How Much Does Auto Insurance Cost for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in California?

This would be a much quicker read if we could simply give you the name of the one auto insurance company that is cheapest in California. It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are many unknown factors like where you choose to live in California, if you are married, the number of years you have been driving, and the amount of liability coverage you need, that all go into determining the rate you pay. This article will detail the best ways to maintain low rates and hopefully give you enough understanding to have a good start to your coverage search.

When shopping for cheaper auto insurance for high risk drivers, one of the many components used to establish auto insurance rates is where your home is located in California. Densely populated urban areas like Glendale, San Francisco, and Sacramento are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims generally pay less for auto insurance.

The illustration below rates the more expensive cities in California for drivers requiring a SR22 to buy an auto insurance policy in.

Premium costs are approximated as specific California garaging address can raise or lower insurance rates considerably.

The vehicle requiring insurance is one of the main factors when consumers are trying to find cheap auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 in California. Vehicles with economical engines, good safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models.

The list below estimates coverage premiums for a handful of the cheapest automobiles to buy insurance for.

Data assumes single male driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate information does not factor in specific zip code location which can revise price quotes significantly.

Based upon these rates, cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, and Ford F-150 should be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. The cost of auto insurance will tend to be more expensive just because there is more inherent risk for drivers requiring a SR22, but in general those models will most likely have the least expensive rates compared to all other vehicles.

Shopping around for budget auto insurance is not easy, and deciding which companies offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22 requires even more shopping around. Insurance premiums will most likely be much more than the average rate in California due to the potential for more claims related to offering insurance for high risk drivers, but reasonable coverage should be possible if you shop around. Each company uses a little different formula to set policy rates, so we need to take a look at the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in California.

It’s a good idea to be aware that California auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease your annual premium. Getting older, filing a claim, or getting a speeding ticket can trigger changes in premium resulting in some rates now being cheaper than competitors.

Best Cheap Insurance Rates for SR22 Drivers

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USAA has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in California at around $1,155 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the most economical California insurance companies.

In the rate table above, if you are a customer of Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might see an annual savings of upwards of $2. Drivers with Century National may save as much as $59 a year, and CSAA customers might lower prices by up to $79 a year.

Bear in mind that those premium estimates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and and are not calculated with a price increase for drivers requiring a SR22. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be shown in the above list. That is why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.

How accidents and violations affect rates

The obvious way to earn cheap auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 in California is to be a cautious driver and avoid tickets and accidents. The illustration below shows how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders can increase insurance rates for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

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In the example above, the average cost of car insurance per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,912. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,234, an increase of $322 each year. Now include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 jumps again to an average of $3,130. That’s an increase of $1,218, or $102 per month, just for a couple of infractions!

Should you buy full coverage?

Finding cheap auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 in California is the goal of most drivers, and one common way to buy cheap insurance is to only pay for liability coverage. The illustration below compares yearly insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.

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If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs $2,525 per year over and above liability only. Many drivers will wonder when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no set guideline for eliminating comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s replacement cost is $6,500 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would receive is $5,500 after paying your deductible. If premiums are more than $550 a year for physical damage coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.

Which auto insurance company is best?

When comparing rates for auto insurance for high risk drivers, four companies to consider are Allstate, Geico, State Farm, and Progressive. When added together, they make up over 48% of all policies written in the United States. The following table compares pricing and service ratings, plus some optional coverages that may be available in your state.