After thoroughly evaluating 24 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:
Travelers: Best insurance company overall.
GEICO: Best for affordability.
Mapfre: Best for having few customer complaints.
State Farm: Best for ease of use.
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Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.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 in that category.
Best overall
Travelers
Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy.- Received fewer customer complaints than expected for auto insurance.
- Lots of coverage options for auto insurance.
- One of the largest insurance providers in the nation.
- Rideshare insurance is not available in California.
Why it's the best:
Out of 24 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, like customer complaints, discounts available, and ease of use.
Read our Travelers auto insurance review to see why this insurer came out on top.
» MORE: The best car insurance companies
Best budget pick
GEICO
With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, GEICO is a popular, and often affordable, choice for car insurance.- Robust website and mobile app.
- Many discounts available.
- Doesn't offer gap insurance.
- Limited network of local agents in California.
- Below average customer satisfaction for auto insurance claims in a recent J.D. Power study.
Full coverage average annual cost
$1,291 a year
Full coverage average monthly cost
$108 a month
Minimum coverage average monthly cost
$20 a month
Why it's the best:
Out of the 24 companies we looked at to find the best car insurance in California, GEICO is the cheapest top-rated company. Our January 2025 analysis showed that the average rate for full coverage insurance from GEICO is $1,291 per year, or $108 per month for California drivers. (However, your rate may be different.)
Read NerdWallet's GEICO auto insurance review to learn why GEICO is one of the best auto insurance companies in California.
We don’t have data for every single company that offers coverage in California, so GEICO 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
Mapfre
- Website available in Spanish.
- A lot of coverage options and discounts.
- Far fewer than expected complaints about auto insurance to state regulators.
- Some coverage options may not be available to all California drivers.
Why it's the best:
Mapfre is the best California car insurance company 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 4.5.-star rating or higher.
You can learn more in our Mapfre auto insurance review.
Best for ease of use
State Farm
With generous coverage and discounts for good driving habits, State Farm is a popular insurer with fewer complaints compared to other large competitors.- Numerous discounts offered, including two programs — one for safe driving and the other for young drivers.
- Generous rental car and travel expenses coverage.
- Above average customer satisfaction rating for buying auto insurance among large insurers, according to J.D. Power.
- Doesn't offer gap insurance.
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 auto insurance companies in California
Out of all 24 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 |
|---|---|
USAA* | |
*USAA is available only to active-duty military members, veterans and their families. | |
» MORE: The best car insurance companies
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 more 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 |
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For more information about California car insurance, check out these articles: |
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.
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for 35-year-old men and women for all ZIP codes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Unless otherwise stated, our analysis was based on our base driver profile, which has the following characteristics and coverage levels:
35 years old
Single. Male or female.
2022 Toyota Camry LE
12,000 annual miles driven.
Good driving record and credit
No moving violations.
"Good driving" discount applied.
Good credit-based insurance score.
Bodily injury liability coverage
$100,000 per person. $300,000 per crash.
Property damage liability coverage
$50,000 per crash.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage
$100,000 per person. $300,000 per crash.
Collision coverage
With a $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage
With a $1,000 deductible.
- See characteristics for other driver profiles
For all other driver profiles, we used the same assumptions, with the following exceptions:
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit, based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash that happened six months ago, resulting in $10,000 in property damage and no bodily injury claim.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation that happened six months ago.
For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
For young drivers, we considered 20-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
For millennial drivers, we considered 40-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
For senior drivers, we considered 70-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
These are median rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider. Sample drivers had the minimum required coverage by law in each state. Some policies include additional coverage at the insurer’s discretion.
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. Poor credit rates from The Hanover were removed in both Connecticut and New York.
