As you shop for affordable auto insurance, make sure youâ're hitting the legal requirements.
Auto insurance is a good idea for a number of reasons. It protects you against unexpected expense out on the road, but it also protects you from some pretty serious penalties. In California, as in most states, drivers are legally required to carry liability insurance. Itâ's important to find out if youâ're hitting the legal requirements with your affordable auto insurance.
In the state of California, the law requires that drivers carry bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. Just buying any dollar amount of this protection isnâ't enough. To comply with the law, youâ'll need to have:
- $15,000 of bodily injury liability coverage for an individual you harm in an accident
- $30,000 of bodily injury liability coverage for the whole accident
- $5,000 of property damage liability coverage for any property you affect
In the insurance world, youâ'll most commonly see this expressed as 15/30/5.
This might sound like a lot of coverage, but itâ's actually not! Only Florida and Ohio have lower minimum coverage requirements. (Thatâ's not to mention New Hampshire, which doesnâ't require any auto insurance at all.) If youâ're concerned about shelling out for this coverage, be grateful you donâ't live in Alaska or Maine – where the minimum coverage requirements are 50/100/25 – or Wisconsin – where youâ'll need to hit 50/100/15.
While the required coverage varies from state to state, itâ's important you know your stateâ's law and comply. In California, your first offense for being caught without insurance will land you with a fine of $100-200. A second offense will cost you $200-500. Much better to meet the legal requirements and avoid this expense!
Now that you know how much liability coverage you need, you can confidently shop for affordable
auto insurance. To compare rates from multiple insurers,Â
contact Cook, Disharoon & Greathouse, Inc. in Oakland, California. Our team of independent insurance agents can make sure you get enough coverage and get a great rate.
