The minimum liability insurance required in California is $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Those limits, written in shorthand as 30/60/15, took effect on January 1, 2025, when Senate Bill 1107 doubled the previous minimums.1California Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance Guide Every driver must carry at least this much coverage. Driving without it is illegal and exposes you to fines, a suspended registration, and personal liability for anything your policy would have paid.
What Each Number Actually Pays For
Liability insurance pays for harm you cause to other people and their property. It does not pay for your own injuries or your own vehicle.2California Department of Insurance. Automobile Coverage Limits The three numbers in 30/60/15 describe three separate caps.
Bodily Injury: $30,000 per Person, $60,000 per Accident
This portion covers medical bills, lost wages, and related costs for people you injure. The $30,000 figure is the most the policy will pay for any single injured person. The $60,000 figure is the total the policy will pay across everyone injured in one accident, no matter how many people are hurt. If you injure three people and their combined costs reach $90,000, the policy pays $60,000 and the injured parties split that amount. You owe the remaining $30,000.1California Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance Guide
Property Damage: $15,000 per Accident
This portion covers repair or replacement of vehicles, fences, buildings, or anything else you damage. The $15,000 cap applies to the whole accident, not per item. A two-car collision involving a newer vehicle with sensors and cameras can produce a repair bill above $15,000 by itself.2California Department of Insurance. Automobile Coverage Limits
Why Meeting the Minimum Is Not the Same as Being Protected
The legal floor and the practical need are two different things. A single ambulance ride and emergency room visit can exceed $30,000. A multi-car accident with serious injuries runs past $60,000 before surgery or rehabilitation. When your policy pays its maximum, the injured person can sue you personally for the rest, which puts your savings, your home equity, and future wages within reach of a judgment.
Property damage tells the same story. The average new car in the U.S. sells for over $48,000, so a moderate collision can total a vehicle worth several times the $15,000 cap. Insurance professionals commonly recommend at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury, with $50,000 or more for property damage. The premium difference between minimum coverage and those higher limits is usually modest relative to the protection.
One boundary worth flagging: liability insurance only pays when you are the driver at fault. If an uninsured driver hits you, none of your liability coverage applies to your own injuries. That is what uninsured motorist coverage is for. California does not require it, but insurers must offer it, and you have to sign a written waiver to decline.1California Department of Insurance. Automobile Insurance Guide
The Minimums Rise Again in 2035
California built a second automatic increase into the law. On January 1, 2035, the minimums rise to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Policies issued or renewed on or after that date must meet the higher limits.3California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 16056 – Financial Responsibility If you are choosing between minimum coverage and higher limits today, the state itself treats 30/60/15 as a temporary floor.
Proof of Insurance in the Vehicle
Carrying the coverage is only half the requirement. You must also carry proof of it in the vehicle at all times.4California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 16020 – Financial Responsibility A paper card from your insurer works. So does the policy displayed on a phone or tablet, which California law specifically allows through a mobile electronic device with a display screen. If you hand your phone to an officer, they are legally limited to viewing your insurance information and cannot browse the rest of the device, and you assume the risk of any drops or damage.5California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 16028
Officers cannot pull you over solely to check insurance. But if you are stopped for any other reason and cannot produce proof, you can be cited even when you have a valid policy in force.
Penalties for Driving Without Coverage
Driving uninsured is an infraction, not a crime, but the money adds up quickly.
Fines
A first offense carries a base fine of $100 to $200. A second offense within three years runs from $200 to $500.6California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 16029 – Financial Responsibility Those base numbers are misleading on their own. California stacks state and county penalty assessments, surcharges, and court fees on top, and for most traffic infractions the total runs roughly four to five times the base.7California Courts. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules A $100 base fine can push past $480, and a maximum second-offense fine can top $2,000.
Registration Suspension
Separate from any traffic stop, the DMV monitors insurance status electronically. Your registration can be suspended in three situations:
- You do not submit proof of insurance within 30 days of receiving a registration card.
- Your insurer notifies the DMV that your policy was cancelled and you do not provide a replacement within 45 days.
- You submitted invalid or fraudulent insurance information to register the vehicle.
Once suspended, driving the vehicle is illegal. Reinstating registration requires proof of a current policy and a $14 reinstatement fee.8California Department of Motor Vehicles. Suspended Registration Reinstatement The fee is small; the risk of additional citations for driving a suspended vehicle during the lapse is not.
SR-22 After Certain Suspensions
If your license is suspended for a DUI, an at-fault accident while uninsured, or enough violations to be classified as a negligent operator, the DMV will require an SR-22 before reinstating your driving privilege. The SR-22 is not a policy. It is a form your insurer files with the DMV certifying that you carry at least the state minimum liability coverage.
You generally must keep the SR-22 on file for three years. If your policy lapses during that period, your insurer notifies the DMV and your license is suspended again. Insurers typically charge $15 to $50 to file the form, and the DMV charges a $125 reissue fee to restore your driving privilege.9California Department of Motor Vehicles. Suspensions The larger cost is the premium itself, since being classified as high-risk often doubles or triples your rate for as long as the filing is required.
If You Cannot Afford Standard Premiums
California runs the Low Cost Auto Insurance Program for income-eligible drivers. It provides liability coverage that meets the state minimum at reduced rates and keeps you legal on the road.10California Department of Insurance. California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program Eligibility depends on income, and applications go through the California Department of Insurance. For drivers who genuinely cannot afford a standard policy, it is the alternative to driving uninsured.