California 30/60/15 Liability Limits: SB 1107 Explained (2026 Update)

Q: When exactly did California's minimum liability limits change?

The new 30/60/15 minimums took effect on January 1, 2025. SB 1107 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2022, with a delayed effective date that gave insurers and the California Department of Insurance more than two years to file new rates.

By Pedro Mendoza, Founder, QuoteMoto. Updated April 30, 2026.

California's minimum auto liability limits are now 30/60/15: $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Senate Bill 1107, the Protect California Drivers Act, was signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2022 and took effect January 1, 2025. It replaced the 15/30/5 minimums that had been frozen in California law since 1967, when the average new car cost $2,750 and a hospital day ran about $44. The same bill schedules a second increase to 50/100/25 on January 1, 2035, so today's 30/60/15 floor is already a temporary number. Drivers who held a policy issued before 2025 were automatically upgraded at first renewal, and every California insurer now refuses to bind a new auto policy below the 30/60/15 floor.

What SB 1107 Actually Changed

SB 1107 raised California's mandatory auto liability minimums for the first time in 58 years. The previous limits, 15/30/5, dated to 1967. The new limits apply to every personal auto policy issued or renewed in California on or after January 1, 2025, including SR-22 filings, non-owner policies, and named-operator policies.

The numbers are written as three figures separated by slashes. The first is bodily injury per person, the second is bodily injury per accident, and the third is property damage. Here is the historical and forward-looking arc:

Period	Bodily Injury / Person	Bodily Injury / Accident	Property Damage	Authority
1967 – Dec 31, 2024	$15,000	$30,000	$5,000	Original 1967 minimums
Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2034	$30,000	$60,000	$15,000	SB 1107 (current)
Jan 1, 2035 onward	$50,000	$100,000	$25,000	SB 1107 (already legislated)

Both increases live in the same statute. SB 1107 is a single bill with a two-stage trigger. The 2035 step-up does not require any new legislation; it is already in California Insurance Code § 11580.1b. You can read the bill text and legislative history at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Why California Raised the Minimum After 56 Years

The 1967 limits were never indexed to inflation. By 2022, when SB 1107 author Senator Bill Dodd introduced the bill, $15,000 covered roughly half a day in a California trauma center. A new Honda Civic stickered at about $25,000, meaning the $5,000 property damage cap could not even total a typical commuter car at fault.

The California Department of Insurance and consumer-attorney groups testified that the 1967 floor was producing a predictable outcome: at-fault drivers carrying the legal minimum were leaving injured victims with uncovered medical bills, totaled cars that drivers still owed money on, and lawsuits against people who had no assets to pay a judgment. The Protect California Drivers Act was framed as victim protection, not insurer revenue.

SB 1107 doubled California's bodily injury minimums and tripled the property damage minimum because the old 15/30/5 numbers were set in 1967, when the average California hospital stay cost $44 a day and a new Ford Mustang sold for $2,500. By 2024, $5,000 of property damage coverage could not total a five-year-old Toyota Corolla, and $15,000 of bodily injury coverage typically ran out before the first MRI was read. The state legislature determined that the 1967 floor was forcing accident victims into uncompensated losses and pushing minimum-coverage drivers into personal lawsuits they could not pay. The 30/60/15 floor sets a new minimum for the next ten years before a second increase to 50/100/25 takes effect in 2035.

How SB 1107 Affects Your Premium in 2026

If you carry minimum-limit coverage, your premium went up. Most California carriers passed through a 5% to 15% rate increase on the liability portion of minimum-limit policies at the first renewal after January 1, 2025. The exact number depended on driving record, ZIP code, and carrier filing.

A few patterns we have seen across QuoteMoto rate comparisons in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026:

Clean-record drivers in lower-cost ZIP codes (Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton) saw the smallest increases, often 4 to 7 percent on liability.
Urban drivers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego saw 8 to 14 percent on the liability portion alone.
SR-22 filers saw the largest dollar increases because their base rates were already elevated and the 30/60/15 floor multiplied a higher number.
Non-standard carriers like Aspire General, Bristol West, and Alliance United pushed rate filings through the California Department of Insurance during 2024 to absorb the higher loss exposure.

The flip side: drivers who already carried 100/300/100 or higher saw almost no SB 1107 impact. The new floor only matters if you were sitting on it.

Required vs Recommended: Why 30/60/15 Still Falls Short

California's new 30/60/15 minimums are the legal floor, not a recommended coverage level. SB 1107 was written to make the floor less catastrophic, not to make it adequate. A single broken leg in a California hospital averages $35,000 to $55,000 in 2026. A totaled mid-size SUV runs $30,000 to $45,000. A driver causing a moderate two-car injury accident with only 30/60/15 limits will exhaust the policy before the at-fault insurer's first claim adjuster closes the file. The injured party then sues the at-fault driver personally for the gap. The Insurance Information Institute and most California independent agents recommend 100/300/100 as a practical floor for any driver with a job, a home, or savings. The premium difference between 30/60/15 and 100/300/100 in California is typically $15 to $35 a month for a clean-record driver.

30/60/15 is the legal floor. It is not an adequate amount of coverage for most California drivers, and it never was the goal of SB 1107 to make it adequate. The bill's stated purpose was to bring the floor closer to modern reality, not to set a recommended level.

The math is unforgiving. A single broken leg requiring surgery in a California hospital averages $35,000 to $55,000 in 2026. A totaled mid-size SUV runs $30,000 to $45,000. If you cause a two-car accident with a moderate injury, a 30/60/15 policy can be exhausted before the at-fault driver's insurer pays the first claim adjuster. The injured party then sues the at-fault driver personally for the gap.

Industry groups including the Insurance Information Institute recommend 100/300/100 as a practical floor for any California driver who owns assets. For drivers with a home, retirement savings, or future earnings, 250/500/250 plus a $1 million umbrella policy is closer to the right number. The premium difference between 30/60/15 and 100/300/100 in California is typically $15 to $35 per month for a clean-record driver. That is the cheapest liability protection you will ever buy.

SB 1107 + SR-22, Non-Owner Policies, and Cancellation Reinstatement

Three corners of the California auto market collide directly with the new minimums.

SR-22 filings. An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility your insurer files with the California DMV after a DUI, an at-fault uninsured accident, or certain license suspensions. The SR-22 itself does not set coverage limits; it certifies that the underlying policy meets the state minimum. Effective January 1, 2025, that minimum is 30/60/15. If you held an SR-22 with the old 15/30/5 limits, your insurer was required to upgrade the policy at renewal or pull the SR-22 filing. We covered the full breakdown at QuoteMoto's California SR-22 guide and side-by-side carrier rates at compare SR-22 rates.

Non-owner policies. A non-owner policy covers liability when you drive a car you do not own. Non-owner policies must also meet the 30/60/15 floor as of January 1, 2025. If you carry one to satisfy an SR-22 requirement after a license suspension, the upgrade is automatic at renewal. Walk-through and current rates at QuoteMoto's non-owner guide.

Cancellation and reinstatement. If your policy was cancelled before January 1, 2025 with the old 15/30/5 limits, any reinstatement quote you receive in 2026 will price at 30/60/15 or higher. There is no way to reinstate at the legacy 1967 limits.

The Next Bump: 50/100/25 Already Legislated for January 2035

SB 1107 contains a built-in second increase. On January 1, 2035, California's auto liability minimums step up again to 50/100/25. No further legislation is required. The 2035 trigger is automatic in the bill text.

The reasoning is identical to the 2025 increase: 30/60/15 will be inadequate by 2035, just as 15/30/5 became inadequate by 2025. By legislating the second step now, SB 1107 prevents California from waiting another 56 years to revisit the floor.

For 2026 buyers, the 2035 step-up is a planning data point, not an immediate concern. But it confirms that California's regulatory direction is clear: minimum liability will keep rising. Drivers who buy 100/300/100 today will not have to think about the 2035 bump at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly did California's minimum liability limits change?

The new 30/60/15 minimums took effect on January 1, 2025. SB 1107 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 30, 2022, with a delayed effective date that gave insurers and the California Department of Insurance more than two years to file new rates.

What happened to my old 15/30/5 policy after January 1, 2025?

Every California auto insurer was required to upgrade in-force policies to 30/60/15 at the first renewal occurring on or after January 1, 2025. You did not need to take any action. Your declarations page and ID card now show the new limits, and your premium adjusted accordingly.

Did I need a new insurance ID card?

Yes. The California DMV updated its required ID card format to reflect 30/60/15. Your insurer mailed or emailed updated cards before your first 2025 renewal. The old card is not technically invalid, but if you are stopped or in an accident, the new card matches the limits actually in force.

How much did my premium go up because of SB 1107?

If you carried minimum limits, expect a 5 to 15 percent increase on the liability portion of your premium. Drivers in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Sacramento saw the higher end. Rural and Central Valley drivers saw the lower end. Drivers who already carried 100/300/100 or higher saw little to no change.

Does an SR-22 require the new 30/60/15 minimums?

Yes. The SR-22 certifies that your policy meets California's current minimum, whatever that minimum is. Since January 1, 2025, the minimum is 30/60/15, so every SR-22 filing in California must be backed by at least 30/60/15 limits.

Does a non-owner policy require 30/60/15?

Yes. Non-owner liability policies sold in California must meet the 30/60/15 floor. This applies whether the policy is purchased voluntarily or to satisfy an SR-22 requirement.

When does the next minimum increase take effect?

January 1, 2035. SB 1107 already legislated a second step to 50/100/25 on that date. No new bill is needed.

Sources and References

Sign off: SmokeDev, QuoteMoto Editorial.