Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in San Francisco?

San Francisco is justifiably known as one of the most expensive cities in the US. Housing costs are through the roof and the same seems to hold true for car insurance.

The city’s population at the beginning of July 2018 was 883,305. San Francisco is a big city with high traffic. Someone who is trying to commute from home to work spends a little more than half an hour (33.3 minutes) en route. In 2018, the number of reported vehicle thefts came in at 23,064. This put the per capita rate of vehicle thefts at 487.66, putting San Francisco at No. 18 for auto thefts.

Commute time, distance to work, traffic, accidents, and the vehicle theft rates for San Francisco lead insurance companies with California offices to charge vehicle owners within the city high premiums. This is true for most large cities, but it doesn’t help that costs in San Francisco are high in general.

That’s part of why it’s so important to do your research and really look around at your options when you start looking for car insurance. Find a company that’s willing to offer you a bundle or to take your excellent driving record into account. The right insurance for you is out there. Don’t stop until you find it.

How Much Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need in San Francisco

A ZIP code isn’t the only indicator of how expensive vehicle insurance might be. The make and model of the car (sports car), driving history (and possibly the criminal history of the driver), and more all have an impact on the cost of an annual premium. Other factors include how many miles the vehicle owner estimates that he’s going to drive in the next calendar year—the higher the estimated mileage, the higher the monthly and annual premium will be.

If you’re looking for car insurance in CA, your first step will be to make sure that what you’re paying for covers the state minimums. In California, the state requires that you carry enough insurance to cover the possibility of injury and property damage in the event of an accident. Specifically, they require you to carry $15,000 for injury to a single person, $30,000 to cover injuries to multiple persons, and at least $5,000 to cover any property damage an accident may cause.

Most Expensive and Least Expensive Insurance Rates by Zip Code

Cheap Car Insurance in San Francisco by Insurer

If you can’t afford expensive car insurance, you’ll have to turn to less expensive, and less thorough coverage. This usually means taking minimum coverage rather than full coverage. Different companies weight various factors differently, so it’s worth looking for quotes from a variety of companies before making a final decision.

Use this expert guide to find the best auto insurance companies with the lowest rates.

Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in San Francisco

Unlike most other states, CA doesn’t allow insurance companies to include your credit rating in their risk assessment. This means that, even if you have terrible credit, you can still find affordable car insurance if you have a decent driving record and at least a few other good marks in low-risk categories.

Learn about how your credit score can negatively impact your insurance rates.

Full Coverage Vs. Liability Coverage

What is Liability Only Insurance Coverage?

Liability insurance will pay for the injuries and/or damages that you cause to others in the case of a collision where you were at fault. In most cases, liability insurance will cost less than full-coverage insurance, but then again, they are both very different in what they cover. Liability is mandatory in all U.S. states, although how much liability you are required to have differs between states. Even if it wasn’t mandatory to have liability insurance, accidents can happen anytime and, if they do, you will need to be able to pay for the damages that you cause if you were the one to blame.

Full Coverage Auto Insurance

Full coverage auto insurance in Arizona pays for your injuries and the damages made to your car as well as for others and isn’t just a specific type of a policy but it is instead liability, comprehensive insurance, and collision all combined. Full coverage insurance is not mandatory, but is good to have since it will help pay for your car to be fixed in the event of an accident that causes you injury or damage to your car, even if you were at fault. If the other person that collided with you was at fault, then their insurance will cover the damages to your car and your injuries. This is why there are laws requiring everyone to have insurance to cover the damages they cause.

What is the Difference Between the Two Types of Car Insurance?

Liability and Full coverage policies have many distinctions but the chief one is that under a liability policy your car is not covered. If you are in an accident and are found at-fault, your liability policy will cover the other driver and her passengers. A full coverage policy, on the other hand, covers damage done to your car as a result of a wide range of accidents, even if you are at-fault. These policies also differ when it comes to premium payments.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in California by City

Additional cities in California you can check out.

Take Advantage of These Car Insurance Discounts

There are many ways that you can save on auto insurance in San Francisco:

  • A good driving record

    Being a safe driver is the best way to keep your auto insurance cost down; the fewer accidents you have the less you will pay.

  • Shop around for quotes

    Insurance rates can vary substantially from company to company, which is why you will need to shop around and get quotes from each company. Most companies will give you a fast, free quote online.

  • Raise your deductible

    If you are considering getting a full-coverage plan, you can ask for a higher deductible to lower your monthly cost. The higher the deductible the lower your price will be.

  • Save on bundling

    You can save some money on auto insurance by bundling. Getting both auto insurance protections along with something like homeowners’ insurance in one plan will cost less than if you were to get separate plans.

  • Establish a good credit report

    Insurance companies base your cost on many factors, including what’s in your credit report, so, the better your credit report is, the lower your auto insurance costs will be.

  • Reduce the miles you drive daily

    Reducing how many miles you drive daily can also help cut auto insurance costs. You might consider car-pooling, taking a bus, or getting places the old-fashioned way – walk.

Use our guide to find discounts and lower your insurance premium costs.

What are the Factors that Affect Your Auto Insurance Premiums?

There are quite a few factors included in determining your cost for auto insurance such as:

  • Your location
  • Age
  • Number of violations you had in the past
  • Gender
  • Whether you are married or single
  • Your credit score
  • The plan you are seeking
  • The deductible
  • Daily miles you drive
  • The make, model, and year of the vehicle to be insured
  • Whether you live alone or with others
  • Your occupation

Learn how citations can affect your insurance premiums here.

Helpful San Francisco, California Vehicle Resources:

Live Traffic Accidents by City
http://cad.chp.ca.gov/traffic.aspx

DMV in California (Find Locations, Vehicle Registration, Titles and Insurance Info)
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/

Rideshare
https://www.lyft.com/rider/cities/san-francisco-ca

Get a quote1.855.283.2631