What makes you a high-risk driver in California?
Your driving record. California law makes it the heaviest rating factor, ahead of miles driven and years licensed (Insurance Code §1861.02; 10 CCR §2632.8). A DUI, at-fault accidents, several tickets, a suspended license or an SR-22 requirement are what push drivers out of the standard market.
There is no legal “high-risk” label; each insurer decides. The Department of Insurance puts it plainly: if you have had several accidents or speeding tickets, you may not find a standard company that will insure you (CDI auto insurance guide). What insurers read is your DMV record, where each conviction carries points.
| On your record | DMV points | How long the DMV reports it | Good Driver Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding or another moving violation | 1 | 3 years | One point is allowed; a second within 3 years disqualifies |
| At-fault accident | 1 | 3 years | Counts as one point; an at-fault accident that injured someone disqualifies for 3 years |
| Reckless driving or hit-and-run | 2 | 7 years | Disqualifies while the points are within 3 years |
| Driving on a suspended or revoked license | 2 | 7 years | Disqualifies while the points are within 3 years |
| DUI (Vehicle Code §23152 or §23153) | 2 | 10 years | Disqualifies for 10 years |
| License suspension or revocation | None by itself | While in effect, then 3 years after reinstatement | Depends on the reason |
Points: Vehicle Code §12810. Reporting periods: Vehicle Code §1808(b) and (c). Good Driver tests: Insurance Code §1861.025, explained in our Good Driver Discount guide.
Points also decide your license. Four points in 12 months, six in 24 or eight in 36 make you a presumed negligent operator, and the DMV can put you on probation or suspend you (Vehicle Code §12810.5; DMV Driver’s Handbook).
Two things that do not make you high-risk on their own: having no prior insurance cannot by itself set your rate or decide whether you are insured (§1861.02(c)), and California’s list of allowed rating factors does not include your gender (10 CCR §2632.5). Being newly licensed does cost more; see car insurance for new drivers.
How much more do tickets and accidents cost in California?
In the Department of Insurance’s 2026 premium survey, one traffic ticket raised the same insurer’s basic liability premium by a typical 26%, one at-fault accident by 45%, and both together by 98%, comparing each insurer with itself in the same city across California’s 30 largest cities.
| Driver (same car, same city) | Median a year | Typical increase |
|---|---|---|
| Basic liability, licensed 7 years, clean record | $1,686 | Baseline |
| Basic liability, one traffic ticket | $2,196 | +26% |
| Basic liability, one at-fault accident | $2,330 | +45% |
| Basic liability, one ticket and one accident | $3,218 | +98% |
| Basic liability, licensed 2 years, clean record | $3,137 | +84% |
| Full coverage, licensed 7 years, clean record | $5,202 | Baseline |
| Full coverage, one at-fault accident | $7,157 | +44% |
These are the rates in effect January 1, 2026, before optional discounts; the clean-record prices already include the Good Driver Discount (CDI survey profiles). The basic policy is the 30/60/15 minimum plus uninsured motorist and $2,000 of medical payments. The median is the middle of the 30 city medians. Full tables by city and insurer are in our California Car Insurance Cost Index.
The insurer matters as much as the record. In Los Angeles, 42 insurers priced the same basic policy for a driver with one ticket and one accident from $2,787 to $12,110 a year.
The survey has no DUI, suspended-license or SR-22 driver, so there is no official California price for those. What the law does fix: a DUI is two points and removes the Good Driver Discount, which is at least 20%, for ten years (§1861.025). Our DUI insurance guide covers the rest.
How long does a ticket, accident or DUI affect your insurance in California?
The DMV reports accidents and most tickets for 3 years, two-point violations such as reckless driving or hit-and-run for 7 years, and DUI convictions for 10 years (Vehicle Code §1808). Insurers must recheck your record at least every 36 months and cannot renew you on a record older than that (10 CCR §2632.5).
The Good Driver Discount sets the other clock: it comes back once you have no more than one point and no at-fault injury accident in the last three years, and no DUI conviction in the last ten (§1861.025). A suspension shows on your record while it lasts and for three years after you are reinstated (§1808(c)). The Department of Insurance notes that once a violation or accident comes off your record, you may be able to buy a standard policy again (CDI).
For a one-point ticket, the judge may let you attend traffic violator school so the citation is not reported to your insurance company. It stays on your DMV record, and you can do it once in any 18 months (DMV Driver’s Handbook).
Does an accident raise your insurance if it wasn’t your fault?
No. The Department of Insurance says your insurer does not charge you more for an accident that was not your fault. If you were at least 51% at fault, your premium can go up when you renew, and an accident the DMV holds you responsible for adds one point (CDI; §12810(g)).
In the 2026 survey an at-fault accident added a typical 45% to basic liability and 44% to full coverage. An at-fault accident that injured or killed someone also blocks the Good Driver Discount for three years (§1861.025(b)(3)).
What happens if you get two tickets?
Two one-point tickets within three years put you over the Good Driver limit of one point, so you lose that discount of at least 20% until the older ticket is more than three years old (§1861.025). Four points in 12 months makes you a presumed negligent operator (§12810.5).
The CDI survey does not price a two-ticket driver. For scale, one ticket added 26% and a ticket plus an accident 98%. If one of the tickets is a one-point violation and you have not used traffic school in the last 18 months, ask the court about it before you pay the fine.
Can you get car insurance with a suspended license in California?
Yes, and you usually need it to get your license back. When a suspension or revocation ends, the DMV requires proof of financial responsibility, such as an SR 22 or SR 1P filed by your insurer (DMV Driver’s Handbook). After a DUI, a restricted license also requires an SR 22 (DMV flyer DL 1046 A).
An SR 22 can back an owner’s policy (your own cars), an operator’s policy (cars you don’t own) or broad coverage (both) (DMV SR 104). If you have no car, see our non-owner SR-22 guide. If your license is suspended while a policy is in force, that is one of the reasons an insurer may cancel it (Insurance Code §661). A suspension for driving uninsured has its own rules, including a restricted license; see driving without insurance in California.
When does a California driver need an SR-22?
When the DMV makes proof of insurance a condition of keeping or getting back your license. The common cases are a DUI conviction, a crash while uninsured and a negligent-operator suspension for too many points, and each one means keeping the SR-22 on file for three years.
| Reason | What the DMV requires | How long | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DUI conviction | SR 22 for a restricted license and to reinstate | 3 years | DMV DL 1046 A |
| Crash while uninsured | At least a 1-year suspension, then proof on file | 3 years | DMV |
| Too many points (negligent operator) | The DMV may require proof when you are reinstated | 3 years after reinstatement | §12810.5(c) |
| End of another suspension or revocation | Proof of financial responsibility to get a license | Per your DMV notice | DMV handbook |
Your insurer files the SR-22 with the DMV, not you. When a policy placed through QuoteMoto needs one, the carrier files it electronically with the DMV the same day the policy is bound. Keep it active: for an uninsured-crash suspension the DMV says a cancelled proof suspends the license again, so put the new filing on record before you cancel the old policy (DMV SR 104). More in our SR-22 filing guide and SR-22 rates by carrier.
What if no insurance company will cover you?
Apply through the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP). It assigns you to an insurance company; every company licensed to sell auto insurance in California must accept CAARP drivers, all charge the same CAARP premiums, you can pay in installments, and there is no broker’s fee (Department of Insurance).
The Legislature created CAARP in 1947 as a last resort for drivers who are entitled to liability insurance but cannot get it the ordinary way. It is not an insurance company: its rates are approved by the Department of Insurance, only a certified agent or broker can submit your application, and the plan can make your SR-22 filing with the DMV if the application asks for it (CAARP, run by AIPSO). CAARP’s phone number is 1-800-622-0954.
If your income is low and your record is clean, the state’s low-cost program may fit better; it is for income-eligible good drivers (CDI). See the CLCA program guide and CLCA prices by county.
Can your insurer drop you after a ticket, accident or DUI?
Only for reasons the law allows. Once a policy is issued, a California insurer can cancel it or refuse to renew it only for non-payment, fraud or material misrepresentation, or a substantial increase in the hazard insured against (Insurance Code §1861.03(c)). A license suspension during the policy period is also a legal reason to cancel (§661).
If you get a cancellation or non-renewal notice you think is wrong, the Department of Insurance takes requests for help on exactly that (CDI). Either way, start comparing before the policy ends so you are never uninsured.
How can a high-risk driver lower the price in California?
Compare the same coverage at several companies, let the marks age off, and ask for the credits California allows. The survey above shows how far apart insurers price the same record, and the Good Driver Discount of at least 20% returns on a fixed schedule.
- Quote the same limits and deductibles everywhere, and check your ZIP in the Department of Insurance premium tool.
- Ask the court about traffic school for a one-point ticket (once in any 18 months).
- Count the years: three with no more than one point brings the Good Driver Discount back, ten after a DUI (§1861.025).
- Ask whether the company gives credit for a defensive driving course. Driver training and, for students, academic standing are optional factors insurers may use (10 CCR §2632.5(d)).
- Report your real annual mileage; it is the second mandatory rating factor (§1861.02).
- No car but need an SR-22? An operator’s (non-owner) policy covers cars you don’t own; see the non-owner SR-22 guide.
- Never let an SR-22 policy lapse; a cancelled proof can suspend your license again.