Alani es una escritora independiente especializada en finanzas personales. Su objetivo es hacer que los temas complejos sean más accesibles a través de contenidos divertidos y digestibles.
Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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The average cost of car insurance for a 17-year-old in California is $235 per month for a liability policy and $459 for a full-coverage policy, but this insurance rate won’t apply to everyone. When you compare insurance quotes, your costs will differ based on factors like your location, vehicle type, applicable discounts, and driving history.[1]
Read on to learn how companies price car insurance for teens and how to find the most affordable and best car insurance for your specific needs.
Quick Facts
Young drivers face higher car insurance costs due to their increased risk of accidents.
It’s usually cheaper for teens to stay on a parent’s policy than to buy their own car insurance.
Most insurance companies offer discounts to teens for good grades and safe driving behavior.
Cost of insurance for 17-year-olds in California
Car insurance for a teen driver in California can be expensive, especially if the teen doesn’t join their parents’ insurance policy.[2] If this is you, be aware that minors must get written consent from their parent or guardian to apply for car insurance on their own.
The table below shows the average monthly cost of coverage from different companies for 17-year-old drivers in California.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Wednesday, January 1 at 11:00 AM PST.
Insurance Company
▲▼
Average Monthly Quote: Full Coverage
▲▼
Average Monthly Quote: Liability Only
▲▼
Mercury
$339
$191
Sun Coast
$402
$160
USAA
$415
$206
Anchor
$483
$181
GEICO
$529
$263
Allstate
$612
$304
Farmers
$614
$305
Direct Auto
$627
$271
State Farm
$655
$326
National General
$656
$260
Bristol West
$672
$365
Travelers
$724
$358
21st Century
$739
$367
Nationwide
$941
$468
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cost of adding a teen to parents’ policy vs. their own policy
If you’re the parent of a teen driver, expect to see a significant premium increase when you add your teen to your insurance policy. Even though your cost will rise, adding teen drivers to an existing policy is usually cheaper than having them buy their own.
Unfortunately, if your teen gets into an accident or receives a moving violation, like a speeding ticket, your rates could jump even more.[3] To avoid this, ensure your teen is comfortable behind the wheel before letting them drive independently.
The table below compares the policy costs for parents with a teen driver, two parents without a teen driver, and a teen driver on their own insurance policy.
Drivers
▲▼
Liability Only
▲▼
Full Coverage
▲▼
Two parents + a teen driver
$296
$599
Two parents
$157
$317
Teen drivers on their own policy
$184
$372
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
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Factors affecting insurance rates for 17-year-olds in California
When calculating insurance rates, companies consider the likelihood of a driver filing a claim. The higher your risk of doing so, the more expensive your premiums will be.
Factors that affect insurance rates include the following:
Age
Insurance companies consider 17-year-olds to be new and inexperienced drivers. Less driving experience increases the risk of getting into an accident. For this reason, insurance companies raise rates for young drivers to offset the risk of paying a claim.
Gender
If you’re a male driver, you’ll pay even higher rates. Data shows that men are more likely to engage in reckless driving and get into a fatal crash than women.
Vehicle type
Your insurance premiums also depend on the type of vehicle you drive. Companies look at characteristics such as your car’s theft rates, repair costs, safety record, and safety features. In short, factors that increase your likelihood of filing a claim and the cost to repair your vehicle affect your premiums.
Geographic location
Insurers use factors like crime, weather risks, and driver demographics to determine premiums. Large cities like Los Angeles, for example, also tend to have higher insurance rates. Since more drivers are on the road, more crashes happen, meaning more claims and higher policy rates. In Los Angeles, teens pay nearly three times more for insurance than the average teen in California.
Driving record
Drivers with moving violations on their record, like an at-fault accident or DUI, experience elevated insurance prices. Insurance companies see moving violations as significant risk factors, indicating a higher likelihood of the driver filing a claim in the future. In contrast, insurance companies offer drivers with clean driving records lower rates. You may even score a discount by participating in your insurance company’s safe driving program.
Coverage type
Finally, your policy choices will influence your costs. In general, the more coverage you buy, the more you’ll pay. For example, if you purchase only the minimum liability coverage required in California, your insurance will be cheaper than a full-coverage policy for your vehicle.
The best way to get cheap car insurance without sacrificing coverage is through discounts. Many companies offer savings for young drivers. Teen drivers can save money on their insurance by earning good grades, completing a defensive driving course, and bundling policies.
Comparing teen driver rates in California with other age groups
California teens pay more for car insurance than older age groups. Take a look at the table below for the cost of car insurance for people of different ages in California.
Average Monthly Quotes by Age Group
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How to reduce insurance costs for 17-year-olds
Car insurance for 17-year-old drivers in California can get quite expensive. Luckily, you can still find cheap car insurance for your teen while getting the coverage you need.
Here are some ways to reduce your insurance costs:
Seek out good student discounts. Many insurers offer a good student discount, which can reduce the cost of car insurance by up to 15%. Companies typically classify “good grades” as a B average or higher.
Enroll your teen in a defensive driving course.Defensive driving classes teach drivers how to respond to potential hazards on the road and avoid an accident. Once your teen completes the course, you’ll likely earn a policy discount.
Choose a higher deductible. Higher deductibles usually lead to lower premiums. It’s important that you can afford to pay your chosen deductible up front if you need to file a claim.
Choose the right car. The cheapest cars to insure are safe and reliable and have lower repair costs. Before buying a vehicle, research how its characteristics might affect your insurance premium.
Bundle policies. Purchase one or more insurance products from the same company to earn a discounted rate on your policy. A common bundle is auto and renters insurance or auto and homeowners insurance.
Add your teen to your insurance policy. Since adults with clean driving records tend to have lower car insurance rates, adding your teen driver to your existing policy could save you money. This is especially true if the policy qualifies for other savings, like a bundling or multi-policy discount.
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Cost of insurance for a 17-year-old in California FAQs
If you’re a teenager living in California, you may see high rates on your policy. The following answers to frequently asked questions provide additional information on auto insurance costs for 17-year-old drivers in California and tips for finding cheap car insurance.
How much is insurance for a 17-year-old in California?
Car insurance for a 17-year-old driver in California is about $235 per month for a liability-only policy and $459 per month for a full-coverage policy, Insurify data shows. The cost of your policy will vary based on your location, driving record, vehicle type, and other factors.
What is the cheapest insurance company for a 17-year-old in California?
The cheapest car insurance company for a 17-year-old in California is Mercury, with monthly liability rates of $160, Insurify data shows.
Why is car insurance so expensive for a 17-year-old?
Car insurance is expensive for 17-year-old drivers because insurance companies consider them new and inexperienced. New drivers tend to be less comfortable maneuvering a vehicle and less familiar with the rules of the road.
This lack of experience means a higher likelihood that a teen driver will cause a severe accident and file a costly claim. Insurers charge increased rates for teen drivers to offset their risk of paying more in claims.
Can a minor get their own car insurance in California?
Minors typically can’t get their own car insurance except in unique circumstances, and a parent needs to provide written consent. If you’re a minor and want to get your own car insurance, speak to your local California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office for more information.
Are discounts available for 17-year-old drivers in California to lower their insurance costs?
Yes. Many discounts are available for 17-year-old drivers in California to get cheaper car insurance. Car insurance companies offer discounts for good grades, safe driving, taking a defensive driving course, and bundling policies.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
NAIC. "Why Are My Insurance Premiums Increasing?."
Alani Asis
Alani Asis is a personal finance freelance writer with nearly three years of experience in content creation. She has landed bylines with leading publications and brands like Insider, Fortune, LendingTree, and more. Alani aims to make personal finance approachable through fun, relatable, and digestible content.
Alani has been a contributor at Insurify since January 2023.
Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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