California minimum car insurance requirements
The liability limits every California driver must carry - and why the minimum is rarely enough.
The current minimum limits
California raised its minimum auto liability limits under Senate Bill 1107, the Protect California Drivers Act, effective January 1, 2025. The required minimums are:
- 30,000 dollars for bodily injury or death to one person
- 60,000 dollars for bodily injury or death to more than one person per accident
- 15,000 dollars for property damage
These 30/60/15 limits are the current legal minimum for every California auto policy. The prior minimums were 15/30/5.
Future-law note: under Senate Bill 1107, California's minimum limits are scheduled to rise again to 50/100/25 effective January 1, 2035. See the bill text for details.
What 30/60/15 actually pays for
The three numbers are three separate buckets, not one pot of money. Each has its own cap, and the caps apply per accident.
| The number | What it is | What it caps |
|---|---|---|
| 30,000 dollars | Bodily injury, per person | The most the policy pays for any one injured person's medical bills and related claims |
| 60,000 dollars | Bodily injury, per accident | The most the policy pays for all injured people combined, no matter how many are hurt |
| 15,000 dollars | Property damage, per accident | The most the policy pays for the other party's vehicle and any other property you damage |
A worked example
Say you are at fault in a crash that injures two people and totals a late-model SUV. Person A has 45,000 dollars in medical bills; person B has 20,000 dollars; the SUV is worth 38,000 dollars.
- Person A is capped at the 30,000 dollar per-person limit, leaving 15,000 dollars unpaid
- Person B's 20,000 dollars is under the per-person cap, but A and B together (30,000 + 20,000 = 50,000) must also fit under the 60,000 dollar per-accident cap - here they do
- The SUV is capped at 15,000 dollars, leaving 23,000 dollars unpaid
That is roughly 38,000 dollars the policy will not pay - and the injured parties can pursue you personally for it. This is the core reason the legal minimum and an adequate limit are not the same thing.
How much does minimum liability insurance cost in California?
Minimum liability is the cheapest legal way to insure a car in California, which is exactly why drivers shop for it - but the price still swings widely by record, ZIP code, and carrier. As a 2026 reference, published studies put minimum-liability coverage in a typical range, with clean-record adults often paying below it:
Those are ranges to shop from, not quotes. A ticket, an at-fault accident, a DUI, or an SR-22 requirement moves the number up sharply, and non-standard carriers price the same record very differently - which is why shopping several markets is the single best way to lower a minimum-liability premium.
For the full picture - full-coverage pricing, cost by driver segment, and the official California sample-premium data - see how much car insurance costs in California.
Why the minimum is rarely enough
Minimum liability only protects the other party, and modern medical and repair costs can blow past 30,000 dollars quickly. If you cause a serious accident, you are personally on the hook for anything above your limits - your wages and assets are exposed, not your insurer's. The good news is that liability is one of the cheapest things on a policy to raise: moving from minimum limits to something like 100/300/50 typically costs far less than most drivers assume, because the catastrophic claims that drive the price are rare.
| Coverage | State minimum (30/60/15) | Recommended (100/300/50) |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury, per person | 30,000 dollars | 100,000 dollars |
| Bodily injury, per accident | 60,000 dollars | 300,000 dollars |
| Property damage, per accident | 15,000 dollars | 50,000 dollars |
| Covers your own injuries or vehicle | No | No - add UM/UIM, collision, and comprehensive |
| Typical effect on premium | The legal floor | A modest increase for far more asset protection |
For how to pick limits deliberately rather than by default, see our guide to car insurance coverage limits.
How California's minimum requirement compares
California's 30/60/15 requirement is higher than the bare-minimum limits in many states, and the 2025 increase was a large jump from the old 15/30/5 floor that had stood since 1967.
| Limit | Before 2025 (since 1967) | Now (from Jan 1, 2025) | Scheduled (from Jan 1, 2035) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury, per person | 15,000 dollars | 30,000 dollars | 50,000 dollars |
| Bodily injury, per accident | 30,000 dollars | 60,000 dollars | 100,000 dollars |
| Property damage | 5,000 dollars | 15,000 dollars | 25,000 dollars |
Because California now requires more than a low-minimum state, a policy written at the legal floor here buys more protection - and costs a little more - than a minimum policy elsewhere. It is still a floor, not a recommendation.
Coverage the minimum does not include
The state minimum is a floor for protecting other people. It does nothing for you. None of the following are part of 30/60/15:
- Collision - repairs your vehicle after a crash regardless of fault
- Comprehensive - theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, and weather
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) - pays your injuries when the at-fault driver has no coverage or too little; important given how many California drivers are uninsured
- Medical payments (MedPay) - small, no-fault help with your own medical bills
- Rental reimbursement and roadside assistance
If you have a loan or a lease, your lender almost always requires collision and comprehensive regardless of what the state requires. Minimum-limits liability will not satisfy a lienholder.
What happens if you do not carry the minimum
California enforces the requirement through the DMV and the courts, and the penalties escalate.
- A first offense for driving without insurance typically brings a fine plus substantial penalty assessments, and the vehicle can be impounded
- The DMV can suspend your registration if it has no record of insurance for a registered vehicle
- An at-fault accident while uninsured can trigger a license suspension and an SR-22 filing requirement to reinstate
- A lapse in coverage follows you into your next policy as a rate surcharge, often for years
If this has already happened, it is fixable - see driving without insurance in California and SR-22 insurance.
Proving you meet the requirement
Carrying the coverage and being able to prove it are two different obligations. California accepts an insurance identification card, either paper or electronic on your phone, and law enforcement and the DMV can also verify coverage electronically because insurers report active policies to the state. Keep proof in the vehicle and current - an expired card in the glovebox is a common and avoidable citation.
Frequently asked questions
What are California's minimum car insurance limits?
Currently 30,000 dollars per person and 60,000 dollars per accident for bodily injury, plus 15,000 dollars for property damage (30/60/15), following an increase under Senate Bill 1107 effective January 1, 2025. The prior minimums were 15/30/5.
When did California's minimum car insurance go up?
The 30/60/15 limits took effect January 1, 2025 under Senate Bill 1107, replacing the long-standing 15/30/5 minimums. Under the same law the minimums are scheduled to rise again to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2035.
Is liability-only insurance legal in California?
Yes. Liability-only meets the legal minimum, but it does not cover your own vehicle or injuries. Many drivers add collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage, and any lender or lessor will require collision and comprehensive.
What does 30/60/15 mean?
It is shorthand for the three liability limits: 30,000 dollars for injury to any one person, 60,000 dollars for all injuries in one accident combined, and 15,000 dollars for property damage in one accident. Each is a separate cap, and anything above them is your personal responsibility.
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage?
It is not part of the legal minimum, but given how many California drivers are uninsured, it is strongly recommended and often inexpensive. Insurers must offer it, and you have to decline it in writing if you do not want it.
What is the penalty for driving without insurance in California?
A first offense typically brings a fine plus penalty assessments, and your vehicle can be impounded. The DMV can also suspend your registration, and an at-fault accident while uninsured can lead to a license suspension and an SR-22 requirement.
Is the state minimum enough coverage?
For most drivers, no. A single serious injury or a newer vehicle can exceed 30,000 or 15,000 dollars easily, and you are personally liable for the excess. Raising liability limits is usually one of the cheapest improvements you can make to a policy.
What is the minimum car insurance required in California?
Every California driver must carry liability insurance of at least 30,000 dollars for injury to one person, 60,000 dollars per accident, and 15,000 dollars for property damage - written as 30/60/15. These limits took effect January 1, 2025 under Senate Bill 1107. Liability only covers harm you cause others, not your own injuries or vehicle.
How much is minimum liability insurance in California?
As a 2026 reference, published studies put minimum-liability coverage roughly in the 63 to 108 dollars a month range for typical profiles, with clean-record adults often around 40 dollars a month with a competitive carrier. Your actual price depends on your record, vehicle, ZIP code, and carrier, so shopping several markets is the best way to lower it.
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