Liability-only car insurance in California pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people, and since January 1, 2025 the legal minimum is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage (30/60/15). It does not repair your own car. Via Rapida Services quotes liability-only policies from multiple carriers, with the 6-month total in writing. Call 209-670-1556.
Liability-only car insurance is a policy that carries just the coverage California law requires: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. It pays other people when you are at fault in an accident, for their injuries and for damage to their car or property, up to your limits. It does not pay to repair or replace your own car.
Definition: liability means your legal responsibility for harm you cause to others. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) auto guide puts it plainly: liability coverage "does not pay for injuries to you or the people in your household." Coverage for your own car comes from collision and comprehensive, which together are what most people call "full coverage."
The California minimum is 30/60/15: $30,000 for injury or death of one person, $60,000 total for injury or death of two or more people in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage. It took effect January 1, 2025 under Senate Bill 1107 (2022) and Vehicle Code §16056, replacing the 15/30/5 minimum that had been in place for decades.
| Policies issued or renewed | Injury, one person | Injury, per accident | Property damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before January 1, 2025 | $15,000 | $30,000 | $5,000 |
| January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2034 | $30,000 | $60,000 | $15,000 |
| From January 1, 2035 | $50,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 |
Source: California Vehicle Code §16056. The per-accident limit is shared: per the CDI guide, if two or more people are hurt, the policy pays up to $60,000 in total "and the injured people share the money." Anything above your limits can be claimed against you personally.
Liability-only covers the other driver's medical bills, their car repairs, and damage you cause to property such as a fence or a building, up to your limits, plus the cost of defending you if they sue. It does not cover your own car, your own injuries, theft, vandalism, glass, towing or a rental car unless you add those coverages.
| Situation | Liability-only | With collision + comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You rear-end someone; their car and medical bills | Covered up to your limits | Covered up to your limits |
| Repairs to your own car after a crash you caused | Not covered | Collision pays, minus deductible |
| Your car is stolen or vandalized | Not covered | Comprehensive pays, minus deductible |
| An uninsured driver hits you and injures you | Only if you kept uninsured motorist coverage | Only if you kept uninsured motorist coverage |
| A cracked windshield | Not covered | Usually comprehensive |
For a side-by-side on cost and which one fits, see full coverage vs. liability-only in California.
Liability-only usually fits a driver whose car is paid off, is worth little compared with the cost of collision and comprehensive, and who could replace or repair the car out of pocket. If your car is financed or leased, your lender or leasing company will normally require collision and comprehensive, so liability-only is usually not an option until the car is paid off.
Usually yes. California insurers must offer uninsured motorist coverage, and you can only turn it down by signing a written waiver, according to the CDI auto guide. Uninsured motorist bodily injury pays for injuries to you and your passengers when an at-fault driver has no insurance, up to the limits you choose.
If you drop collision, the CDI guide also suggests asking about uninsured motorist property damage, which pays for damage to your car when an identified uninsured driver is at fault; the CDI guide lists its limit as $3,500. Liability-only protects other people; uninsured motorist coverage is the piece that protects you.
Yes. An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files electronically with the California DMV to prove you carry at least the minimum liability coverage. Liability-only at 30/60/15 meets that requirement. If you do not own a car, a non-owner policy can carry the SR-22. The DMV sets how long the filing must stay on record for your case.
Via Rapida Services files SR-22s for California drivers, often the same day the policy is bought. Read more: SR-22 insurance in California, what an SR-22 costs, and non-owner car insurance.
Driving without proof of insurance is an infraction under Vehicle Code §16029. A first conviction carries a fine of $100 to $200 plus penalty assessments; a subsequent conviction within three years carries $200 to $500 plus penalty assessments, and the court can order the vehicle impounded. The CDI guide adds that your license may be suspended.
Penalty assessments are added on top of the base fine, so the amount you actually owe is higher than the base fine. If you were stopped without insurance, the fastest fix is to buy a policy and keep proof in the car.
Under Proposition 103 (Insurance Code §1861.02), every California auto rate must weigh three factors first, in this order: your driving record, the miles you drive each year, and your years of driving experience. Carriers may then use only the optional factors the Insurance Commissioner has approved in California Code of Regulations, title 10, §2632.5.
| Factor | Type | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Driving safety record | Mandatory, weighted most | Points and at-fault accidents age off over time; ask when yours will |
| Annual miles driven | Mandatory | Report your real mileage; a lower verified number can lower the rate |
| Years of driving experience | Mandatory | Include foreign driving experience if the carrier accepts it |
| Where the car is garaged (ZIP or census tract claim bands) | Optional (§2632.5(d)(14)–(15)) | Use the correct garaging address |
| Vehicle type and safety features | Optional (§2632.5(d)(1), (8)) | Tell the agent about anti-theft and safety devices |
| Limits you choose | Your choice | Higher limits cost more but protect your savings |
We do not publish a single price because the same policy can cost very different amounts for two drivers on the same street. For a household with limited income, California's Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program (CLCA) offers liability limits of $10,000/$20,000/$3,000 that satisfy the financial responsibility law, for good drivers with income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, a car worth $25,000 or less, a valid California driver's license, and age 16 or older (CDI auto guide; mylowcostauto.com, 1-866-602-8861).
Via Rapida Services is an independent brokerage with offices in Stockton (956 W. Robinhood Dr), San Jose (25 N. 14th St) and San Rafael (9 Vivian St). There are no broker fees on standard policies (Stockton & San Jose offices); at our San Rafael office a broker fee may apply depending on the policy, and we tell you the exact amount in writing before you sign. Call 209-670-1556.
Want to see liability-only next to full coverage for your car, with every fee listed? We quote both side by side.
Call 209-670-1556 Get a Quote30/60/15: $30,000 for injury or death of one person, $60,000 per accident for two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage. It has applied since January 1, 2025 under Vehicle Code §16056 (SB 1107) and rises to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2035.
No. Liability-only pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. Repairs to your own car need collision coverage, and theft, vandalism or glass need comprehensive coverage.
Yes, an SR-22 only proves you carry at least the state minimum liability coverage, so a 30/60/15 liability-only policy meets it. If you do not own a car, a non-owner policy can carry the SR-22.
Under Vehicle Code §16029, a first conviction is a fine of $100 to $200 plus penalty assessments, and a subsequent conviction within three years is $200 to $500 plus penalty assessments. The court may also order the vehicle impounded.
You can, but only by signing a written waiver, because California insurers must offer it. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for injuries to you and your passengers when an at-fault driver has no insurance, which is why we recommend keeping it.
¿Busca aseguranza de solo responsabilidad civil (liability) en California y el mínimo 30/60/15 explicado en español? Tenemos la misma guía en español.
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