Minimum coverage checker
Two questions decide what "cheapest legal" means for you: do your limits meet California's minimum, and could your household use the state's own low-cost program instead? This page answers both, using the numbers in the law.
1. Do my limits meet the minimum?
Your ID card or declarations page shows three numbers, usually written like 30/60/15 (in thousands of dollars).
2. Could I qualify for Low Cost Auto?
The minimum, number by number
California's financial-responsibility minimum is written into Vehicle Code 16430: $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for injury or death in one accident, and $15,000 for damage to other people's property. The DMV also accepts three alternatives to a policy — a $75,000 deposit, a $75,000 surety bond, or a self-insurance certificate — and insurers report your coverage to the DMV electronically (DMV insurance requirements).
The state's own low-cost option
California runs a Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program inside the state's assigned risk plan (Insurance Code 11629.7). Eligibility is set out in section 11629.73: household income no higher than 250 percent of the federal poverty level; age 16 or older with three years of continuous licensing (newer drivers may qualify with a surcharge); no more than one of either an at-fault property-damage accident or a point in three years; no at-fault injury accident in three years; no felony or misdemeanor Vehicle Code conviction; and a rule for students claimed as dependents.
Whether the program or a standard minimum policy costs less depends on your county and your record, so it is worth pricing both.
Sources (official)
- California Vehicle Code section 16430 (the 30/60/15 minimum)
- California DMV — Insurance requirements
- California Insurance Code section 11629.7 (the Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program)
- California Insurance Code section 11629.73 (who is eligible)
- California Insurance Code section 11629.72 (surcharges and the payment plan)
- California Insurance Code section 11629.74 (how to apply)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — 2026 poverty guidelines
- California DMV Driver Handbook — Low-cost insurance (program website and phone)
The income estimate uses the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states; the program confirms income with your documents and may use its own table. This is general information, not an eligibility decision.
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What is the minimum car insurance in California?
30/60/15: $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage (Vehicle Code section 16430, in effect since January 1, 2025).
Who qualifies for California's Low Cost Auto Insurance Program?
Among other rules in Insurance Code section 11629.73: household income no higher than 250 percent of the federal poverty level, age 16 or older, and a driving record with no more than one at-fault property-damage accident or one point in three years and no at-fault injury accident.
Can a new driver get Low Cost Auto insurance?
Possibly. The eligibility rule asks for three years of continuous licensing, but a driver with less may qualify with a surcharge under Insurance Code section 11629.72(a).
How do I apply for the Low Cost Auto program?
Through an insurance producer certified by the program, with documents that confirm your household income (Insurance Code section 11629.74).