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

If you're thinking of moving from California to Oregon, you'll need to be aware of the differences between the two states in terms of car insurance. California mandates $30,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident, while Oregon requires $50,000.

A major difference, too, is that Oregon requires uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage per accident of $50,000, whereas this is not a requirement in California.

In our research, MoneyGeek analyzed costs, discovered the cheapest providers and broke down the differences in the requirements and laws for auto insurance in California vs. Oregon.

Oregon’s car insurance laws require more types of coverage than California, such as uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection. California's car insurance laws also demand liability limits of 15/30/5, while Oregon's laws require limits of 25/50/20. This is one of the reasons why your insurance premiums may fluctuate between the two states.

The average cost of state minimum coverage auto insurance in California is $665 per year. In Oregon, on the other hand, the same policy costs $802. The higher coverage limits of the latter may contribute to its higher rates.

Both California and Oregon are tort states, which means that drivers who cause an accident are responsible for the damages. The at-fault driver's liability insurance is used to cover the costs of the other driver's property damage, lost wages, medical and other expenses.

When you’re in a tort or fault-based system, you don’t need to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) because medical bills are paid for by the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

You can shop around for a policy that meets your demands and your budget. In California and Oregon, MoneyGeek discovered the best affordable providers for minimum coverage car insurance are the following:

• Cheapest in California: Progressive ($481 per year)
• Cheapest in Oregon: GEICO ($566 per year)

While USAA has the lowest annual premiums in Oregon at $465, its car insurance policies are exclusively offered to current and past military personnel and their families.

Even among the same insurers, rates can differ by state. State minimum coverage from GEICO in California, for example, costs $521 per year, which is $45 less than the same GEICO policy in Oregon.

The cost of car insurance in California vs. Oregon is also affected by the level of coverage. In this situation, California's average premium for minimum coverage is less expensive than Oregon but is higher when it comes to full coverage.

The annual cost of minimum coverage in California and Oregon is $665 and $802, respectively. In California, a full coverage policy costs on average $1,429 per year, whereas, in Oregon, it costs $1,181. This difference shows how average car insurance rates can change based on many factors.

There are several reasons why California is sometimes more expensive than Oregon in terms of car insurance, and it is impossible to pinpoint just a single cause. Although the rates of theft in California and Oregon are similar, California may have higher rates due to more congested highways, more uninsured motorists and denser population centers.

The cost of auto insurance varies by city. MoneyGeek discovered the cities in each state that offer the most affordable and most costly premiums for state minimum liability insurance:

California

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

Oregon

• Cheapest city: Eugene ($551 per year)
• Most expensive city: Gresham ($829 per year)

Because car insurance requirements are the same throughout a state, other factors (especially population density) contribute to price differences between cities.

You'll need to transfer your driver's license, registration and auto insurance coverage after relocating from Oregon to California or vice versa.

If your current insurance provider is available in the state where you're moving, you can maintain it, but your rate may alter to reflect any increased coverage needs and risks. If you need to look for a new insurer, MoneyGeek offers numerous resources to assist you in finding coverage that best meets your needs.

The laws and pricing for auto insurance in California and Oregon are different. MoneyGeek answers some frequently asked questions about car insurance in both states to assist you in finding the best policy.

To calculate average car insurance rates by company and across California and Oregon, MoneyGeek collaborated with Quadrant Information Services to collect auto insurance quotes from 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 including 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.