Cheapest Auto Insurance in San Jose, California (2025)
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance for San Jose drivers, with minimum-coverage policies starting at $78 per month.
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San Jose drivers pay an average of $211 per month for full-coverage car insurance and $91 per month for liability only, Insurify data shows. By comparison, the California statewide averages are $206 and $94, respectively.
San Jose’s near-average car insurance costs may be at least partially due to its relatively low fatality and crash rates. In 2023, about 1.7% of the city’s 2,804 accidents were fatal, according to city government data.
Here’s what you need to know about how San Jose auto insurance costs compare to other cities and how to find affordable car insurance for your unique situation.
Quick Facts
USAA, National General, and Sun Coast offer the cheapest car insurance in San Jose.
Speeding was a factor in 26% of all accidents in San Jose in 2023, city data shows.
Auto insurers in California can’t use your credit history, gender, or ZIP code to determine your premiums.
3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in San Jose
When shopping for cheap car insurance, it’s important that you focus on finding an insurer that will work well for your individual situation and needs.
“You can shop for car insurance via online comparison sites, individual insurer’s websites, and through local insurance agents,” says Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications at the Insurance Information Institute.
You can also start your search with the best car insurance companies in California that Insurify identified.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for teens and young drivers: Mile Auto
Best insurer for drivers with a speeding ticket: Clearcover
Best insurer for drivers with a DUI: Sun Coast
How to get the cheapest car insurance in San Jose
Finding cheap car insurance is a matter of doing a little extra work in the shopping process to get the best prices for you. To find affordable car insurance premiums in San Jose, consider the following tips:
Practice safe driving habits. Maintain a clean driving record by obeying traffic laws and avoiding accidents and violations.
Choose a higher deductible. Higher collision and comprehensive deductibles usually mean lower premiums, as you’re agreeing to pay more up front when you file a claim. If you opt for a higher deductible to potentially lower your premium, ensure you have enough savings to cover it if needed.
Bundle policies. Inquire about multi-policy discounts for bundling your car insurance with other policies, like homeowners or renters insurance.
Don’t be shy about discounts. Ask about discounts for safety features in your vehicle, such as anti-lock brakes and passive restraint systems.
Request multiple quotes. Use an online comparison tool to shop around and compare quotes from different insurance companies to find the best price that suits your specific needs.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in San Jose: USAA
Liability-only car insurance is a basic form of coverage that protects you financially if you cause an accident. It covers the medical expenses and property damage of the other party involved, up to your policy’s limits. Liability-only insurance is typically the California minimum requirement to legally drive a car and comes with the lowest cost.
Keep in mind that liability-only insurance doesn’t provide coverage for your own vehicle repairs or medical expenses in case of an at-fault accident. Many insurance professionals recommend full coverage to get the greatest amount of financial protection if you cause an accident.
Liability-only policies in San Jose cost an average of $91 per month. Here are the companies with the cheapest liability-only coverage quotes in San Jose.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in San Jose: Anchor
Liability-only car insurance provides coverage for damages and injuries caused to others in an accident. It doesn’t cover your vehicle. Full-coverage car insurance, on the other hand, includes liability coverage and also covers damages to your vehicle through collision and comprehensive coverages.
Drivers who have a new or valuable car, live in areas prone to accidents or theft, or want additional protection for their own vehicle can benefit from buying a full-coverage auto insurance policy.
San Jose drivers pay a monthly average of $211 for full-coverage car insurance. Here are the San Jose insurance companies with the cheapest average full-coverage quotes.
Car insurance requirements in California
California requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. State lawmakers approved an increase in coverage limits, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.
The table below reflects this change and the types and amount of coverage all drivers need to carry:1
But California’s current minimum insurance requirements may not be enough coverage to protect you.
“We recommend purchasing coverage above the state-required minimums and getting a full-coverage policy, which includes collision and comprehensive coverage,” says Friedlander.
“In the end, make sure you have adequate coverage that will provide substantial financial protection from an at-fault accident and not leave you vulnerable to a devastating monetary loss,” he adds.
For additional protection, you can consider buying these optional coverages:
California’s low-cost insurance plan
California provides eligible drivers with a state-sponsored low-cost auto insurance plan. If you’re struggling to afford car insurance, you may be eligible for the state program, as long as you meet the following requirements:
Meet income eligibility
Have a car valued at $25,000 or less
Are a good or new driver
Are at least 16 years old
Have a valid California driver’s license
California’s Low Cost Automobile Insurance plan (CLCA) costs $232 to $932 per year, depending on the county, and provides basic liability policies to qualifying drivers. Applicants can also add medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages for an extra cost. If you’re interested in the CLCA program, you can learn more about it and apply at MyLowCostAuto.com.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
If you’re a driver with an at-fault accident, speeding ticket, driving under the influence conviction, or other moving violation on your record, finding affordable car insurance is crucial. Incidents like these often result in increased insurance prices for three to five years because they indicate a higher likelihood of future claims.3
Too many incidents on your record can also cause the state to require an SR-22 insurance filing, which can also increase your premiums.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: USAA
If you’ve received a speeding ticket, you can anticipate higher monthly auto insurance premiums for several years compared to having a clean driving record. San Jose drivers with speeding tickets pay average monthly rates of $256 for full coverage and $110 for liability-only insurance.
The following table shows rates from top insurers for San Jose drivers with speeding tickets.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: USAA
Another driving incident that can increase auto insurance prices is an at-fault accident. This type of incident can lead to expensive claims for car insurance companies, and they raise prices to cover the higher risk you pose as a driver.
In San Jose, an at-fault accident pushes the average car insurance rate to $244 per month for full coverage and $105 for minimum coverage. The following table highlights the cheapest insurers, on average, for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their records in San Jose.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: USAA
DUIs carry significant weight as a serious driving offense and have a considerable effect on car insurance premiums. Insurance companies view a DUI history as a substantial financial risk, leading to higher premiums.
San Jose drivers with DUIs on their records pay average monthly rates of $340 for full coverage and $147 for liability-only insurance. The table below outlines the cheapest car insurance companies to help you find affordable coverage after a DUI.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: USAA
Age plays a vital role in determining car insurance rates. Prices typically decrease around age 25 as drivers gain experience. Around age 70, premiums may slightly increase due to factors such as potential health issues and higher accident risks.4 But senior drivers in San Jose pay lower-than-average premiums overall compared to other driver profiles.
The average monthly cost of car insurance for senior drivers in San Jose is $188 for full coverage and $81 for minimum coverage. Here are the cheapest auto insurers for senior drivers in the city.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: USAA
Teenagers face significantly higher car insurance rates than older drivers due to their limited driving experience and increased risk factors. As a teen, one way to get affordable car insurance is by staying on a parent’s policy, which often leads to more favorable premiums.
Choosing a safe and reliable vehicle with good safety features and maintaining good grades to qualify for a good student discount can help further lower insurance costs. Teens can also get a discount if they’re away at school.
The average cost of car insurance for teen drivers in San Jose is $403 per month for full coverage and $174 for liability only. Here are the cheapest car insurance companies for teen drivers in the city.
Is car insurance more expensive in San Jose?
Full-coverage car insurance costs an average of $182 per month in the U.S., compared to $211 in San Jose.
Insurance premiums can vary greatly by city due to factors like weather, crime, and traffic.5
More cities in California
Drivers in many California cities pay less on average for car insurance than drivers in San Jose. Drivers in other, more densely populated cities, like Los Angeles, may pay more for car insurance.
Here’s how San Jose’s average car insurance quotes compare to other major California cities.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
San Jose car insurance FAQs
If you still have questions about finding cheap car insurance in San Jose, you can check out Insurify’s guide on how to lower your car insurance premiums and get answers to commonly asked questions.
How much is car insurance in San Jose?
The overall average cost of car insurance in San Jose is $151 per month, which breaks down to $211 per month for full-coverage insurance and $91 per month for liability only.
What are the best car insurance companies in San Jose?
The best car insurance companies in San Jose are Mile Auto, Clearcover, and Sun Coast. These insurers have high Insurify Quality Scores, strong financial stability ratings, and above-average J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings in California.
Which company has the cheapest car insurance in San Jose?
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance for San Jose drivers, with liability rates starting at $78 per month, according to Insurify data. San Jose residents can also find affordable coverage with the city’s second- and third-cheapest insurers, National General and Sun Coast. Their liability-only rates start as low as $88 and $96 per month, respectively.
What is the cheapest car insurance in San Jose for drivers younger than 25?
The cheapest car insurance in San Jose for young drivers is Mile Auto. It offers pay-per-mile auto insurance, so it only charges drivers based on how many miles they drive, plus a base rate. It’s a solid option for people who drive short distances, like to school or a nearby job.
Can insurers in California use your credit score when setting premiums?
No. Through certain regulations in California, insurers can’t use your credit score when determining your premiums. California is one of the few states that prohibit this practice in auto insurance.6
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