Find the Best Car Insurance Companies in San Diego, CA

How to choose a car insurance company in San Diego

On average, San Diegans pay about $86 per month for auto insurance, more than the national average of just over $900 per year. That more cars are stolen in the San Diego region annually than in much of the nation contributes to higher premiums.

ZIP code makes a difference in how much insurance companies charge in San Diego County. The average premium for a 40-year-old male driver with a liability-only policy is lowest near the border, in San Ysidro. The highest premium paid is in the 92093 section of La Jolla. Prices in the north county suburb of Carlsbad are lower than El Cajon in east county.

The state of California requires drivers to buy certain minimum liability coverage amounts. The California Department of Insurance provides detailed information about auto insurance requirements in the state, including a guide to coverage definitions. “Bodily injury” coverage applies to others whom you cause injury in an accident, and “property damage” refers to other cars, objects or structures you damage with your car.

Mandatory minimum liability coverage in California:

• $15,000 Bodily injury for one person per accident
• $30,000 Bodily injury for two or more people per accident
• $5,000 Property damage per accident

Nevertheless, about 15 percent of California drivers were uninsured in 2015, ranking the state 12th in the nation. While coverage for a collision with an uninsured motorist is not mandatory, insurance companies offer and highly recommend it.

SANDAG reported that San Diego residents drove 7.6 billion miles in 2016. With roughly 3,000 miles of roadways and commute times increasing with more cars on the road throughout the county, auto insurance is a necessary component of vehicular safety.

Furthermore, weather can change dramatically when heading from western parts of the county near the coast to higher mountain elevations in the east. The California Department of Transportation keeps drivers up to date on road conditions to help avoid hazards and determine what precautions to take when driving.