The numbers
What 30/60/15 means
California Vehicle Code §16056 (for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 1107, which also schedules a further increase to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2035) 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; under §16029 the fine for a first conviction is $100 to $200, plus penalty assessments added by the court), 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 happens when the minimum runs out
The minimum pays up to $30,000 for one injured person and $60,000 for everyone hurt in one accident. Hospital care, surgery, rehab, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering claims can add up past those caps, especially when several people are hurt.
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 varies by carrier and profile, so we quote both side by side and you can see it before you choose. For households with significant net worth, we also quote an umbrella policy on top of the 100/300/100. Umbrella prices vary by household and carrier; we quote it live.
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 replacing your car would strain your budget. Comprehensive is also what pays for a stolen catalytic converter.
- Collision (your car's damage in an at-fault accident).Compare the yearly collision premium and deductible with the car's private-party value. On an older car, the most collision can pay may not justify the premium.
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM). Per the Insurance Research Council data shows that many California drivers are uninsured. 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). Pays medical bills up to the limit you choose, regardless of fault. It can cover deductibles and ambulance bills before health insurance steps in.
- Rental reimbursement. Pays up to a daily limit you choose 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 at or below 250% of the federal poverty level can buy state-sponsored 10/20/3 liability through CLCA (lower than the standard minimum, specifically authorized by the program), at $199 to $986 a year depending on county and driver surcharges. For qualifying households, CLCA 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.
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