If you drive in California, you must be able to show financial responsibility for any damage you cause. For most drivers that means carrying liability insurance. California raised its minimum limits in 2025, so if you have not reviewed your policy recently, now is the time to understand the California minimum car insurance requirements.
The Current Minimum: 30/60/15
Since January 1, 2025, California requires at least:
- $30,000 for injury or death of one person.
- $60,000 for injury or death of more than one person in an accident.
- $15,000 for damage to someone else’s property.
Before 2025 the minimum was 15/30/5, one of the lowest in the country. If your policy was written under the old limits, your insurer should have updated it at renewal, but it is worth confirming.
What Liability Insurance Covers and What It Does Not
Liability pays for injuries and property damage you cause to other people. It does not pay for repairs to your own car, your own medical bills or theft of your vehicle. For that you need coverages such as collision, comprehensive and medical payments.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in California
Driving without proof of insurance can lead to fines, having your vehicle impounded and a suspended license, especially if you are involved in an accident. The costs of an uninsured accident, including lawsuits for medical bills, can be far higher than a year of coverage.
Is the Minimum Enough?
Usually not. A single emergency room visit or a multi-car accident can exceed $30,000 quickly, and anything above your limits can be claimed against you personally. Many drivers choose higher limits such as 100/300/100, plus uninsured motorist coverage, which protects you if the other driver has no insurance.
Coverages Worth Considering
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist: protects you when the at-fault driver has little or no insurance.
- Collision: repairs your car after an accident, regardless of fault.
- Comprehensive: covers theft, vandalism, fire and weather damage.
- Medical payments: helps with medical bills for you and your passengers.
- Roadside assistance and rental reimbursement.