The Best Car Insurance in California for 2024

Travelers scored as the best car insurance company in California overall, according to NerdWallet’s 2024 analysis.

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Written by Drew Gula
Lead Writer
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Edited by Ben Moore
Assistant Assigning Editor
Fact Checked

After thoroughly evaluating 21 insurance companies in California, NerdWallet’s editorial team has put together a list of the best car insurance companies. We based our ratings on important factors like coverage and discount options, affordability, customer satisfaction and financial strength ratings.

Here are the best car insurance companies in California:

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The best car insurance companies in California

Here’s our list of the best auto insurance companies in the state for different categories, plus what makes them the best.

Best overall
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Travelers

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best overall

Travelers

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it's the best:

Out of 21 eligible car insurance companies in California, Travelers earned the highest overall score. Our star ratings focus on some of the most common factors that could affect customer experience.

Read our Travelers auto insurance review to see why this insurer came out on top.

Best budget pick
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Auto Club of SoCal

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Auto Club of SoCal provides AAA-branded auto insurance in 20 states.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best budget pick

Auto Club of SoCal

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Auto Club of SoCal provides AAA-branded auto insurance in 20 states.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Full coverage cost per year, on average

$1,187

Full coverage cost per month, on average

$99

Minimum coverage cost per month, on average

$25

Why it's the best:

Out of the 21 companies we looked at to find the best car insurance in California, Auto Club of SoCal is the cheapest top-rated company. Our analysis showed that the average rate for full coverage insurance from Auto Club of SoCal is $1,187 per year or $99 per month for California drivers, according to NerdWallet's September 2024 analysis. (However, your rate may be different.)

Auto Club of SoCal is affiliated with the American Automobile Association, or AAA. Read our AAA auto insurance review to learn more.

🤓Nerdy Tip

We don’t have data for every single company that offers coverage in California, so Auto Club of SoCal may not actually be the best California car insurance provider for you. Compare car insurance rates from several companies to make sure which company is cheapest for you.

Check out NerdWallet’s analysis of cheap car insurance in California for a detailed breakdown of the most affordable insurers in your state.

Best for customer complaints
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Amica

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Low consumer complaints and a wide variety of policy perks and discounts make Amica a great choice for good drivers.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best for customer complaints

Amica

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Low consumer complaints and a wide variety of policy perks and discounts make Amica a great choice for good drivers.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it's the best:

Amica is the best car insurance company for California drivers when it comes to customer satisfaction, based on the low number of complaints to state regulators for a company of its size. This is based on a comparison across auto insurers in California with a NerdWallet 5.0-star rating.

You can learn more in our Amica auto insurance review.

Best for ease of use
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State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
With generous coverage and discounts for good driving habits, State Farm is a popular insurer with fewer complaints compared to other large competitors.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best for ease of use

State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
With generous coverage and discounts for good driving habits, State Farm is a popular insurer with fewer complaints compared to other large competitors.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it's the best:

State Farm is the best car insurance company in California for ease of use. State Farm customers can manage their policy and submit claims online, and the mobile app has excellent user ratings for both iOS and Android devices.

You can learn about more features in our State Farm auto insurance review.

Full list of the best car insurance companies in California

Out of all 21 car insurers NerdWallet analyzed, here is the full list of auto insurance companies in California that provide the best car insurance. Only companies with a NerdWallet star rating of 4.5 or higher were considered.

Company

Star rating

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

*USAA is available only to active-duty military members, veterans and their families.

How to get the best car insurance in California

Still not sure which company to go with? Try these tips:

  • Assess your needs. Evaluate your own needs and preferences before deciding on a car insurance company, since everyone’s needs are different. For example, one person might prioritize a company with strong customer service and a low-mileage discount, while another may prize affordability and a well-polished mobile app.

  • Do your research. While the companies on this page represent solid choices, you may want to explore other options. Whichever insurer you go with, make sure they’re financially stable, have few customer complaints and offer the coverage you need at a competitive price. You can also check out our full list of auto insurance reviews.

  • Consider small insurance companies. Small, regional insurers may provide a better price and customer service than the big companies you see advertised on TV. You might have to recruit the help of a local independent car insurance agent to find them.

  • Shop around once a year. Make a practice of shopping for car insurance quotes about once a year — especially if price is important to you. Insurers adjust car insurance rates regularly, so a company that gave you the best rate last year might no longer be a bargain this year. Be sure to get quotes from at least three insurers, and for the most accurate comparison, use the same or similar coverage options and deductibles while shopping around.

Learn more about California car insurance

How we found the best car insurance in California

NerdWallet’s editorial team considered pricing, discounts, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more to determine the best car insurance companies in California. Our “ease of use” category includes factors such as website transparency and how simple it is to file a claim. As we continue to evaluate more insurance providers and receive fresh market data, our list of best car insurance companies is likely to change over time. In our list of the best insurers in the state, we only include insurance companies that have achieved a minimum NerdWallet star rating of 4.5.

Methodology

Auto insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.

Here’s how we evaluated each car insurance company in 2024 and the weights we placed on each category:

  • Financial strength (30%).

  • Consumer complaints (30%).

  • Ease of use (20%).

  • Affordability (20%).

The best auto insurers excel at all of these categories. They provide the information people need to make a purchase without any surprises along the way. They offer insurance at a fair price and provide more than one way to buy and manage a policy. They're financially strong and able to keep their customers happy throughout the relationship.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

Average rates methodology

NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.

In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.

These are median rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.

Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.

  • $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.

  • $50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.

  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.

  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.

  • Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.

  • Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.

In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

  • For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.

  • For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.

  • For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken-driving violation.

  • For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.

We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for 35-year-old drivers.

These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.

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