Car Insurance for 16-, 17- and 18-Year-Olds in California

Three well-known publishers estimate what a California teen pays at each age, and they don't agree. Here are all three side by side, and why the numbers differ.

Full coverage by age, from three sources

Each column is a different publisher's estimate of the monthly full-coverage premium for a teen driver in California. We converted annual figures to monthly and put them side by side; we didn't adjust them otherwise.

Age	Insurify	Insure.com	MoneyGeek
16	$451	$610	$323
17	$397	$554	$308
18	—	$521	$298

Put together, that gives a range rather than a single number:

Age	Full coverage, per month	Sources
16	$323–$610	3
17	$308–$554	3
18	$298–$521	2

"—" means the source doesn't publish a California figure for that age. Insurify also publishes liability-only averages: 16: $215, 17: $189 per month.

Why the three sources disagree

They aren't measuring the same thing:

• Insurify averages quotes served on its own marketplace (with Quadrant estimates for a few large insurers). Full coverage means comprehensive and collision with $1,000 deductibles. Rates current as of August 31, 2026.
• Insure.com uses Quadrant Information Services rates for an individual driver in a Honda Accord LX with a clean record, 100/300/100 limits and $500 deductibles. Lower deductibles and an individual policy both push the price up. Updated May 28, 2026.
• MoneyGeek also uses Quadrant data, but for a teen on a family policy (MoneyGeek publishes annual figures; we divided by 12), with 100/300/100 limits and $1,000 deductibles. Updated June 3, 2026.

California bans gender as a rating factor, so boys and girls of the same age are priced the same.

Family policy vs. the teen's own policy: MoneyGeek publishes both for California. On a family policy a 16-year-old costs about $323 a month; on their own policy, about $538 — roughly 40% less on the family policy. Most teens under 18 can't sign their own policy without an adult anyway.

What each birthday is worth

Using Insure.com's figures, which cover every age from 16 to 19, the full-coverage premium in California falls 16 to 17: −9%; 17 to 18: −6%; 18 to 19: −25%. These are averages for a clean record; a teen with a ticket or crash won't follow the same curve.

Keeping the price down

Our California teen driver guide covers the discounts and choices that move a teen's premium most. And keep the record clean — an alcohol violation for a driver under 21 carries its own penalties, covered in DUI under 21 in California.