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California Car Insurance for Bad Credit Drivers
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Edited by John Leach | Reviewed by licensed insurance agent, Amber Benka
Last Updated March 9, 2022
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Cheapest Companies for Drivers With Bad Credit in California (2022)
For drivers with bad credit in California, it's important that you evaluate all of your potential insurance options to ensure you are finding the best rate. Comparing the right insurance companies will allow you to get the best possible insurance rate for drivers with bad credit.
To simplify comparing companies, Insurify has analyzed rates from top insurance providers in California. The following are the best insurance rates from carriers that offer car insurance for drivers with bad credit in California.
| Carrier | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Clearcover Inc | $92 |
| Anchor | $108 |
| Freedom National | $109 |
| 21st Century Insurance | $118 |
| Aspire General Insurance | $146 |
| Travelers | $146 |
| Mercury | $165 |
| Workmen's | $165 |
| National General | $166 |
| Dairyland Insurance | $186 |
Bad Credit Car Insurance in California
California has a reputation for being an easygoing, non-judgemental place. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, if you’re worried your poor credit will hike your car insurance rates, California is a “chill” state to live in.
State law prohibits insurance companies from taking your credit information into account when they’re setting your rates on auto insurance, so even though drivers with bad credit pay more than the average driver, it’s not because of their personal financial information.
California Car Insurance Rates for Bad Credit Drivers
Excellent$232
Good$259
Average$261
Poor$282
Insurify's comparison tool will help you make sure you're getting the best possible quote even with a bad credit rating. You can have peace of mind you're not paying any more than need to, and customers save $48 per month on average.
How Much Does Bad Credit Impact Car Insurance Rates in California?
Drivers with bad credit pay about 25 percent more than average in California, but since state law prevents these companies from discriminating based on credit, this is due to other factors.
California is on the expensive side when it comes to insurance rates, on average. In Massachusetts, where insurance companies are also prohibited from checking your credit to set your rates, drivers with bad credit pay the same as the average driver.
Avg. Monthly Cost - for Drivers with Good Credit$228
Avg. Monthly Cost - for Drivers with Bad Credit$297
$69 ▴
30.26% ▴
Monthly Impact of Bad Credit on Rates
Percent Bad Credit Impact Rates
Can I Get Car Insurance With No Credit Check in California?
In the Golden State, it’s illegal for insurance companies to discriminate based on your credit when setting car insurance rates, so Californians don’t undergo a credit check when shopping for car insurance.
For those with bad credit, this is a pretty lucky break. Insurance companies almost always take credit into account when it’s legal for them to do so, and only Hawaii and Massachusetts have similar laws to protect customers from discrimination.
California Car Insurance Rates by Credit Tier
On average drivers in California with Good and Average credit scores, typically pay between 11-12% more per month than drivers who have an Excellent credit rating. For drivers with Poor credit scores, on average they pay 22% more than those in the Excellent tier. But drivers across all tiers should take advantage of quote comparison tools like Insurify to ensure that they are getting the best insurance rate for their situation, regardless of credit tier.
| Credit Tier | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Excellent | $232 |
| Good | $259 |
| Average | $261 |
| Poor | $282 |
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Car Insurance Rates With Bad Credit in California Cities
Inland cities appear to be cheaper places to drive for those with less-than-excellent credit, as well as San Diego. Predictably, Los Angeles isn’t the cheapest place to be insured, but in Whittier, southwest of the city, you’ll pay a bit less.
| City | Credit Tier | Avg. Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Poor | $92 |
| Sacramento | Poor | $108 |
| Stockton | Poor | $109 |
| San Diego | Poor | $118 |
| Whittier | Poor | $146 |
| Fresno | Poor | $146 |
Tips for Researching Bad Credit California Car Insurance Rates
Insurance prices and policies can vary significantly between companies, and a large and growing state like California draws a wide variety of choices when factoring insurance rates for drivers with bad credit.
Insurify's rate comparison tool will help you make sure you're getting the best possible quote based on your needs and location. You can have peace of mind you're not paying any more than you need to, and customers save $585 per year on average.
Compare Top Auto Insurance Companies
Use Insurify for all of your car insurance comparison needs! Compare and connect directly with the top insurance companies to find the best rates as well as the most personalized discounts and coverage options. Insurify’s network includes over 200 insurance companies throughout the U.S. who can work with you to get you the right auto insurance policy at the cheapest price. See All Auto Insurance Companies
FAQs - California Car Insurance
There are many different factors that go into the how expensive your car insurance is. That said, some of the reasons why you could be paying so much for your insurance include: living in a state with high minimum insurance requirements, being a young or new driver, committing past traffic offenses like at-fault accidents or DUIs, and having a low credit score.
Auto insurance costs will vary between locations and insurance carriers, depending on the county California. Insurify analyzed the latest data for the five most populous cities in California to find you the cheapest quotes in each of these metropolitan areas.
The way to find the carrier with the best auto insurance ratings in California and save on your insurance premiums is to compare quotes from all companies in your area. Use a car insurance quotes comparison site like Insurify to compare up to 10+ real quotes for your specific driver profile and unlock savings and discounts. Rates can fluctuate greatly based on whether you're a safe driver or a high risk one, but you should never overpay. Insurify provides the cheapest car insurance quotes and companies in your area in just a few seconds.
During the past three years in the United States, national premium costs have risen an average of 4.5 percent annually. In states where quotes have risen, this figure has been 7.8 percent; and in those where rates have fallen, prices have decreased by approximately 6.0 percent. Individual rates by state will of course vary depending on the driver’s history and a multitude of factors.
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Methodology
The car insurance quotes displayed are based on an analysis of Insurify’s database of over 40 million quotes from 500 ZIP codes nationwide. To obtain representative rates, Insurify’s data science team performs frequent comprehensive analyses of the factors car insurance providers weigh to calculate rates including driver demographics, driving record, credit score, desired coverage level, and more.
Insurify’s analysis also incorporates the Insurify Composite Score (ICS) assigned to each insurance provider. The ICS is a proprietary rating that weighs multiple factors reflecting the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Ratings used to calculate the ICS include Financial Strength Ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
With the above insights and ranking methods, Insurify is able to offer car insurance shoppers insight into how various insurance providers compare to one another in terms of both cost and quality. Note, actual quotes will vary based on unique attributes including the policyholder’s driver history and their garaging address.
Content Writer at Insurify
Charlie Mitchell is a journalist, researcher, and writer specializing in personal finance subjects. He holds a degree from Middlebury College. His work can be found in Vox, Mother Jones, The New Republic, and other publications. Charlie uses his expertise in home, renters, and auto insurance subjects to help inform people to make better financial decisions. Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.