Finding the cheapest car insurance in California may seem like an oxymoron, but you can still do just that. The cost of living in Los Angeles and San Francisco is notoriously high, which leads many people to believe that they cannot actually find the cheapest car insurance in CA for themselves. Fortunately, this is not entirely true and the better prepared you are, the more likely you will be to find the right rates for you. With a little bit of information, you can indeed locate the cheapest car insurance in California.

California requires certain minimum levels on your car insurance in order to drive legally. When you start looking for the cheapest car insurance in California, you should first know the minimum requirements. Bodily injury liability levels for both personal injury and for the entire accident are set at $15,000 and $30,000 respectively. Property damage liability minimums in California are set at $5,000. These limits are actually lower than other states, so it can be easier than you think to get the cheapest car insurance in California.

Next, check your credit rating to see whether this might affect your premium. Your credit rating is not easy to fix overnight, certainly, but having this information helps when you are looking for the cheapest car insurance in California because you can make choices that help. For instance, you may be able to lower your overall premium by paying for the entire policy in one payment in advance. Companies appreciate this because you have already paid, so they can offer you the cheapest car insurance in California.

Another way to help ensure you get the cheapest car insurance in California is to clean up your driving record, if at all possible. California assesses points against your license for driving infractions, and these can add up. Check your records with your department of motor vehicles before searching for car insurance to see where you stand. For some driving infractions, such as speeding or reckless driving, you can opt to attend defensive driving courses or a driver’s school. Completing these courses successfully can actually wipe away some of the points against your license and you can use the finished courses as a way to get the cheapest car insurance in California.

Supply all of the information the form requires to be sure you are indeed getting the cheapest car insurance in California. You never know what pieces of information may net you the cheapest car insurance in California. If you have an excellent driving record, you certainly want to provide your driver’s license number so the system can verify this. Likewise, if you would earn discounts due to your age or marital status, this is important information to provide. All of the information you provide is verified before the final policy is issued, and you could actually be penalized with higher rates if you are dishonest. Be careful that you do not provide inaccurate information merely to get the cheapest car insurance in California, or you may find that you receive the opposite.