Car Insurance in San Diego

Car Insurance Quotes for San Diego Auto Insurance

It's easy to get a San Diego car insurance quote with GEICO. You can count on us to provide you with personalized San Diego car insurance coverage to help protect you in the event of an accident. We have:

  • Competitive auto insurance rates
  • 24/7 emergency roadside assistance
  • A variety of car insurance discounts
  • Award-winning GEICO Mobile app

It's important to protect yourself with the right auto insurance when driving in San Diego. According to a 2017 report from the Insurance Research Council, an estimated 15% of California drivers on the road were uninsured. Unfortunately, that makes accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers a common concern in Southern California. It's important to protect you and your car by having the right car insurance coverage.

California Car Insurance Coverage Requirements

Drivers across San Diego need to make sure they have a car insurance policy that meets the minimum coverage requirements for California. The minimum auto insurance coverages for California include:

  • Bodily injury liability: $15,000 per person/ $30,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $5,000 per accident
  • Uninsured motorist bodily Injury*: $15,000 per person/ $30,000 per accident
  • Uninsured motorist property damage*: $3,500 per accident

These are the minimum car insurance coverage requirements, but you should choose the coverage you need. If you need help determining how much coverage you need you can use our Coverage Calculator.

Driving Around San Diego

If you plan to drive in San Diego, it's important to be familiar with the freeway system. You can get almost anywhere in San Diego within 15 minutes if you take one of the "Big 5":

  • Interstate 5 (or "the 5") runs north/south along Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, to the Mexican border.
  • Interstate 15 ("the 15") also runs north/south, parallel to the I-5 to the east.
  • Interstate 8 ("the 8") runs east/west into and out of downtown San Diego.
  • State Route 163 runs north/south into and out of downtown San Diego and through Balboa Park (San Diego's equivalent of Central Park and home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo).
  • Interstate 805 ("the 805") runs diagonally from northwest to southeast, linking the 5 to 163, the 15, and the 8, before meeting up with the 5 again at the Mexican border.

Freeway signs can be different from other areas of the country, but if you miss your exit, don't worry. Just get off at the next exit and you'll almost always be able to get back on the freeway going in the opposite direction. When in doubt, always remember where the ocean is and you'll know which direction you're heading.

Other Tips for Driving in San Diego

  • For great views of downtown San Diego, Coronado Island, and the beaches, drive over the Coronado Bridge. It runs from downtown San Diego to Coronado Island.
  • If you have time to get out of your car and want to see the very best view in San Diego, visit Point Loma. There are panoramic views reaching for miles from Mexico up to the North County area.
  • You are near the ocean and your car needs to be washed more frequently due to the damage the salt air can cause to your paint job.
  • If you're driving downtown, look out for pedicabs (three-wheeled bicycle taxis), which share the road and can pose a hazard.

More Info on California Car Insurance

You can visit our California car insurance page to learn more about auto insurance in the state. You will find information about things like required coverage levels and California teen driving laws.

Uninsured Motorist coverage can be waived.

  1. As defined by CIC § 1861.025
  2. As defined by California Code of Regulations Title 10 § 2632.13
  3. California Vehicle Code, per CIC § 1861.025