Car insurance rates in California are traditionally calculated based on a driver’s age, auto make and model, driving history and other personal information. However, for high-risk drivers in California, car insurance rates may be higher due to their increased risk to an insurance company.

High-risk drivers include those who have two or more traffic violations, at-fault accidents, DUIs, poor credit scores or no prior car insurance coverage.

We have created this guide to make your search for car insurance for high-risk drivers hassle-free. It provides details on how auto insurance rates change based on infractions like speeding tickets, at-fault accidents and DUI convictions. It also reveals the cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers based on driving profiles in California.

Key Highlights
  • High-risk drivers have minor violations like speeding tickets or major violations like DUI convictions or lapses in insurance coverage.
  • Drivers in California pay 44% more for auto insurance for a ticket for driving 1-10 mph over the speed limit than without a violation.
  • If you are convicted of DUI or DWI in California, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase 177% more for auto insurance.
  • An at-fault accident increases car insurance rates by 67% in California, based on a data analysis by CarInsurance.com.
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Written by:
Prachi Singh
Contributing Writer
Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.
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Reviewed by:
Laura Longero
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Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Who is a high-risk driver in California?

Drivers of all age groups, those with or without experience, can be categorized as high-risk drivers by car insurance companies in California if they have minor violations like speeding tickets or major violations like DUI convictions or lapses in insurance coverage.

Car insurance rates for high-risk drivers by driving profile in California

The experts at CarInsurance.com have analyzed the rates for high-risk drivers based on driving profile for drivers with – speeding tickets, DUI offenses and at-fault accidents.

Here’s how each of the violations affect car insurance rates in California.

Speeding tickets

In California, car insurance rates increase based on the speeding limits you violate. For example, a driver who drives 1-10 MPH over the speed limit will pay 44% more for auto insurance than before having a speeding ticket.

California drivers with speeding ticket violations for driving 11-29 mph over the limit pay 42% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets. Whereas California drivers with speed violations of more than 30 mph will pay 42% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets.

Find out how much car insurance rates increase after a speeding ticket violation in California.

ViolationRates after speeding ticketRates before speeding ticket$ Difference% Increase
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit$3,167 $2,206 $961 44%
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over limit$3,135 $2,206 $930 42%
Speeding 30+ over limit$3,135 $2,206 $930 42%

Learn more: How much your insurance goes up after a speeding ticket

Cheapest car insurance companies in California for drivers with speeding tickets

In California, Mercury offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets at $2,335 annually. The car insurance rates offered by Mercury increase by $566 after a speeding ticket violation.

CompanyRates before speeding ticketRates after speeding ticket$ Difference% Difference
Allstate$2,285 $3,342 $1,057 46%
Auto Club Enterprises$2,259 $3,145 $886 39%
Auto-Owners$2,217 $2,578 $360 16%
CSAA$2,722 $3,450 $728 27%
Farmers$2,745 $3,876 $1,131 41%
Geico$1,596 $2,491 $894 56%
Hartford$2,596 $4,245 $1,650 64%
Kemper$2,402 $3,173 $770 32%
Mercury$1,768 $2,335 $566 32%
Nationwide$2,473 $3,767 $1,293 52%
Progressive$1,483 $2,845 $1,361 92%
State Farm$2,431 $3,696 $1,265 52%
Travelers$2,281 $3,400 $1,119 49%
USAA$1,619 $1,773 $155 10%

DUI offense

If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) or OUI (operating under the influence) in California, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase by 177% on an average, according to 2023 CarInsurance.com data analysis.

ViolationRates after a DUIRates without a DUI$ Difference% Difference
DUI/DWI first offense$6,111 $2,206 $3,905 177%
DUI/DWI second offense$9,984 $2,206 $7,778 353%

Here’s how much your insurance goes up after a DUI

Cheapest car insurance companies in California for drivers with a DUI

Mercury offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI at $2,920 per year, in California. The rate increases by $1,151 after getting a DUI offense on your driving history.

The second cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers with DUI is offered by Progressive at $3,559 a year.

See below for the auto insurance premiums offered by companies in California for drivers with a DUI.

CompanyRates before DUI offenseRates after 1st DUI offenseRates after 2nd DUI offense
Allstate$2,285$9,082$12,284
Auto Club Enterprises$2,259$6,668$8,338
Auto-Owners$2,217$4,014$5,059
CSAA$2,722$9,812$27,455
Farmers$2,745$4,844$5,949
Geico$1,596$4,014$5,687
Hartford$2,596$10,565$17,173
Kemper$2,402$5,169$7,907
Mercury$1,768$2,920$2,959
Nationwide$2,473$6,908$8,959
Progressive$1,483$3,559$4,336
State Farm$2,431$8,557$18,326
Travelers$2,281$4,794$9,223
USAA$1,619$4,645$6,116

At-fault accident

After an at-fault collision, your car insurance premiums could spike in California – unless you’ve added endorsements like accident forgiveness to your coverage.

According to a 2023 rate analysis by CarInsurance.com, on average, after an at-fault accident, car insurance rates increase by 67%.

However, there are states where car insurance companies provide coverage to the policyholder regardless of who was responsible for the collision or cover the medical expenses of the other driver. They are referred to as no-fault states and tort states.

Learn more: How much does car insurance go up after an accident?

Cheapest car insurance companies in California for drivers with at-fault accidents

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident, Auto-Owners is your best bet. It offers insurance at $2,603 per year.

CompanyRates before an at-fault accidentRates after an at-fault accident
Allstate$2,285 $4,994
Auto Club Enterprises$2,259 $3,384
Auto-Owners$2,217 $2,603
CSAA$2,722 $3,450
Farmers$2,745 $3,876
Geico$1,596 $2,877
Hartford$2,596 $5,764
Kemper$2,402 $5,169
Mercury$1,768 $3,058
Nationwide$2,473 $3,617
Progressive$1,483 $3,066
State Farm$2,431 $3,814
Travelers$2,281 $3,761
USAA$1,619 $2,255

Reckless driving

Reckless driving is a grave offense with serious consequences. Unlike other traffic violations, it is usually classified as a misdemeanor. It carries severe penalties such as hefty fines or even imprisonment, depending on the state laws, according to Findlaw, an online legal information resource.

Compare the car insurance rates for drivers with and without a reckless driving violation in California.

ViolationRates after a reckless drivingRates before a reckless driving$ Difference% Increase
Reckless driving$5,876 $2,206 $3,670 166%

Cheapest car insurance companies in California for a reckless driving violation

CompanyRates before a reckless driving violationsRates after a reckless driving violations
Allstate$2,285 $9,082
Auto Club Enterprises$2,259 $6,668
Auto-Owners$2,217 $4,014
CSAA$2,722 $9,812
Farmers$2,745 $4,844
Geico$1,596 $2,886
Hartford$2,596 $10,565
Kemper$2,402 $5,169
Mercury$1,768 $2,920
Nationwide$2,473 $6,908
Progressive$1,483 $3,251
State Farm$2,431 $8,557
Travelers$2,281 $4,794
USAA$1,619 $2,793

Cheapest car insurance options for high-risk drivers in California

Use the calculator below to see the cheapest companies for high-risk drivers in California by violation.

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

Select your state and risk factor below to see the insurance company and its
average annual full coverage rates.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rate for At-fault bodily injury accident in California is $4,416
Show Graph View
Company Name Insurance Rates
Mercury $2,656
USAA $2,819
Progressive $3,066
Auto Club Enterprises $3,595
Geico $4,017
Travelers $4,211
Nationwide $4,521
Auto-Owners $4,634
State Farm $4,768
Farmers $4,844
Kemper $5,169
CSAA $5,523
Hartford $5,764
Allstate $6,242

How to lower your car insurance rate if you are a high-risk driver

There are ways to lower car insurance rates even if you are a high-risk driver.

Increase in car insurance rates for high-risk drivers: By driver profile

Resources & Methodology

Sources

Findlaw. “Reckless driving laws by state.” Accessed January 2023.

Methodology

Data is sourced from the Auto Problems Report 2022. 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 around 1500 ZIP codes with 50,00,736 records from 27 companies.

Note: In most states, USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with traffic violations, but it is only available to military members, veterans and their immediate families.

Laura Longero

Ask the Insurance Expert

Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

John McCormick

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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.

Leslie Kasperowicz

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Leslie Kasperowicz

Managing 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.

Nupur Gambhir

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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.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.