Guide · California auto
California auto insurance minimum requirements (2026)
California raised the minimum liability from 15/30/5 to 30/60/15 on January 1, 2025. The new floor is higher than the old one. It's still not enough for most households. Here's the breakdown, the legal basis, and why we usually recommend higher.
The numbers
What 30/60/15 means
California Vehicle Code §16056 (effective January 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 1107) sets the minimum auto liability at:
- $30,000 bodily injury per person
- $60,000 bodily injury per accident
- $15,000 property damage per accident
This is the legal floor. Driving without at least this much liability coverage is against the law. Driving with no coverage at all triggers the financial responsibility consequences under §16028 (citation, fines $450 to $1,000+ after court fees), and any at-fault accident while uninsured can lead to license suspension and a 3-year SR-22 requirement under §16070.
Why the limits aren't enough
What $30,000 of bodily injury actually buys in 2026
An ER visit for moderate injury in Orange County hospitals typically runs $15,000 to $40,000 before any surgery or extended care. A broken leg with surgery and rehab crosses $50,000. A multi-vehicle accident with one passenger hospitalized for a few days can exhaust the $60,000 per-accident cap inside the first week, and that's before lost wages, pain-and-suffering claims, or any out-of-state visitor involvement.
When liability limits are exhausted, the at-fault driver is personally liable for the remainder. In California, personal injury attorneys actively pursue plaintiffs' assets above the policy limit: home equity, retirement accounts, ongoing wage garnishment. Carrying minimum limits is essentially a bet that you'll never cause a meaningful accident. For households with any real assets, it's the wrong bet.
What we usually recommend
100/300/100 as the realistic floor
Our default recommendation for any household that owns a home, has savings, or runs a business is 100/300/100:
- $100,000 bodily injury per person
- $300,000 bodily injury per accident
- $100,000 property damage per accident
The premium difference between 30/60/15 and 100/300/100 is typically $15 to $30 a month (illustrative, varies by carrier and profile). That's a $200 to $400 a year decision protecting potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets. For households with $500,000+ in net worth, we add an umbrella policy of $1 million on top of the 100/300/100 for another $200 to $350 a year.
The other coverage parts
What 30/60/15 doesn't include
California minimum liability covers what you owe other people. It doesn't cover anything that happens to you or your car. Specifically, 30/60/15 by itself does NOT include:
- Comprehensive (theft, vandalism, weather, animal collision).Add this if your car's value is more than a few thousand dollars. Comp is usually cheap relative to claim payouts, especially in OC where catalytic converter theft on Prius and Honda Element is common.
- Collision (your car's damage in an at-fault accident). Worth carrying if the car is worth more than $4,000 to $5,000 in private-party sale. Drop it on older cars where the premium savings outpace the maximum payout.
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM). Per the Insurance Research Council 2023 study, 16.6% of California drivers carry no insurance. If the at-fault driver in your accident has no coverage, your UM/UIM is the only thing paying your medical and lost wages. We default to UM/UIM limits matching liability (so 100/300 UM if you carry 100/300 liability).
- Medical Payments (MedPay). $5,000 to $10,000 of immediate medical regardless of fault. Cheap ($5 to $10 a month) and covers deductibles and ambulance bills before health insurance steps in.
- Rental reimbursement. $30 to $50 a day for a rental while your car is in the shop after a covered claim. Skip only if you have a second vehicle in the household.
When 30/60/15 is the right answer
The rare cases where the minimum is fine
Minimum liability is genuinely the right choice in two narrow situations:
- California Low-Cost Auto Program (CLCA) eligibility. Households under 250% of federal poverty level can buy state-subsidized liability at 10/20/3 (lower than the standard minimum, specifically authorized by the program). For qualifying households, CLCA at around $250 to $500 a year is the most defensible path. Check eligibility at mylowcostauto.com.
- Zero assets, true judgment-proof.If you genuinely have no significant assets and no expectation of earnings to garnish, the math on higher liability changes because attorneys won't actively pursue what isn't there. This is rare and getting rarer as wages and home equity build over time.
Almost everyone else should carry more than 30/60/15. We walk through the math at intake based on your specific household.