For more than 50 years, California drivers could legally carry just $15,000 of injury coverage. That changed on January 1, 2025, when the minimums required by Senate Bill 1107 took effect. Here is what changed and why it matters after a crash.
The old and new minimums
- Injury to one person: $15,000 before 2025, $30,000 now.
- Injury to everyone in one crash: $30,000 before 2025, $60,000 now.
- Property damage: $5,000 before 2025, $15,000 now.
Drivers who carried the old minimums were moved to the new limits when their policies renewed.
Why this matters if you're injured
The at-fault driver's insurance is usually where your compensation comes from. Higher minimums mean more money is available in many cases. But $30,000 still does not go far:
- One emergency room visit, imaging and follow-up care can use up a large part of it.
- If several people are hurt in the same crash, they share the $60,000 per-crash limit.
- Many drivers carry only the minimum, and some carry no insurance at all.
Protect yourself with your own policy
Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage can pay when the other driver has no insurance or not enough. Take five minutes to check your policy:
- Find your declarations page (often in your insurer's app).
- Look for “uninsured motorist bodily injury.”
- If it matches only the state minimum, ask your agent what higher limits would cost. It is often less than people expect.
Hurt by a driver with too little insurance?
We can find every policy that applies to your crash, including your own. Read more about car accident cases, or call (562) 612-7806 any time.
- Sources: State Farm Newsroom, “Understanding California's new auto liability coverage law”
- Agents Alliance, “Senate Bill 1107 and What It Means”
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.