage liability can be increased to a greater amount.

Preventing Vehicle Registration Suspension

According to California car insurance laws, drivers must be able to prove that they have insurance if they are going to become one of California’s drivers. Drivers who neglect to purchase the coverage outlined above will have their vehicle registrations suspended. To prevent this from happening, they need to:

• Purchase new liability coverage within 45 days of a cancellation
• Have their car insurance companies submit proof of insurance electronically within 30 days of registering a vehicle in California for the first time
• Only submit proof that came from their car insurance companies

Other Penalties for Driving Without Proof of Car Insurance

If drivers do not have proof of car insurance in their vehicles while they are driving and law enforcement stops them, they are going to be ticketed in California. This ticket will be very costly, at least $1,000. The ticket will also require that these people take time out to go to court to address it.

California can take things even further by possibly impounding any driver’s car as well as levying a fine against the person who drives without proof of car insurance. If they are caught driving without car insurance after causing an accident, these California drivers will be forced to pay for all of the damages and all injuries that occurred due to the collision.

The Cheaper Alternative to the Deposit or the Surety Bond

Californians who do not have $35,000 for a deposit or a surety bond and are unable to self-insure will find purchasing a liability car insurance policy much easier than risking the penalties for driving without car insurance.

Californians have no reason to not purchase liability insurance because it is affordable in this state at this time. Enter your ZIP code for FREE car insurance quotes for the car of your dreams now!

At the moment, the average car insurance payment in California amounts to $110.23 per month.

This relatively low premium does not warrant anyone risking lawsuits against them for payment of expensive medical bills and property repair bills. The liability coverage would cover these payments for them.

Obtain Car Insurance Quotes Before Buying the Car

The advantage drivers in California have before they buy a car is that they can seek car insurance quotes for the vehicle first. After people examine the reviews of cars on this website, they can conveniently go to our FREE comparison feature to enter their ZIP codes for a quote. They will receive a quote for what they could be paying for a vehicle before they even purchase it.

After they enter their zip codes, several car insurance companies offer their quotes for free. Some of these quotes may be higher than they were expecting, but they can continue to research quotes for free. Enter your ZIP code into our FREE car insurance comparison tool now!