3 minute readAuto
California's legal minimums (30/60/15) are far below the cost of a real accident. Most households should carry at least 100/300/100, and often 250/500/100 with an umbrella above it, because auto liability is where a single at-fault crash can reach your savings, home equity, and future wages.
What you need to know
What the numbers mean
100/300/100 is $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage.
Why minimums fail fast
One hospital stay or a totaled late-model SUV can exhaust $15,000 of property damage and $30,000 of bodily injury quickly.
Raising limits is cheap
Moving from minimums to 100/300/100 usually costs less per month than most people expect, because severe claims are rare but catastrophic.
Common mistakes
- Carrying California's minimum limits, which a single injury accident can exhaust.
- Declining or under-buying uninsured motorist coverage.
- Leaving a household driver off the policy.
- Filing small physical-damage claims near the deductible.
- Never updating mileage, garaging address or commute after a change.
When to talk to an agent
Talk to an agent before adding a teen driver, after buying a vehicle, after an accident or ticket, or any time you are not sure whether your liability limits would survive a serious at-fault crash.
Frequently asked
This article is general information, not a policy or a promise of coverage. What your policy pays depends on its specific terms, limits and exclusions. Ask us to review your actual policy before making a decision.