How to get car insurance in California
If you are a driver in California, insuring your car is not an option, it is a duty that the state will require you to meet and for which you should be more than prepared.
Whether in California or anywhere in the United States, the law is very specific when it comes to car insurance: you must have one. In this state, the government's greatest interest is that you can meet this essential requirement in the record of every responsible driver, so it offers a lot of advice and information so you can insure your car the right way.
If you are beginning this search that many consider complicated, the first thing you should know is that the state requires insurance companies to offer a discount of up to 20% to those drivers with a clean record. In that sense, if you do not have any incident within your record as a driver, you already have a point in your favor.
Another important piece of information is the fact that the state does not require you to have full coverage insurance, this type of insurance is optional, but what is mandatory is that you have at least civil liability insurance, an option that is has become for many years the most affordable alternative. The minimum amounts acceptable for validity of this type of policy are $15,000 for injury or death of one person, $30,000 for injury or death of more than one person, and $5,000 for property damage.
Why should I insure my car?
Statistics show that all people at least once in their lives got into a traffic accident. The damage associated with these events can vary greatly depending on the circumstances, so the State of California is committed to ensuring that you are covered in these situations as a preventive measure.
If you are in or involved in a traffic accident, if you are caught using a mobile phone, or if your car is stolen, you must prove to the authorities that you have a valid insurance policy. To do this, you must present the card that the insurance company will provide you at the time of closing the purchase. It shows data related to your car: make, model, year of manufacture, safety class and cost. Some companies provide this card electronically through apps that can be downloaded to mobile phones and used anytime you need it.
If you are detained by the authorities and do not have at least civil liability insurance, the state will force you to pay a fine of $100 to $200 if this is the first time, and $200 to $500 if you ignored the first warning. You also risk having your vehicle impounded or having your registration suspended.
How to insure a car in California?
The law in California heavily favors the driver. Not only does it guarantee you up to a 20% discount on the purchase of insurance policies, but it also protects you with the existence of Proposition 103, a regulation that the state imposes on the prices offered by insurance companies. This law went into effect in 1988 and is a very important resource for becoming a smart insurance shopper. Thanks to this law, it is illegal in California for insurance companies to define the amount of your policy based on your bank details or data related to your income.
It is also important that you know that since 1999 the state has had the Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program (CLCA), an alternative in case you are a driver, need insurance for your car and your resources are low. You must be eligible to use this alternative and the requirements to be eligible are as follows:
.- You must have a valid California driver's license.
.- You must have a car whose value does not exceed 25,000 US dollars.
.- You must be at least 16 years old.
.- You must meet the requirements within the income range associated with this program.
With all this information under your belt, you already have a long way to go because you will be aware not only of your duties but also of your rights. It is advisable at this point in the process to consult the price of the policies in several insurance companies in order to make a decision about the plan that best suits your needs and income.
Keep in mind that if it is within your means, you can not only have civil liability insurance, you can also buy other types of insurance that cover not only damage to third parties, but also damage to your car or even keep you protected in case of theft, something that is very useful if you take into account that California is considered the capital of auto theft in the United States according to statistics.
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