You will need car insurance on your motor vehicle to register it in California but you will also need to continue to carry the minimum required state limits of auto insurance on the vehicle to keep it registered with the state and drive it legally.

California insurance law requires you to show proof of insurance when registering or renewing registration on a vehicle and then continue to carry the auto insurance coverage. If you were to get insurance just to register the vehicle and then cancel it, your registration would be suspended once the California DMV found out that insurance was no longer in effect.

The purpose of the CA Compulsory Financial Responsibility Law is to ensure that drivers and owners of vehicles are financially responsible for any damage or injury caused by a traffic accident, regardless of fault, and to remove financially irresponsible drivers from the highways (California Vehicle Code [CVC] 16000-16078).

You must maintain evidence of financial responsibility as specified by law if:

• You drive a motor vehicle, whether you own it or not.
• You own a motor vehicle, whether you drive it or not, but allow others to drive it.

The minimum liability insurance coverage required for private passenger vehicles in California per accident is $35,000 and is defined by the following levels of coverage:

• $15,000 for injury/death to one person.
• $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person.
• $5,000 for damage to property.

Existing CA law requires that evidence of financial responsibility be carried in your vehicle at all times. If you are uninsured at the time of an accident, DMV will also suspend your driving privilege. So make sure to acquire and keep the proper insurance for your vehicle. To get started you can get an affordable auto insurance rate for the minimum required insurance for a California registered vehicle.