Is car insurance mandatory in California?

Insurance is a tricky road to navigate, but it is something that is necessary for your own protection in case you find yourself needing such financial assistance. Automobile insurance in particular can be a hard one to figure out, but it is so important to the financial well-being of drivers everywhere that many states have made it illegal to drive without insurance. Is car insurance mandatory in California? Yes, it is a requirement of all vehicles operated or parked on the roads in this great state. Read ahead for some more details. 

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In California, you need to have evidence of your insurance coverage in your vehicle at all times, because it is going to need to be provided if you encounter law enforcement, if it is involved in a collision, or when you renew your vehicle’s registration. Insurance companies in California must also report private-use vehicle insurance information to the DMV electronically, and legal action could be taken if the vehicle is not insured. 

At a minimum, you must have insurance that covers $15,000 for injury/death to one person, $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person, and coverage for $5,000 for damage to property. Any policy you purchase must have at least that amount of coverage. Comprehensive or collision insurance alone won’t meet the insurance responsibility requirements as indicated in California law. Furthermore, and this is an important point to remember: if you cancel one policy and get another, you must notify the DMV to prevent the suspension of your registration. 

If purchasing such an insurance plan is a major hardship for you, it is possible that you may be eligible for the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program. If you would like to take a deeper look at the California car insurance requirements, we encourage you to peruse the California DMV page.