California Auto Insurance

Like most states, California requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance on their auto insurance policy. These are called financial responsibility limits. In California, your minimum limits are:

• Bodily injury liability coverage: $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
• Property Damage liability coverage: $5,000 per accident
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage: $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
• Uninsured motorist property damage coverage: $3,500 per accident.

These are the minimum requirements to operate a private passenger motor vehicle on public roads. However, everyone’s insurance needs are unique. Learn more about minimum limits before you select the limits for your new California auto insurance policy.

If you’re new to the state, then can learn a lot from the California Driver Handbook. The handbook is published by the California Department of Motor Vehicles and can provide guidance on everything from registering your car, obtaining a California driver’s license and important state rules of the road.

What is the California Deductible Waiver?

• If you purchased collision coverage on your auto insurance policy, then you may be eligible to buy the California Deductible Waiver. When you purchase this coverage, the insurance company will waive your deductible when you have a covered loss with an uninsured driver.

  This coverage requires you to purchase uninsured motorist coverage and is considered an alternative to uninsured motorist property damage coverage.

What do I do if I get an Intent to Suspend Registration letter?

• If the state of California cannot confirm that you have insurance on your vehicle, you may receive a letter stating that they plan to cancel your car’s registration. This can happen if the state doesn’t have the correct VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on file if your California (or out-of-state) insurance coverage has lapsed, or if there’s an error in the information that the state of California received.
• If you are a current auto insurance policy holder with IronPoint and the California DMV has informed you that providing proof of insurance is enough, you can easily obtain the documents through your insurance agent or company.
• If you are not an IronPoint policyholder and would like to know how much it would be to obtain California car insurance, you can get a quote today.

There are few unique discounts in California. The California good driver discount is one, however. If your good driving meets the specific criteria for eligibility, you could receive an additional 20% discount on your auto insurance premium. In California, a Good Driver is one who:

To learn about the many other discounts available in California. Note, that not all the discounts listed are allowed in the State of California.

Like all parents of driving-age teens, you’re looking for good information to keep your young driver safe. If you’re the parent of a teen reaching driving age, you and your teen should begin your driver training by knowing:

• Before becoming fully licensed, California teen drivers must complete driver training and get a provisional permit, which they must be at least 15½ years of age to obtain.
• Before applying for a license, drivers in California must be 16 years of age and have had a provisional permit for at least six months.
• Applicants must then pass the DMV-administered driving test before receiving a provisional driver’s license.
• During the first 12 months of the provisional license, they may drive between 5:01 am and 10:59 pm and only transport passengers over the age of 21. After that provisional period ends they’re granted full driving privileges.

Check with your local California DMV for more info on California teen driver rules and laws.

When moving to California for the first time, or for long-time residents, insurance agents are a powerful way for you to get information on insurance and California regulations.

Of course, you should compare quotes to know the best rates available, and independent insurance agents can do that as well as the online quote aggregator sites.

Whichever way works best for you, we are available to help. You can call us to speak with an insurance agent or compare quotes online.