California (CA)

Approved Carriers

Notes about state

• AIG

• PURE

• Cincinnati

California Car Insurance Requirements

California requires drivers to carry at least the following auto insurance coverages:

• Bodily injury liability coverage: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident minimum

• Property damage liability coverage: $15,000 minimum

• Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage*¹: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident minimum

• Uninsured motorist property damage coverage*¹: $3,500 minimum

*Uninsured motorist coverages may be rejected in writing

What is the California Deductible Waiver?

• If you carry collision coverage on your car, then you may be eligible for the California Deductible Waiver. With this waiver, your insurance company will pay the collision deductible on your car if an uninsured driver causes an accident.

California Registration Information

Your vehicle may be subject to California registration from the date of entry. Fees must be paid within 20 days from the date the vehicle entered California to avoid penalties.

You will need to:

• Complete an Application for Title or Registration (REG 343)

• Submit your out-of-state registration certificate

• Submit your out-of-state title (If you have it)

• Provide evidence of the California Smog Certification

• Provide an odometer mileage certification (If your vehicle is less than 10 years old)

• Bring your vehicle to a DMV office for verification of the vehicle's identification number. (For your convenience, we recommend that you schedule an appointment by calling your local DMV.)

• Pay the fees

• Commercial vehicles, including pickup trucks, may also require a weight certificate

Existing law imposes a use tax on a vehicle purchased outside of California and brought into California within 12 months of purchase. New legislation requires payment of use tax on a vehicle purchased outside California and brought into California within 365 days of the purchase date.

What do I do if I get a California 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 it plans 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.

CA Good Driver Car Insurance Discount

Good drivers deserve a break, and in California, those who meet certain criteria could receive a discount on their auto insurance premium. In California, a Good Driver is one who²:

1. Has verifiable license experience for at least the previous three years; or

2. Has been licensed in the United States or Canada for the most recent 18 months, which experience must be verifiable, and certifies the previous 18 months of license experience in any jurisdiction outside of the United States or Canada; and

3. Has not accrued more than one Department of Motor Vehicles point in the last three years. A point is usually assigned for a vehicle code violation or a "principally at-fault" accident³; and, if the driver was involved in a "principally at-fault" accident, it must not have resulted in injury or death; and

4. Has not had a conviction during the past ten years for specific driving under the influence (drug or alcohol) related driving offenses or specific felony convictions4.

California Good Student Car Insurance Discount

California drivers may qualify for a Good Student Discount, if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Have eight years or less of driving experience

• Are enrolled in a full-time academic home study program, high school, college, or university.

• Have at least a B average or its equivalent.

California Teen Driving Laws

If you're the parent of a teen who is getting close to the driving age, you and your teen should know that:

• 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 age 21. After that provisional period ends, they're granted full driving privileges.