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California car insurance · 2026 premium survey
One ticket adds $3,495 to your insurance. The court’s fee to keep it off your record is $52.
Traffic school does not lower your car insurance. It stops it going up, and across every insurer and city in the state’s own survey, that is the most expensive decision on the ticket.
44×
what the insurer takes over three years, against the court fee and the course together.
12,626 quotes · 48 insurers · 270 locations · rates effective January 1, 2026 · verified September 9, 2026
What one ticket costs where you live
Type a city, a county, or your insurance company. Then pick your carrier in the chart to get your own number.
Humboldt
3 places surveyed
The 40th most expensive of 58 counties, median of 3 surveyed places.
Clean record
$3,091
With one ticket, about
$3,939
Extra, every year
+$848
27.4% · $2,544 over three years
Median across every insurer and every surveyed place in Humboldt County. The with-ticket figure is that clean premium plus that increase, so the three numbers tie.
In Humboldt County, California, one traffic ticket adds a median $848 a year (27.4%) to a car insurance premium, against a median clean-record premium of $3,091, per the California Department of Insurance premium survey for rates effective January 1, 2026.
$27.99, paid only after you pass
What it costs while the point sits there
Extra premium adding up over the 36 months a point stays on your record, against the $52 court fee plus our $27.99 course.
TicketYear 1Year 2Year 3
Past the $52 court fee in about 22 days, past the court fee and the course together in about 34.
Where Humboldt sits in California
All 270 surveyed places, by how much one ticket adds.
+$756+$1,232+$1,707
Humboldt County lands above 12% of surveyed places. The median surveyed place pays +$980 a year.
Source
California Department of Insurance automobile premium comparison survey, which every insurer must answer under Insurance Code 12959.
Dates
Rates effective January 1, 2026. Read from the Department’s tool and verified September 9, 2026.
How we read it
Clean and increase are both medians across every insurer quoted in that place, 46 to 48 of the 48 surveyed carriers. With-ticket is those two added, because medians of separate columns do not subtract.
The driver, every time
CDI profile 2542Single driverLicensed 25 years (the survey's 14 to 25 year bucket)7,600 to 10,000 miles a year, commuting2023 Honda Accord LX 4-door sedan, 1.5L turbo, CVT$100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident bodily injury$50,000 property damage$5,000 medical payments$30,000 / $60,000 uninsured motorist$500 collision, with waiver$250 comprehensive
Not specified by the survey, so not claimed here: age, sex, credit score, discounts, and how recent the ticket is. The exhibit also prices an at-fault accident and a ticket-plus-accident record; this page uses the no-violation and one-ticket columns only.
What decides the size of yours
The statewide average is a starting point. Five things move your own number, in roughly this order.
Your carrier
The largest single factor in this survey. Median increases across the 48 carriers run from $135 to $2,546 a year for the same ticket.
Where you garage the car
Rating territory sets the base premium, so the same percentage lands harder in Los Angeles than in Redding.
What you were cited for
A one-point infraction and a two-point offence are not on the same scale. A minor violation runs 20 to 30 percent; a two-point offence can nearly double the premium.
The rest of your record
A first ticket is not a free pass: 12,623 of the 12,626 quotes here charge more for one. A few carriers apply only a token surcharge on a first minor violation; a second one is rarely treated that way by anyone.
How long you have been driving
Newer drivers already pay a high base rate, so the ticket adds a smaller proportion than it does for a long-licensed driver.
Whatever the size, the increase lands on top of the fine, not instead of it. What a speeding ticket costs in California.
The ones traffic school cannot touch
Two-point offences are ineligible for a course, and they are priced accordingly. Average national increase in premium:
Leaving the scene of an accident
95%
Driving under the influence
93%
Refusal of a chemical test
91%
Street racing
86%
Reckless driving
82%
Driving with a suspended licence
80%
Source: The Zebra, national averages. Every figure above them on this page is California-specific and from the state’s own survey.
Tickets that don’t touch your rate
Fix-it tickets
Correctable equipment, registration or proof-of-insurance citations. Correct them, submit the proof, and nothing reaches your record.
Parking tickets
No points, no surcharge. Left unpaid they can suspend your registration, which does reach your policy.
Window tint
Usually nothing on its own, though it is written as a correctable violation in most cases.
The same ticket, county by county
Median increase for one traffic ticket in each of the 58 counties. Darker is steeper. Select a county to load it above.
+$765 to +$819
+$819 to +$871
+$871 to +$903
+$903 to +$962
+$962 and up
Steepest ten counties
Gentlest ten
The whole survey, open
Places are the survey’s own rating locations, not city limits. Larger cities are split into territories named for a district or landmark, such as Oakland – Piedmont or Chico – Enloe Memorial Park. Select any row to load it in the card above.
| Van Nuys Los Angeles County | $5,757 | $7,464 | +$1,70729.7% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale Los Angeles County | $5,942 | $7,537 | +$1,59526.8% |
| West Hollywood Los Angeles County | $5,400 | $6,975 | +$1,57529.2% |
| Los Angeles – Vermont Los Angeles County | $5,515 | $7,074 | +$1,55928.3% |
| Northridge Los Angeles County | $5,090 | $6,627 | +$1,53730.2% |
| Reseda Los Angeles County | $5,189 | $6,722 | +$1,53329.5% |
| Los Angeles – Farmers Market Los Angeles County | $5,457 | $6,985 | +$1,52828% |
| Panorama City Los Angeles County | $5,266 | $6,763 | +$1,49728.4% |
| Woodland Hills Los Angeles County | $4,830 | $6,302 | +$1,47230.5% |
| Los Angeles – Mid City Los Angeles County | $5,198 | $6,634 | +$1,43627.6% |
| Canoga Park Los Angeles County | $4,708 | $6,116 | +$1,40829.9% |
| Chatsworth Los Angeles County | $4,810 | $6,199 | +$1,38928.9% |
| Los Angeles – Wagner Los Angeles County | $4,834 | $6,218 | +$1,38428.6% |
| Northridge – Porter Ranch Los Angeles County | $4,910 | $6,292 | +$1,38228.1% |
| Los Angeles – So. Central Los Angeles County | $5,060 | $6,435 | +$1,37527.2% |
| Pacific Palisades Los Angeles County | $4,761 | $6,136 | +$1,37528.9% |
| Los Angeles – Central Los Angeles County | $4,920 | $6,284 | +$1,36427.7% |
| Sylmar Los Angeles County | $4,455 | $5,789 | +$1,33429.9% |
| Los Angeles – Griffith Los Angeles County | $4,792 | $6,109 | +$1,31727.5% |
| Los Angeles – Echo Park Los Angeles County | $4,976 | $6,292 | +$1,31626.4% |
| Santa Monica Los Angeles County | $4,475 | $5,774 | +$1,29929% |
| Los Angeles – Palms Los Angeles County | $4,708 | $6,000 | +$1,29227.4% |
| Pacoima Los Angeles County | $4,549 | $5,834 | +$1,28528.2% |
| Compton Los Angeles County | $4,388 | $5,667 | +$1,27929.1% |
| Inglewood Los Angeles County | $4,516 | $5,793 | +$1,27728.3% |
| Burbank Los Angeles County | $4,251 | $5,505 | +$1,25429.5% |
| Hawthorne Los Angeles County | $4,276 | $5,508 | +$1,23228.8% |
| Adelanto San Bernardino County | $3,909 | $5,137 | +$1,22831.4% |
| Altadena Los Angeles County | $4,029 | $5,248 | +$1,21930.3% |
| Huntington Park Los Angeles County | $4,331 | $5,541 | +$1,21027.9% |
| Temple City Los Angeles County | $4,118 | $5,318 | +$1,20029.1% |
| Culver City Los Angeles County | $4,296 | $5,476 | +$1,18027.5% |
| Pasadena Los Angeles County | $4,044 | $5,224 | +$1,18029.2% |
| Fullerton Orange County | $4,024 | $5,202 | +$1,17829.3% |
| Los Angeles – Mar Vista Los Angeles County | $4,251 | $5,429 | +$1,17827.7% |
| Monterey Park Los Angeles County | $4,014 | $5,191 | +$1,17729.3% |
| Palmdale Los Angeles County | $4,047 | $5,223 | +$1,17629.1% |
| Gardena Los Angeles County | $4,019 | $5,187 | +$1,16829.1% |
| Alhambra Los Angeles County | $4,194 | $5,357 | +$1,16327.7% |
| Bellflower Los Angeles County | $4,023 | $5,185 | +$1,16228.9% |
| Rosemead Los Angeles County | $4,021 | $5,183 | +$1,16228.9% |
| Los Angeles – East Los Angeles County | $3,961 | $5,121 | +$1,16029.3% |
| Montebello Los Angeles County | $4,077 | $5,236 | +$1,15928.4% |
| Bell Los Angeles County | $4,197 | $5,350 | +$1,15327.5% |
| San Francisco – Glen Park San Francisco County | $4,336 | $5,488 | +$1,15226.6% |
| South Gate Los Angeles County | $4,180 | $5,332 | +$1,15227.6% |
| Los Angeles – Westchester Los Angeles County | $4,068 | $5,218 | +$1,15028.3% |
| Long Beach – North Los Angeles County | $4,057 | $5,203 | +$1,14628.2% |
| Oakland – San Leandro Alameda County | $4,409 | $5,554 | +$1,14526% |
| San Francisco – Nob Hill San Francisco County | $4,223 | $5,368 | +$1,14527.1% |
| San Pedro Los Angeles County | $4,207 | $5,345 | +$1,13827.1% |
| Los Angeles – El Sereno Los Angeles County | $4,368 | $5,499 | +$1,13125.9% |
| Los Angeles – Highland Park Los Angeles County | $4,391 | $5,522 | +$1,13125.8% |
| Cerritos Los Angeles County | $3,914 | $5,043 | +$1,12928.8% |
| West Covina Los Angeles County | $3,806 | $4,935 | +$1,12929.7% |
| San Francisco -Sunset District San Francisco County | $4,099 | $5,223 | +$1,12427.4% |
| San Francisco – Mission San Francisco County | $4,279 | $5,399 | +$1,12026.2% |
| Anaheim – Federal Orange County | $3,948 | $5,065 | +$1,11728.3% |
| San Bernardino San Bernardino County | $3,709 | $4,826 | +$1,11730.1% |
| Sacramento – Southgate Sacramento County | $4,163 | $5,271 | +$1,10826.6% |
| Garden Grove Orange County | $3,797 | $4,901 | +$1,10429.1% |
| Westminster Orange County | $3,660 | $4,763 | +$1,10330.1% |
| Richmond Contra Costa County | $4,169 | $5,271 | +$1,10226.4% |
| Azusa Los Angeles County | $3,638 | $4,739 | +$1,10130.3% |
| San Jose – 95111 Santa Clara County | $3,833 | $4,932 | +$1,09928.7% |
| Fruitridge Sacramento County | $3,770 | $4,866 | +$1,09629.1% |
| Irvine Orange County | $3,691 | $4,786 | +$1,09529.7% |
| Rancho Palos Verdes Los Angeles County | $3,665 | $4,754 | +$1,08929.7% |
| Stockton – 95206 San Joaquin County | $3,932 | $5,017 | +$1,08527.6% |
| Baldwin Park Los Angeles County | $4,089 | $5,172 | +$1,08326.5% |
| Palo Alto Santa Clara County | $3,575 | $4,656 | +$1,08130.2% |
| Running Springs San Bernardino County | $3,764 | $4,842 | +$1,07828.6% |
| Santa Clarita Los Angeles County | $3,729 | $4,805 | +$1,07628.9% |
| Carmichael Sacramento County | $3,674 | $4,749 | +$1,07529.3% |
| Pico Rivera Los Angeles County | $3,718 | $4,792 | +$1,07428.9% |
| Concord Contra Costa County | $3,800 | $4,872 | +$1,07228.2% |
| Corona – 92879 Riverside County | $3,543 | $4,612 | +$1,06930.2% |
| El Segundo Los Angeles County | $3,553 | $4,622 | +$1,06930.1% |
| Lancaster Los Angeles County | $3,675 | $4,742 | +$1,06729% |
| Newport Beach Orange County | $3,776 | $4,839 | +$1,06328.2% |
| Palos Verdes Los Angeles County | $3,752 | $4,811 | +$1,05928.2% |
| Canyon Country Los Angeles County | $3,914 | $4,972 | +$1,05827% |
| Monrovia Los Angeles County | $3,637 | $4,693 | +$1,05629% |
| Modesto – Dry Creek Stanislaus County | $3,728 | $4,781 | +$1,05328.2% |
| Union City Alameda County | $3,737 | $4,790 | +$1,05328.2% |
| Daly City San Mateo County | $3,965 | $5,016 | +$1,05126.5% |
| Norwalk Los Angeles County | $3,753 | $4,801 | +$1,04827.9% |
| La Puente Los Angeles County | $3,854 | $4,900 | +$1,04627.1% |
| Stockton – 95207 San Joaquin County | $3,786 | $4,828 | +$1,04227.5% |
| Vallejo – Downtown Solano County | $3,903 | $4,945 | +$1,04226.7% |
| Berkeley Alameda County | $3,798 | $4,839 | +$1,04127.4% |
| Oakland – Piedmont Alameda County | $3,768 | $4,809 | +$1,04127.6% |
| Santa Ana – Centennial Park Orange County | $3,607 | $4,647 | +$1,04028.8% |
| Sacramento – Rosemont Sacramento County | $3,638 | $4,677 | +$1,03928.6% |
| Victorville San Bernardino County | $3,853 | $4,892 | +$1,03927% |
| Carson Los Angeles County | $3,754 | $4,790 | +$1,03627.6% |
| Hayward Alameda County | $4,005 | $5,040 | +$1,03525.8% |
| La Habra Orange County | $3,703 | $4,738 | +$1,03528% |
| Laguna Beach Orange County | $3,651 | $4,686 | +$1,03528.3% |
| Chino Hills San Bernardino County | $3,637 | $4,671 | +$1,03428.4% |
| Rancho Cucamonga San Bernardino County | $3,669 | $4,697 | +$1,02828% |
| Vallejo – Castlewood Park Solano County | $3,637 | $4,665 | +$1,02828.3% |
| Pomona Los Angeles County | $3,685 | $4,712 | +$1,02727.9% |
| Antioch Contra Costa County | $3,749 | $4,772 | +$1,02327.3% |
| Thousand Oaks Ventura County | $3,442 | $4,464 | +$1,02229.7% |
| Del Mar San Diego County | $3,281 | $4,300 | +$1,01931.1% |
| Hesperia San Bernardino County | $3,764 | $4,783 | +$1,01927.1% |
| Lakewood Los Angeles County | $3,650 | $4,669 | +$1,01927.9% |
| Moreno Valley Riverside County | $3,708 | $4,727 | +$1,01927.5% |
| Stanton Orange County | $3,757 | $4,776 | +$1,01927.1% |
| Santa Ana – Logan Park Orange County | $3,500 | $4,518 | +$1,01829.1% |
| Redondo Beach Los Angeles County | $3,511 | $4,525 | +$1,01428.9% |
| Buena Park Orange County | $3,654 | $4,666 | +$1,01227.7% |
| Fontana San Bernardino County | $3,832 | $4,844 | +$1,01226.4% |
| Placentia Orange County | $3,383 | $4,392 | +$1,00929.8% |
| Fountain Valley Orange County | $3,574 | $4,582 | +$1,00828.2% |
| El Cajon San Diego County | $3,380 | $4,387 | +$1,00729.8% |
| Anaheim – Brookhurst Center Orange County | $3,551 | $4,556 | +$1,00528.3% |
| Fair Oaks Sacramento County | $3,624 | $4,629 | +$1,00527.7% |
| Bakersfield – Kern City Kern County | $3,454 | $4,456 | +$1,00229% |
| Torrance Los Angeles County | $3,628 | $4,628 | +$1,00027.6% |
| San Rafael Marin County | $3,738 | $4,737 | +$99926.7% |
| Long Beach – College Los Angeles County | $3,431 | $4,426 | +$99529% |
| Modesto – Whitmore Park Stanislaus County | $3,608 | $4,599 | +$99127.5% |
| Perris Riverside County | $3,750 | $4,741 | +$99126.4% |
| Simi Valley Ventura County | $3,334 | $4,324 | +$99029.7% |
| San Diego – 92105 San Diego County | $3,475 | $4,464 | +$98928.5% |
| Lake Elsinore Riverside County | $3,468 | $4,456 | +$98828.5% |
| Orange Orange County | $3,429 | $4,417 | +$98828.8% |
| Desert Hot Springs Riverside County | $3,713 | $4,699 | +$98626.6% |
| Alameda Alameda County | $3,726 | $4,711 | +$98526.4% |
| Yorba Linda Orange County | $3,564 | $4,548 | +$98427.6% |
| Riverside – 92506 Riverside County | $3,393 | $4,375 | +$98228.9% |
| Fresno – Sunnyside Fresno County | $3,380 | $4,360 | +$98029% |
| Indio Riverside County | $3,428 | $4,408 | +$98028.6% |
| Colton San Bernardino County | $3,716 | $4,695 | +$97926.3% |
| Ocean Beach San Diego County | $3,165 | $4,141 | +$97630.8% |
| San Jose – 95127 Santa Clara County | $3,652 | $4,625 | +$97326.6% |
| Bakersfield – Panama Kern County | $3,496 | $4,467 | +$97127.8% |
| Ontario San Bernardino County | $3,549 | $4,520 | +$97127.4% |
| Upland San Bernardino County | $3,603 | $4,574 | +$97126.9% |
| Glendora Los Angeles County | $3,430 | $4,399 | +$96928.3% |
| Eureka – Carson Park Humboldt County | $3,321 | $4,289 | +$96829.1% |
| Tracy San Joaquin County | $3,412 | $4,379 | +$96728.3% |
| Roseville – Maidu Park Placer County | $3,377 | $4,341 | +$96428.5% |
| Fresno – Biola Junction Fresno County | $3,567 | $4,530 | +$96327% |
| Hemet Riverside County | $3,399 | $4,362 | +$96328.3% |
| Laguna Niguel Orange County | $3,439 | $4,399 | +$96027.9% |
| Santa Rosa -Montgomery Village Sonoma County | $3,528 | $4,488 | +$96027.2% |
| Suisun City Solano County | $3,381 | $4,339 | +$95828.3% |
| Barstow San Bernardino County | $3,315 | $4,271 | +$95628.8% |
| Pacific Beach San Diego County | $3,264 | $4,220 | +$95629.3% |
| Placerville El Dorado County | $3,321 | $4,276 | +$95528.8% |
| Chino San Bernardino County | $3,552 | $4,506 | +$95426.9% |
| Twentynine Palms San Bernardino County | $3,551 | $4,502 | +$95126.8% |
| Napa Napa County | $3,432 | $4,382 | +$95027.7% |
| Big Bear Lake San Bernardino County | $3,500 | $4,448 | +$94827.1% |
| La Mesa San Diego County | $3,342 | $4,290 | +$94828.4% |
| Oceanside San Diego County | $3,346 | $4,294 | +$94828.3% |
| Santa Rosa – City Park Sonoma County | $3,440 | $4,387 | +$94727.5% |
| Tustin Orange County | $3,373 | $4,320 | +$94728.1% |
| Costa Mesa Orange County | $3,339 | $4,285 | +$94628.3% |
| Wasco Kern County | $3,397 | $4,341 | +$94427.8% |
| Ramona San Diego County | $3,232 | $4,175 | +$94329.2% |
| Pacifica San Mateo County | $3,555 | $4,496 | +$94126.5% |
| Greenhaven Sacramento County | $3,443 | $4,383 | +$94027.3% |
| Mill Valley Marin County | $3,466 | $4,406 | +$94027.1% |
| Temecula Riverside County | $3,243 | $4,181 | +$93828.9% |
| Riverside – 92503 Riverside County | $3,505 | $4,439 | +$93426.6% |
| Oxnard – South Ventura County | $3,364 | $4,297 | +$93327.7% |
| Corona – 92882 Riverside County | $3,441 | $4,373 | +$93227.1% |
| Murrieta Riverside County | $3,214 | $4,146 | +$93229% |
| Huntington Beach Orange County | $3,378 | $4,309 | +$93127.6% |
| Turlock Stanislaus County | $3,501 | $4,432 | +$93126.6% |
| Oxnard – Northwest Ventura County | $3,303 | $4,233 | +$93028.2% |
| Santa Barbara – El Sueno Santa Barbara County | $3,017 | $3,947 | +$93030.8% |
| Colusa Colusa County | $3,283 | $4,211 | +$92828.3% |
| Fremont Alameda County | $3,429 | $4,356 | +$92727% |
| San Jose – Alamitos Santa Clara County | $3,367 | $4,293 | +$92627.5% |
| Folsom Sacramento County | $3,299 | $4,221 | +$92227.9% |
| Cathedral City Riverside County | $3,507 | $4,428 | +$92126.3% |
| Redland San Bernardino County | $3,299 | $4,220 | +$92127.9% |
| Delano Kern County | $3,315 | $4,235 | +$92027.8% |
| Madera – East Madera Madera County | $3,256 | $4,176 | +$92028.3% |
| Reedley Fresno County | $3,314 | $4,234 | +$92027.8% |
| Madera – West Madera Madera County | $3,411 | $4,330 | +$91926.9% |
| San Mateo San Mateo County | $3,298 | $4,216 | +$91827.8% |
| Walnut Creek Contra Costa County | $3,422 | $4,337 | +$91526.7% |
| Santa Barbara – Downtown Santa Barbara County | $3,140 | $4,053 | +$91329.1% |
| Redwood City San Mateo County | $3,302 | $4,214 | +$91227.6% |
| San Clemente Orange County | $3,188 | $4,099 | +$91128.6% |
| San Jose – Campbell Santa Clara County | $3,366 | $4,277 | +$91127.1% |
| Fairfield Solano County | $3,249 | $4,159 | +$91028% |
| So Lake Tahoe El Dorado County | $3,274 | $4,180 | +$90627.7% |
| Sunnyvale Santa Clara County | $3,250 | $4,156 | +$90627.9% |
| Lake Forest Orange County | $3,176 | $4,080 | +$90428.5% |
| Marysville Yuba County | $3,366 | $4,270 | +$90426.9% |
| Jamestown Tuolumne County | $3,214 | $4,115 | +$90128% |
| Markleeville Alpine County | $3,259 | $4,160 | +$90127.6% |
| Roseville – Downtown Placer County | $3,327 | $4,228 | +$90127.1% |
| Santa Clara Santa Clara County | $3,332 | $4,233 | +$90127% |
| Clovis Fresno County | $3,229 | $4,125 | +$89627.7% |
| Mission Viejo Orange County | $3,271 | $4,167 | +$89627.4% |
| Mira Mesa San Diego County | $3,023 | $3,916 | +$89329.5% |
| Petaluma Sonoma County | $3,191 | $4,084 | +$89328% |
| Mariposa Mariposa County | $3,156 | $4,047 | +$89128.2% |
| National City San Diego County | $3,197 | $4,087 | +$89027.8% |
| Fallbrook San Diego County | $3,193 | $4,082 | +$88927.8% |
| Merced Merced County | $3,295 | $4,184 | +$88927% |
| Mammoth Lakes Mono County | $3,197 | $4,085 | +$88827.8% |
| Poway San Diego County | $3,017 | $3,905 | +$88829.4% |
| Calexico Imperial County | $3,107 | $3,994 | +$88728.5% |
| Vacaville Solano County | $3,237 | $4,123 | +$88627.4% |
| Yuba City Sutter County | $3,266 | $4,152 | +$88627.1% |
| Valley Spring Calaveras County | $3,351 | $4,235 | +$88426.4% |
| Camarillo Ventura County | $3,057 | $3,938 | +$88128.8% |
| San L Obispo Paso Robles San Luis Obispo County | $2,929 | $3,810 | +$88130.1% |
| Lincoln Placer County | $3,289 | $4,169 | +$88026.8% |
| Pioneer Amador County | $3,266 | $4,146 | +$88026.9% |
| Campbell Santa Clara County | $3,164 | $4,042 | +$87827.7% |
| Lakeside San Diego County | $3,200 | $4,077 | +$87727.4% |
| Escondido San Diego County | $3,215 | $4,090 | +$87527.2% |
| Salinas Monterey County | $3,205 | $4,080 | +$87527.3% |
| Watsonville Santa Cruz County | $3,331 | $4,206 | +$87526.3% |
| Yucaipa San Bernardino County | $3,232 | $4,106 | +$87427% |
| Loyalton Sierra County | $3,047 | $3,920 | +$87328.7% |
| Spring Valley San Diego County | $3,183 | $4,056 | +$87327.4% |
| Encinitas San Diego County | $3,025 | $3,895 | +$87028.8% |
| Eureka – Pine Hill Humboldt County | $3,094 | $3,964 | +$87028.1% |
| Ukiah Mendocino County | $3,230 | $4,097 | +$86726.8% |
| Willits Mendocino County | $3,274 | $4,140 | +$86626.5% |
| Grass Valley Nevada County | $3,167 | $4,030 | +$86327.2% |
| Banning Riverside County | $3,187 | $4,049 | +$86227% |
| El Centro Imperial County | $3,228 | $4,084 | +$85626.5% |
| San Diego – 92154 San Diego County | $3,201 | $4,057 | +$85626.7% |
| Carlsbad San Diego County | $2,962 | $3,816 | +$85428.8% |
| Chula Vista San Diego County | $3,173 | $4,026 | +$85326.9% |
| Ridgecrest Kern County | $2,739 | $3,588 | +$84931% |
| Hollister San Benito County | $3,169 | $4,015 | +$84626.7% |
| Sonora Tuolumne County | $3,197 | $4,042 | +$84526.4% |
| Lakeport Lake County | $3,064 | $3,906 | +$84227.5% |
| Cupertino Santa Clara County | $3,157 | $3,998 | +$84126.6% |
| Susanville Lassen County | $3,156 | $3,997 | +$84126.6% |
| Alturas Modoc County | $2,978 | $3,815 | +$83728.1% |
| San Marcos San Diego County | $3,066 | $3,893 | +$82727% |
| Seaside Monterey County | $2,959 | $3,780 | +$82127.7% |
| Chico – Chapman Town Butte County | $3,004 | $3,824 | +$82027.3% |
| Davis Yolo County | $2,964 | $3,784 | +$82027.7% |
| Lewiston Trinity County | $3,093 | $3,912 | +$81926.5% |
| Orland Glenn County | $2,903 | $3,722 | +$81928.2% |
| Santa Cruz Santa Cruz County | $3,132 | $3,949 | +$81726.1% |
| Quincy Plumas County | $2,974 | $3,785 | +$81127.3% |
| Crescent City Del Norte County | $2,990 | $3,800 | +$81027.1% |
| Woodland Yolo County | $2,925 | $3,735 | +$81027.7% |
| Rancho Bernardo San Diego County | $2,927 | $3,733 | +$80627.5% |
| Lompoc Santa Barbara County | $2,726 | $3,531 | +$80529.5% |
| Redding – Enterprise Shasta County | $3,003 | $3,806 | +$80326.7% |
| Visalia Tulare County | $3,009 | $3,812 | +$80326.7% |
| Mckinleyville Humboldt County | $2,855 | $3,654 | +$79928% |
| Livermore Alameda County | $3,078 | $3,875 | +$79725.9% |
| Redding – Siverthorn Shasta County | $2,954 | $3,750 | +$79626.9% |
| Bishop Inyo County | $2,696 | $3,487 | +$79129.3% |
| San L Obispo San L Obispo San Luis Obispo County | $2,636 | $3,427 | +$79130% |
| Yreka Siskiyou County | $2,964 | $3,749 | +$78526.5% |
| Hanford Kings County | $2,954 | $3,738 | +$78426.5% |
| Red Bluff Tehama County | $2,797 | $3,562 | +$76527.4% |
| Santa Maria Santa Barbara County | $2,928 | $3,691 | +$76326.1% |
| Porterville Tulare County | $2,926 | $3,685 | +$75925.9% |
| Chico – Enloe Memorial Park Butte County | $2,962 | $3,719 | +$75725.6% |
| Monterey Monterey County | $2,801 | $3,557 | +$75627% |
Nothing matches
The survey covers 270 rating locations, not every California city. Try the county instead, or a nearby larger place.
Clean and increase are both medians across every insurer quoted in that place, 46 to 48 of the 48 surveyed carriers depending on the location. With-ticket is those two added, because medians of separate columns do not subtract. Bar length is the annual increase, scaled to the highest place. Source: California Department of Insurance premium survey, rates effective January 1, 2026.
| Los Angeles County 69 places | $4,192 | $5,402 | +$1,21028.9% |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County 4 places | $4,233 | $5,370 | +$1,13726.9% |
| Sacramento County 7 places | $3,621 | $4,658 | +$1,03728.6% |
| San Joaquin County 3 places | $3,699 | $4,728 | +$1,02927.8% |
| Contra Costa County 4 places | $3,707 | $4,727 | +$1,02027.5% |
| Orange County 24 places | $3,537 | $4,557 | +$1,02028.8% |
| Alameda County 8 places | $3,713 | $4,730 | +$1,01727.4% |
| Stanislaus County 3 places | $3,575 | $4,577 | +$1,00228% |
| San Bernardino County 17 places | $3,564 | $4,565 | +$1,00128.1% |
| Solano County 5 places | $3,523 | $4,500 | +$97727.7% |
| Ventura County 5 places | $3,314 | $4,280 | +$96629.1% |
| Riverside County 14 places | $3,449 | $4,411 | +$96227.9% |
| San Mateo County 4 places | $3,473 | $4,432 | +$95927.6% |
| Marin County 2 places | $3,596 | $4,554 | +$95826.6% |
| Santa Clara County 9 places | $3,391 | $4,343 | +$95228.1% |
| Napa County 1 place | $3,432 | $4,382 | +$95027.7% |
| Sonoma County 3 places | $3,429 | $4,373 | +$94427.5% |
| El Dorado County 2 places | $3,286 | $4,220 | +$93428.4% |
| Fresno County 4 places | $3,374 | $4,304 | +$93027.6% |
| Colusa County 1 place | $3,283 | $4,211 | +$92828.3% |
| Madera County 2 places | $3,323 | $4,242 | +$91927.7% |
| Kern County 5 places | $3,290 | $4,204 | +$91427.8% |
| Yuba County 1 place | $3,366 | $4,270 | +$90426.9% |
| Placer County 3 places | $3,325 | $4,228 | +$90327.2% |
| Alpine County 1 place | $3,259 | $4,160 | +$90127.6% |
| San Diego County 21 places | $3,191 | $4,086 | +$89528% |
| Mariposa County 1 place | $3,156 | $4,047 | +$89128.2% |
| Merced County 1 place | $3,295 | $4,184 | +$88927% |
| Mono County 1 place | $3,197 | $4,085 | +$88827.8% |
| Sutter County 1 place | $3,266 | $4,152 | +$88627.1% |
| Imperial County 2 places | $3,118 | $4,003 | +$88528.4% |
| Calaveras County 1 place | $3,351 | $4,235 | +$88426.4% |
| Amador County 1 place | $3,266 | $4,146 | +$88026.9% |
| Sierra County 1 place | $3,047 | $3,920 | +$87328.7% |
| Tuolumne County 2 places | $3,197 | $4,068 | +$87127.2% |
| Mendocino County 2 places | $3,271 | $4,138 | +$86726.5% |
| Nevada County 1 place | $3,167 | $4,030 | +$86327.2% |
| Santa Cruz County 2 places | $3,155 | $4,015 | +$86027.3% |
| Santa Barbara County 4 places | $2,988 | $3,844 | +$85628.6% |
| Humboldt County 3 places | $3,091 | $3,939 | +$84827.4% |
| San Benito County 1 place | $3,169 | $4,015 | +$84626.7% |
| Lake County 1 place | $3,064 | $3,906 | +$84227.5% |
| Lassen County 1 place | $3,156 | $3,997 | +$84126.6% |
| Modoc County 1 place | $2,978 | $3,815 | +$83728.1% |
| Monterey County 3 places | $3,020 | $3,849 | +$82927.5% |
| Glenn County 1 place | $2,903 | $3,722 | +$81928.2% |
| Trinity County 1 place | $3,093 | $3,912 | +$81926.5% |
| Plumas County 1 place | $2,974 | $3,785 | +$81127.3% |
| Del Norte County 1 place | $2,990 | $3,800 | +$81027.1% |
| Yolo County 2 places | $2,961 | $3,771 | +$81027.4% |
| San Luis Obispo County 2 places | $2,779 | $3,586 | +$80729% |
| Shasta County 2 places | $2,978 | $3,776 | +$79826.8% |
| Tulare County 2 places | $2,926 | $3,721 | +$79527.2% |
| Inyo County 1 place | $2,696 | $3,487 | +$79129.3% |
| Siskiyou County 1 place | $2,964 | $3,749 | +$78526.5% |
| Kings County 1 place | $2,954 | $3,738 | +$78426.5% |
| Butte County 2 places | $2,999 | $3,782 | +$78326.1% |
| Tehama County 1 place | $2,797 | $3,562 | +$76527.4% |
Nothing matches
The survey covers 270 rating locations, not every California city. Try the county instead, or a nearby larger place.
Clean and increase are both medians across every insurer and every surveyed place in the county. With-ticket is those two added, because medians of separate columns do not subtract. Source: California Department of Insurance premium survey, rates effective January 1, 2026.
| California Casualty Ind Exch | $3,179 | $5,725 | +$2,54680.1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encompass Ins Co | $3,768 | $6,039 | +$2,27160.3% |
| Hartford Underwriters Ins Co | $3,968 | $6,135 | +$2,16754.6% |
| Interins Exch of the Automobile Club (AAA) | $3,837 | $5,977 | +$2,14055.8% |
| State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co | $4,282 | $6,409 | +$2,12749.7% |
| 21st Century Cas Co | $4,627 | $6,711 | +$2,08445% |
| Travelers Commercial Ins Co | $3,559 | $5,408 | +$1,84952% |
| Safeco Ins Co of Amer | $3,550 | $5,212 | +$1,66246.8% |
| Mapfre Ins Co | $4,450 | $6,102 | +$1,65237.1% |
| Drive Ins Co | $4,206 | $5,749 | +$1,54336.7% |
| Federal Ins Co (CHUBB) | $4,707 | $6,165 | +$1,45831% |
| American Family Connect | $3,501 | $4,948 | +$1,44741.3% |
| Amica Mutual Ins Co | $4,130 | $5,568 | +$1,43834.8% |
| Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | $2,749 | $4,027 | +$1,27846.5% |
| Viking Ins Co of WI | $5,653 | $6,892 | +$1,23921.9% |
| Allstate Northbrook Ind Co | $5,662 | $6,856 | +$1,19421.1% |
| Infinity Ins Co | $3,277 | $4,464 | +$1,18736.2% |
| Nationwide Ins Co of Amer | $4,555 | $5,739 | +$1,18426% |
| California Capital Ins Co | $2,458 | $3,600 | +$1,14246.5% |
| Seaview Ins Co | $3,472 | $4,580 | +$1,10831.9% |
| Mercury Ins Co | $2,567 | $3,671 | +$1,10443% |
| Safeway Ins Co | $2,530 | $3,604 | +$1,07442.5% |
| Incline Natl Ins Co | $2,638 | $3,664 | +$1,02638.9% |
| Metromile Ins Co | $3,474 | $4,456 | +$98228.3% |
| Response Indemnity Co of CA | $3,674 | $4,591 | +$91725% |
| CSAA Ins Exch | $3,386 | $4,285 | +$89926.6% |
| Grange Ins Assn | $3,092 | $3,989 | +$89729% |
| Privilege Underwriters Recp Exh (PURE) | $4,501 | $5,398 | +$89719.9% |
| Root Insurance Company | $3,601 | $4,453 | +$85223.7% |
| Permanent Gen Assur Corp | $3,774 | $4,569 | +$79521.1% |
| KnightBrook Ins Co | $3,075 | $3,867 | +$79225.8% |
| Farmers Ins Exch | $4,401 | $5,187 | +$78617.9% |
| State National Ins Co Inc. | $2,419 | $3,201 | +$78232.3% |
| Tesla Insurance Company | $2,419 | $3,201 | +$78232.3% |
| Coast National Ins Co | $3,776 | $4,553 | +$77720.6% |
| United Financial Cas Co | $2,692 | $3,458 | +$76628.5% |
| American National P & C | $2,638 | $3,386 | +$74828.4% |
| The Cincinnati Ins Co | $3,530 | $4,208 | +$67819.2% |
| United Serv Automobile Assn | $3,050 | $3,728 | +$67822.2% |
| Horace Mann Ins Co | $2,773 | $3,430 | +$65723.7% |
| Integon Preferred Ins Co | $3,095 | $3,751 | +$65621.2% |
| Aspire Gen Ins Co | $2,982 | $3,637 | +$65522% |
| CSAA Gen Ins Co | $5,126 | $5,760 | +$63412.4% |
| GEICO Protection Insurance Company | $4,411 | $4,958 | +$54712.4% |
| Anchor General Ins Co | $2,970 | $3,486 | +$51617.4% |
| First Acceptance Ins Co, Inc. | $1,975 | $2,406 | +$43121.8% |
| Nations Ins Co | $2,603 | $2,863 | +$26010% |
| Orion Indemnity Co. | $4,511 | $4,646 | +$1353% |
Nothing matches
The survey covers 270 rating locations, not every California city. Try the county instead, or a nearby larger place.
Clean and increase are medians for this carrier across all 270 locations, and with-ticket is those two added. The bar spans its lowest to highest increase; the mark is its median. Source: California Department of Insurance premium survey, rates effective January 1, 2026.
Severity sets the size
Average monthly premium after a single violation, from The Zebra’s national rate analysis. A not-at-fault accident costs nothing.
DUI
$476
Refusing a chemical test
$476
Hit and run
$459
Street racing
$457
Reckless driving
$452
Suspended licence
$371
Driving against traffic
$310
Passing a school bus
$265
Cell phone use while driving
$262
Running a red light
$260
Tailgating
$260
Speeding 6-10 mph over
$260
Speeding 11-15 mph over
$259
No seat belt
$247
Driving without lights
$246
Speeding 16-20 mph over
$230
Not-at-fault accident
$183
Source: The Zebra, national averages.
Can you use traffic school?
Three questions. All three have to be yes.
Tick the ones that apply to your ticket.
Four steps
01
Plead guilty
On the courtesy notice the court mails 45 to 60 days after the ticket, or through its portal.
02
Pay the fine and the fee
Fine plus the court's traffic school administrative fee: $52 in most counties, up to $82 elsewhere.
03
Take a licensed course
Any DMV-licensed school counts. Ours takes two to three hours, on any device.
04
Completion is reported
Same-day to the court and DMV. The conviction turns confidential, no point is assessed.
Eligibility is the court’s decision, and a few courts add their own rules. Full eligibility rules.
When the rate rises anyway
Three reasons a premium moves after traffic school.
You were not eligible, or the course was never completed, so the point posted anyway.
A court or DMV processing error left the point on your record even though you passed.
Something else on the policy moved: a claim, a new address, more annual mileage, a rate filing.
How to unwind it
01
Check your completion certificate against the citation number for typos.
02
Confirm with the court that the certificate was received and the case closed.
03
Pull your California driving record from the DMV and look for the point.
04
If it is there in error, file form DL 207 with the DMV and follow up with the court.
05
Once the record is clean, ask your carrier to requote the policy.
Questions people ask
No, and any school that tells you otherwise is selling something. It prevents an increase rather than reducing what you already pay. Finish a court-approved course for an eligible one-point ticket and Vehicle Code 1808.7 makes the conviction confidential: no point is assessed, and insurers, employers and background checks never see it. Your premium simply stays where it was.
In this survey, $1,165 a year on average — a 32% increase on a clean-record premium. The spread is what matters: the same point costs a few hundred dollars at some carriers and over $2,500 at others. Search your city above to see the range where you live, then pick your carrier for its own number.
Three years. A one-point violation falls off your California record at 36 months, and most carriers stop surcharging when it does. That is why the honest comparison is not one year of higher premium against the course price, but three: $3,495 on average.
Because each carrier files its own surcharge schedule with the California Department of Insurance, and they disagree sharply about what one ticket is worth. Median increases run from $135 a year at the gentlest carrier to $2,546 at the steepest, with single quotes reaching $4,689. Same driver, same ticket, same address.
Almost always. 12,623 of the 12,626 quotes in this survey price the ticket higher than the same driver with a clean record. Only 3 do not, so a carrier absorbing a first minor violation is the rare exception and not something to count on. Once the point is on your record the surcharge is the carrier's decision, not yours. Traffic school is what keeps the point off in the first place.
Compare the two numbers, not the fine. The court fee is $52 in most counties and our course is $27.99. The insurance side is $1,165 a year for three years at the statewide average. Even at the gentlest carrier in the survey, the extra premium passes the cost of the course within the first few months.
Yes. Under the Driver's Licence Compact, other states report convictions back to California, points land on your record here, and your carrier prices them like any local ticket. Traffic school eligibility for an out-of-state citation is decided by the court that issued it.
Work through it in order: check the certificate against the citation number, confirm the court received it and closed the case, pull your DMV record to see whether the point posted, file form DL 207 if it did so in error, then ask your carrier to requote. If the record is clean, the increase came from somewhere else on the policy — a claim, an address change, or a rate filing.
Once every 18 months, counted from the violation date of the ticket you last masked. A second ticket inside that window goes on your record with its point, and the increase on this page is what follows.
$27.99, paid only after you pass
Two to three hours, on any device. DMV licence E1314.
Course materialsTwo attempts at the final examSame-day submission to the court and DMVElectronic certificateAudio read-along in English, Spanish or Chinese24/7 live chat
Start the course free