California Auto Insurance Requirements

All 50 United States have a mandatory minimum insurance coverage that is required by law if you are driving on public land, roads, or highways. These minimums are in place to help protect you and other drivers on the road. Each state government has their own opinion on what amount is right for the citizens of their state as well as what they will accept as proof of this minimum coverage.

California has a set minimum of $15,000 for personal injury or death, $30,000 for all injuries, and $5,000 property damage per accident. This amount of insurance coverage is mandatory for all of your vehicles. If you operate a vehicle without at least this much coverage then you could be penalized with at least a $500 fine and your right to drive on public road systems could be revoked.

The state of California has a grace period of 30 days after registration to show proof of insurance. If you do not adhere to this time restraint you could be facing a ticket for no less than $1,000 or your vehicle being taken to the impound lot. During the time when you are uninsured, you are personally liable for any damages that may occur in an accident. Law suites maybe filed against you by the other party involved in the accident for personal injury and/or property damage that occurred as a result of the accident.

All in all, it is much more cost effective for you in the long run to obtain at least the minimum insurance coverage required by law in the state of California. However, the minimum rarely covers all damages that are accrued due to an accident so it is highly recommended that you obtain more coverage than the minimum amount required by law in the state of California.