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Car insurance companies charge more to insure drivers who are at a higher risk of filing a claim. The most common red flags for insurers are serious driving violations like reckless driving or a DUI, multiple tickets or accidents and even bad credit.

The average rate for high-risk car insurance in California is $3,049. High-risk drivers in California can expect to pay between $4,609 and $9,984 for car insurance depending on the reason for the rate increase.

The cheapest insurance in California for high-risk drivers is, on average, Mercury Insurance, however, it will vary based on your exact situation.

If you’re a high-risk driver, finding cheap car insurance in California will be more of a challenge. We’ve compared auto insurance rates for high-risk drivers from top companies to help you save.

Key takeaways

  • The average cost of high-risk car insurance in California is $3,049, but it varies depending on what’s on your record.
  • The average car insurance rate for a driver with a DUI in California is $2,920, while a driver with a reckless driving conviction pays $2,793 on average.

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in California

Rates will vary depending on what’s on your driving record, but on average the cheapest car insurance company for high-risk drivers in California is Mercury Insurance, followed by Progressive and USAA.

CompanyAvg Annual PremiumAvg Monthly Premium
Mercury Insurance$3,049$254
Progressive$3,650$304
USAA$4,017$335
Auto-Owners$4,347$362
Geico$4,391$366
Farmers$5,316$443
Travelers$5,571$464
Auto Club Entreprises (AAA)$6,063$505
Kemper Insurance$6,264$522
Nationwide$6,774$564
Allstate$8,938$745
State Farm$9,611$801
Hartford$10,349$862
CSAA (AAA)$11,941$995

Average rates for high-risk drivers in California by driving record

Average cost of car insurance in California for high-risk driver

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Company nameAverage annual premium

Cheapest car insurance with a DUI

A DUI will put you into the high-risk category quickly, and you can expect a big jump in your rates. Shopping around can make a big difference, however. The cheapest car insurance company in California for a driver with a DUI is Mercury Insurance with an average annual of $2,920 a year.

CompanyAvg Annual PremiumAvg Monthly Premium
Mercury Insurance$2,920$243
Progressive$3,559$297
Auto-Owners$4,014$334
Geico$4,014$335
USAA$4,645$387
Travelers$4,794$399
Farmers$4,844$404
Kemper Insurance$5,169$431
Auto Club Entreprises (AAA)$6,668$556
Nationwide$6,908$576
State Farm$8,557$713
Allstate$9,082$757
CSAA (AAA)$9,812$818
Hartford$10,565$880

Cheapest car insurance with multiple tickets

While a single ticket doesn’t mean you’re high-risk, multiple tickets will worry insurance companies more, resulting in higher rates. In California, the cheapest car insurance with multiple tickets is from Mercury Insurance. It offers full coverage insurance at $2,959 per year or $247 monthly.

CompanyAvg Annual PremiumAvg Monthly Premium
Mercury Insurance$2,959$247
Progressive$3,066$256
USAA$3,116$260
Geico$3,813$318
Auto-Owners$4,014$334
Auto Club Entreprises (AAA)$4,105$342
Travelers$4,393$366
Farmers$4,996$416
Kemper Insurance$5,169$431
Nationwide$5,230$436
Hartford$5,596$466
Allstate$5,860$488
State Farm$5,895$491
CSAA (AAA)$6,312$526

Cheapest car insurance with a reckless driving conviction

Reckless driving is a serious violation and indicates you drive in a very risky manner, which means higher insurance rates. In California, USAA offers the cheapest full coverage car insurance for drivers with a reckless driving conviction at $2,793 a year.

CompanyAvg Annual PremiumAvg Monthly Premium
USAA$2,793$233
Geico$2,886$240
Mercury Insurance$2,920$243
Progressive$3,251$271
Auto-Owners$4,014$334
Travelers$4,794$399
Farmers$4,844$404
Kemper Insurance$5,169$431
Auto Club Entreprises (AAA)$6,668$556
Nationwide$6,908$576
State Farm$8,557$713
Allstate$9,082$757
CSAA (AAA)$9,812$818
Hartford$10,565$880

Data is sourced from the Auto Problems Report 2022 for all states including Washington D.C. The rates are based on the driving profile of a 40-year-old male driver who drives a Honda Accord LX and opts for a full-coverage policy with coverage limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible across most ZIP codes with 50,00,736 records from 27 companies.

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