Here you’ll learn everything you need to know to buy the best car insurance policy in Los Angeles for your particular situation. You’ll see which carriers are rated as the best car insurance companies for customer satisfaction and what the average car insurance rates are for your neighborhood.
You’ll also discover how much you can save from knowing how to make smart choices about coverage. And, find out how rates for Los Angeles drivers are affected by tickets, accidents and adding teen drivers.
- The average car insurance rate for Los Angeles drivers for minimum coverage is $662 a year, according to Carinsurance.com analysis.
- The liability coverage in Los Angeles, CA costs $1,012 per year.
- In Los Angeles, full coverage car insurance policy costs $2,493 a year.
- As per Carinsurance.com research, in Los Angeles, comparing quotes from companies can help you save an average $2,030 on your car insurance rates annually.
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Los Angeles, CA?
We all know that the cost of car insurance varies depending on your individual needs. But how much does it actually costs? CarInsurance.com analysed major insurers including Geico, Progressive Insurance Company (Progressive), State Farm, Allstate Co. and others, to determine average Los Angeles coverage costs for different levels and types.
The average rate for Los Angeles drivers for a year of minimum coverage is $662 according to our rate analysis. If you increased your coverage to 50/100/50, you would pay just about $29.17 more a month, or $350 more a year.
You can get full coverage (100/300/100) by paying $152.58 more a month, or an additional $1,831 a year more than minimum-level coverage.
Average Auto Insurance Rates in Los Angeles, CAThe following data shows, what you can expect to pay for car insurance in Los Angeles, on average.
- State Minimum Policy: $662 per year
- Liability Coverage (50/100/50): $1,012 per year
- Full Coverage (100/300/100): $2,493 per year
Who Has Cheapest Car Insurance in Los Angeles, California?
United Financial Casualty Co and GEICO have the cheapest car insurance rates in Los Angeles, based on our rate analysis for three different coverage levels.
The driver profile is for age 40, with good credit and a clean driving record. You can see how major insurers rank for price in the chart below.
| Company | Liability Only – State Minimum BI/PD | Liability Only – 50/100/50 BI/PD | Full Coverage – 100/300/100 BI/PD – 500 Comp/Coll |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA Casualty Ins Co | $398 | $582 | $1,442 |
| GEICO General Ins Co | $410 | $696 | $1,750 |
| United Financial Casualty Co | $462 | $687 | $1,710 |
| CSAA Ins Exchange | $506 | $689 | $2,587 |
| Mercury Ins Co | $520 | $852 | $1,930 |
| Alliance United Ins Co | $586 | $978 | $2,404 |
| Travelers Commercial Ins Co | $614 | $912 | $2,946 |
| Hartford Underwriters Ins Co | $646 | $971 | $2,710 |
| Interinsurance Exchange | $687 | $995 | $2,817 |
| Allstate Northbrook Ind Co | $714 | $961 | $2,649 |
| Metropolitan Direct P&C Ins Co | $772 | $1,246 | $2,556 |
| California Capital Ins Co | $838 | $1,272 | $2,420 |
| State Farm Mutl Automobile Ins | $894 | $1,383 | $3,472 |
| Farmers Ins Exchange | $918 | $1,363 | $2,960 |
| Nationwide Ins Co of Am | $961 | $1,600 | $3,035 |
Who Has The Best Car Insurance in Los Angeles, CA?
Deciding who has the best car insurance to suit your needs depends on what is most important to you. For some it may be price, while others may value customer service the most. Still others may be looking for the convenience of mobile apps, or a company that offers the most car insurance discounts.
Below we list car insurance companies in Los Angeles, and who they are the best at serving, based on CarInsurance.com’s customer satisfaction survey of current policy holders and rate data analysis.
| Best for | Company |
|---|---|
| Claims | Esurance |
| Value/Price | Travelers |
| Customer Service | Geico |
| Websites/Apps | Safeco |
| Recommend | Geico |
| Low Annual Mileage | Farmers Ins Exchange |
| Good Student | AMCO Insurance |
| Bundle | Farmers Ins Exchange |
| Married | United Financial Casualty |
How Much Car Insurance do I Need in Los Angeles, CA?
Below we’ll explain what coverage you need to drive legally, which is your state required minimum liability limits, and what types of car insurance you may need to be truly protected.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Los Angeles, CA
California car insurance laws require only that you insure yourself against bodily injury and property damage liability, so it’s your choice whether to add coverage for yourself, your passengers, and your vehicle.
If you have a newer model car, it makes sense to get comprehensive insurance and collision coverage. In California, comprehensive costs $173 and collision costs $1,169, on an average per year, according to a rate data analysis done by CarInsurance.com.
These optional coverages come with a deductible. That’s the amount you pay before your insurance company pays. Typical deductibles amounts are $1,000, $500 and $250 – you choose which one you want. The higher the deductible is, the lower your rate will be.
The best car insurance coverage usually isn’t the cheapest. You may be used if you’re in an accident and your insurance doesn’t cover all of the damages. That means your home or savings could be in jeopardy.
To protect your assets, you should buy liability insurance in the following amounts:
- $1,00,000 to pay for others’ medical bills
- $3,00,000 to pay for injuries to others in an accident you cause
- $1,00,000 to pay for damage to others’ property
You should also consider buying these optional coverages:
- Comprehensive, which replaces stolen cars and covers damage to your car from floods, fire, hail, vandalism.
- Collision, which pays for damage to your car from accidents.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Los Angeles, CA & Save Money
You can save an average of $2,030 annually on a full coverage policy in Los Angeles by comparing car insurance quotes, according to CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis. While savings will depend on your particular circumstances, this shows that there is a significant benefit to shopping your policy.
Los Angeles, CA Car Insurance FAQ’s
How much does insurance go up after a speeding ticket in Los Angeles, CA?
A speeding ticket in Los Angeles will hike your car insurance rates by an average of 57% , or about $1,876 yearly. CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis shows how much more drivers in Los Angeles can expect to pay, on average, for speeding and other common violations.
Minor traffic violations, such as speeding, typically stay on your record for about three years, and you can expect to see the rate increase upon your policy renewal date. More severe infractions, such as DUI, typically stay on your record much longer.
How much does insurance go up for tickets in Los Angeles, CA?
Los Angeles drivers can expect to see a hike in their rates in the range of 56% for minor moving violations such as tailgating or blowing through a stop sign, 185% for more severe infractions such as DUI.
Below you’ll see how much rates increase, on average, for common traffic violations.
Remember, though, that because insurance companies assess risk differently, you can still save by comparison shopping, because one carrier may ding you a lot for a citation, while another may spike your rate by much less.
| Violation | Average rate | Rate after violation | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 speeding tickets 11 mph or over | $3,288 | $6,727 | $3,439 | 105% |
| Careless driving | $3,288 | $6,284 | $2,996 | 91% |
| Distracted driving ticket | $3,288 | $4,752 | $1,464 | 45% |
| Driving without a license or permit | $3,288 | $5,444 | $2,156 | 66% |
| Driving without insurance | $3,288 | $4,426 | $1,138 | 35% |
| DUI/DWI first offense | $3,288 | $9,999 | $6,711 | 204% |
| DUI/DWI second offense | $3,288 | $16,881 | $13,593 | 413% |
| Failure to stop | $3,288 | $4,694 | $1,406 | 43% |
| Failure to yield | $3,288 | $4,694 | $1,406 | 43% |
| Following too closely | $3,288 | $4,694 | $1,406 | 43% |
| Improper turn | $3,288 | $4,694 | $1,406 | 43% |
| Improper/illegal pass | $3,288 | $4,694 | $1,406 | 43% |
| Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing) | $3,288 | $9,626 | $6,338 | 193% |
| Reckless driving | $3,288 | $9,702 | $6,414 | 195% |
| Seatbelt infraction | $3,288 | $4,193 | $905 | 28% |
| Talking on cellphone ticket | $3,288 | $4,731 | $1,443 | 44% |
| Texting ticket | $3,288 | $4,731 | $1,443 | 44% |
How much will an accident raise my insurance in Los Angeles, CA?
An accident will increase car insurance rates by 67% to 163%, on average, for drivers in Los Angeles. When you file a claim for an accident that’s your fault, typically your car insurance rates will increase.
However, claims under your comprehensive coverage, if you have it as it’s optional, typically won’t trigger an increase. That’s because comprehensive claims are for damage insurers consider to be beyond your control, for instance due to hail, fire, flooding, falling objects or collisions with an animal.
The table below shows how much for drivers in Los Angeles can expect to pay for common car insurance claims.
| Accident | Average Rate | Rate after claim | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K | $3,288 | $5,488 | $2,200 | 67% |
| 1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K | $3,288 | $5,488 | $2,200 | 67% |
| 2 At-fault property damage accident over $2k | $3,288 | $8,657 | $5,369 | 163% |
| At-fault bodily injury accident | $3,288 | $6,428 | $3,140 | 95% |
How much does it cost to add a teen driver to your insurance in Los Angeles, CA?
In Los Angeles, adding a 16-year-old daughter to your policy will hike your rates by $3,482 annually, or 140% It’s more for boys. Insuring your 16-year-old son will increase your yearly rate by $3,482, or 140% according to CarInsurance.com rate data.
Teen drivers are inexperienced, and are involved in more accidents than older drivers, according to federal research, and insurance companies categorize them as high-risk drivers, so they cost more to insure.
If you’re insuring a teen driver of any age, you can get expert tips, more rate data by age and details from our “Parents guide to insuring a teen driver.”
How much is SR-22 insurance in Los Angeles, CA?
CarInsurance.com data show that for drivers in Los Angeles, your rate will go up by an average of $3,387 or 103%. If you’re convicted of a serious offense, such as DUI or reckless driving, you may be required to have your insurance company file an SR-22 form on your behalf.
An SR-22 is a car insurance company’s guarantee to the state that you are carrying the legally mandated coverage. If you are required to have an SR-22 filed, your car insurance rates will increase.
Los Angeles commuters
The average drive time for Los Angeles workers 16 and older to their job is 30.9 minutes, which is longer than the national average of 25.5, according to the U.S. Census.
The mean time calculated by the Census includes time spent waiting for public transportation, picking up passengers in carpools, and time spent on other activities related to getting to work.
Los Angeles freeways are known for its heavy traffic, but most people continue to drive by themselves:
- Drive alone: 69.7%
- Carpool: 9.11%
- Public transit: 8.94%
The data, compiled by Data USA, additionally showed that 3.43% of the workforce in Los Angeles are “super commuters,” meaning they drive an excess of 90 minutes to their job.
Los Angeles congestion
Los Angeles is perhaps as famous for its traffic congestion as it is for the famous people who live there. In an annual report conducted by INRIX, however, Los Angeles did drop from the top spot in 2017 to the fifth spot in 2018 on the “most congested urban areas in the U.S.” list.
Los Angeles ranked behind list-toppers Boston, Washington, DC., Chicago and New York City. According to the study, Los Angeles drivers spend 128 hours stuck in congestion per year.
That time in traffic costing you, too. Los Angeles drivers lost up to $1,788 per year due to congestion. That’s not as bad as Boston, which lost up to $2,291. However, it cost $9.3 billion to the city of Los Angeles in 2018.
The most congested corridor in Los Angeles? Interstate 10, between I-145 and I-110. The average delay time on that particular strip is 13 minutes.
Vehicle ownership
Compared nationally, Los Angeles households (and there are some 1.32 million) are within the average range for car ownership. The largest share of households in the city has two cars, followed by one car, according to recent statistics from Data USA.
Registered vehicles
In 2018, there were a total of 8,028,826 vehicles registered in Los Angeles County, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Of those:
- Autos: 6,479,206
- Trucks: 1,107,381
- Trailers: 283,930
- Motorcycles: 158,309
Mode of travel
A report for fiscal year 2015-2016 released by the Los Angeles DOT showed that of the Los Angeles city drivers, 76% traveled by vehicle or motorcycle, 17.6% walked, 5% took public transportation and 1.4% rode a bicycle.
Motor vehicle accidents/collisions
Los Angeles has been collecting and reporting its incidents of collisions and making the statistics publicly available since at least 2010. Crashes are on the rise.
Here are the number of collisions in LA during the time period period of Oct. 1-30, by year:
- 2013: 4,127
- 2014: 4,292
- 2105: 4,814
- 2016: 4,922
- 2017: 5,285
- 2018: 5,201
What month sees the most crashes? Here are the totals by month in 2018:
- January: 4,592
- February: 4,477
- March: 4,925
- April: 4,687
- May: 4,580
- June: 4,649
- July: 4,917
- August: 5,004
- September: 4,704
- October: 5,201
- November: 4,776
- December: 4,628
Traffic fatalities in Los Angeles
Of the 240 people killed in traffic collisions in Los Angeles in 2018, more than half were pedestrians. It was a slight decrease from the previous year, dipping from 134 to 127. The LA Department of Transportation said 3,400 were killed in a traffic collision on a Los Angeles street from 2003 to 2018. Nearly 1,100 of the victims were pedestrians.
Of the people killed in traffic collisions in 2018 (according to the LA Department of Transportation):
- Pedestrians: 127
- Bicyclists: 21 (up from 18 in 2017)
- Motorists: 69 (the most motorist deaths since 2010)
- Motorcyclists: 23 (down from 35 in 2017)
It’s notable that in 2016, the first full year that Los Angeles adopted and implemented the Vision Zero policy, 260 people were killed in traffic crashes. That was an increase of nearly 43% from 2015.
Los Angeles’s most dangerous intersections
A 2019 study compiled and published by Megeredchian Law collected vehicle accidents and injuries that occurred in 2018.
Here are the 10 most-dangerous intersections in Los Angeles:
- Roscoe Blvd. and Reseda Blvd: 35 accidents and 55 injuries
- Western Ave. and Florence Ave.: 25 accidents and 29 injuries
- Burbank Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd.: 25 accidents and 19 injuries
- Florence Ave. and Vermont Ave.: 24 accidents and 31 injuries
- Slauson Ave. and Western Ave.: 24 accidents and 21 injuries
- De Soto Ave. and Roscoe Blvd.: 23 accidents and 33 injuries
- Sepulveda Blvd. and Parthenia St.: 23 accidents and 30 injuries
- Balboa Blvd. and Rinaldi St.: 23 accidents and 30 injuries
- Tampa Ave. and Nordhoff St.: 23 accidents and 27 injuries
- Vermont Ave. and 8th St.: 23 accidents and 25 injuries
Vision Zero initiative
Several regions of California are known for having some of the worst traffic congestion in the country. That often translates into higher collision and accident rates.
Los Angeles joined nearly 200 cities across the country in becoming a Vision Zero city with the mission of “ending all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2035.”
A group of national organizations in 2014 originally adapted Vision Zero to establish a national strategy on highway safety referred to as Toward Zero Deaths (TZD). It focuses on data-driven topics, such as safer drivers, safer passengers, safer users, enhanced medical services, safer infrastructure and safer vehicles.
Los Angeles officially became a Vision Zero city in August 2015, but the city measures progress made related to the initiative starting in 2016, the fist full year it was in effect.
That same year, the LA-DOT launched its first iteration of the High Injury Network (HIN), which was based on collision data available from 2009-2013. The study found that while only 6% of Los Angeles’ street miles are on the HIN, nearly 70% of all deaths and severe injuries of people walking occurred within this network.
The Los Angeles Times reported in March of 2019 that fatal car crashes had risen 32% in the city since 2015, when LA joined Vision Zero.
DUIs
Los Angeles County made up nearly 22% of DUI arrests in California in 2015, according to the 2017 annual report (the latest available) of the California DUI Management Information System. Three counties (Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange) had more than 10,000 DUI arrests each that year, accounting for 37.4% of all arrests.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.8% of Californians report driving after drinking too much, which is in line with the national average of 1.9%.
Police reported that there were 4,635 arrests in Los Angeles in 2016 for drunk driving, down drastically from 2015, when it was 7,031. It’s notable that the numbers, which are reported by the California Office of Traffic Safety, show a decline from 2011, during which there were 8,163 DUIs issued to 7,989 in 2012. In 2013, it bounced up again to 8,217 and down to 8,095 in 2014.
A recent study by the Moll Law Group showed that a decline in drunk driving arrests in major cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, coincided with ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft. Arrests for DUI have declined in Los Angeles by 14% within the first two years that ride-sharing became available.
Los Angeles distracted driver law
California law prohibits cell phone use while driving, except in hands-free mode. The only exceptions are if you are driving on private property or use the phone to call for emergency services. Otherwise, it’s considered an infraction, and using a cell phone while driving can get you a $20 base fine for the first offense and $50 for the second.
In October 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 47, which puts into law a penalty for drivers caught texting or using a handheld cell phone by adding a point to the driver’s record. Personal injury attorneys Bisnar and Chase reported that starting on July 1, 2021, a point would be issued for any distracted driving conviction that occurs within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense.
Road test pass rate
Los Angeles drivers have a lower pass rates than many other parts of the state.
Road test pass rate data gathered from thousands of YoGov’s DMV customers for the past years across the Los Angeles County shows that Los Angeles drivers have a 41% pass rate. Compare that to surrounding areas — 30% in Santa Monica, 60% in Pasadena and 86% in Glendale.
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Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
Guide to car insurance (with rates) in cities of California