Car Insurance in California vs. Nevada: Costs, Laws and Resources

If you’re moving from California to Nevada or vice versa, you should account for car insurance requirements. Both states have similar coverage requirements but different limits — for instance, California requires $30,000 bodily injury liability coverage, whereas Nevada requires $50,000.

MoneyGeek analyzed car insurance laws, requirements and costs to find the cheapest auto insurance companies in California versus Nevada.

Although California and Nevada require the same types of coverage, their limits are different. California’s car insurance laws require 15/30/5 in liability limits, whereas car insurance laws in Nevada dictate limits of 25/50/20. This is one of the reasons you might see variations in the cost of your policy.

In California, the average cost of a minimum-coverage car insurance policy is $665 per year. On the other hand, the same policy costs $1,016 in Nevada. Nevada’s higher coverage limits could contribute to its more expensive rates than California.

Both California and Nevada are tort or “at-fault” states, which means that drivers responsible for an accident must shoulder its costs. The negligent driver uses their liability insurance to pay for the other driver’s property damages, injuries and other related expenses.

It’s best to shop around so you can find a policy that fits your needs and budget. MoneyGeek found the most affordable companies for minimum coverage car insurance in California and Nevada:

• Cheapest in California: Progressive ($481 per year)
• Cheapest in Nevada: GEICO ($583 per year)

Although USAA offers the cheapest annual rates in Nevada at $496, its policies are only available to current and former military members and their families.

Even with the same insurer, rates can vary between states. For example, a GEICO policy in California costs $521 each year, $62 cheaper than a GEICO policy in Nevada.

Coverage level also affects the cost of auto insurance in California vs. Nevada. In this case, California’s premiums are more affordable than Nevada’s for both minimum and full coverage rates.

In California and Nevada, the average annual cost of minimum coverage is $665 and $1,016, respectively. For full coverage, a policy in California costs an average of $1,429 per year, while in Nevada it costs $1,900. However, your final quote may vary since premiums depend on a number of other factors.

Many factors affect auto insurance rates, explaining why premiums are more expensive in Nevada than in California. Although California and Nevada theft rates and population density are similar, Nevada may have more expensive rates due to its higher minimum coverage limits.

Auto insurance premiums also vary per city. For state minimum liability insurance, MoneyGeek found the cities that offer the most affordable and most expensive policies in each state:

California

• Cheapest city: Santa Maria ($509 per year)
• Most expensive city: Glendale ($1,066 per year)

Nevada

• Cheapest city: Reno ($653 per year)
• Most expensive city: Las Vegas ($1,191 per year)

Car insurance requirements remain the same everywhere within a state, so other factors (like population density) contribute to the variation in prices between cities.

After moving from Nevada to California or vice versa, you’ll need to transition your driver’s license, registration and auto insurance policy.

You can keep your current insurance provider if it’s available in the state you’re moving to, but keep in mind that your premium may change to reflect the coverage requirements and risks in your new location.

If you’re looking for a new insurer, MoneyGeek offers various resources to help you choose a policy that best fits your needs.

California and Nevada auto insurance laws and rates differ. To help you find the best policy, MoneyGeek answered some commonly asked questions about car insurance in both states.

To calculate average car insurance rates by company and across California and Nevada, MoneyGeek collaborated with Quadrant Information Services to collect auto insurance quotes across both locations. We used a sample profile for a 40-year-old driver with a clean driving record and minimum coverage unless modified by criteria like coverage level, age, driving offenses and credit score. Learn more about how costs are calculated in our MoneyGeek car insurance methodology.

Minimum car insurance requirements by state were sourced from the department of motor vehicles (DMV) of the respective state.