Non-Standard Auto · High-Risk Drivers

Car insurance after a rough few years.

Auto coverage for drivers with a DUI, several tickets, at-fault accidents or a gap in insurance, shopped with insurance companies that write drivers others turn down.

Quick answer Non-standard auto insurance is car insurance for drivers that standard insurance companies treat as higher risk, usually because of a DUI, several tickets or accidents, or a suspension.

Non-standard auto policies carry the familiar coverages, such as liability, uninsured motorist, collision and comprehensive; what changes is which companies write them and the price.
In California, a driver who can't get coverage in the regular market can go through the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan, which assigns the driver to an insurance company.
An SR-22 is a proof-of-insurance form an insurance company files with the DMV, so a driver who needs one must buy from a company that will file it.
California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage.
In California, the Low Cost Auto program offers liability coverage to income-eligible drivers for cars valued up to $25,000.

By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched

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How it works

Your record decides who will quote you

Insurance companies use your driving record to decide whether they'll insure you and at what price. With several accidents or speeding tickets, a DUI or a suspension, standard companies may say no, and what's left is usually called non-standard auto. The coverages are the familiar ones, liability, uninsured motorist, collision and comprehensive. What changes is which companies will write them and the price.

In California, a driver who can't get coverage in the regular market can go through the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan, which assigns the driver to an insurance company, and income-eligible drivers may qualify for the state's Low Cost Auto program. If the DMV requires an SR-22, the policy has to come from a company that files it. I check the regular market first, then the assigned risk plan, so you see everything that's actually available.

Who it's forDrivers with a DUI, several tickets or at-fault accidents, or a suspended license.
Minimum liabilityIn California: $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage.
Good Driver DiscountIn California, licensed three straight years with no more than one point; rates at least 20% lower at the same company.
Assigned riskIn California, CAARP places drivers the regular market won't take; every CAARP company charges the same premium.

Common situations

High-risk drivers I help

After a DUI

A policy with the SR-22 filed so you can get your license back. See details

Several tickets or accidents

Companies that write drivers with points, compared side by side.

Gap in coverage

Getting insured again after a lapse, before you drive.

Dropped by your insurance company

Replacing a cancelled or non-renewed policy without a gap.

Newer drivers

Under three years licensed means no Good Driver Discount yet in California.

Tight budget

In California, income-eligible drivers may qualify for the Low Cost Auto program.

Ready to move back

Re-shopping standard companies once violations come off your record. See details

Before you call

What underwriters will ask

Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.

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Drivers: everyone in the household who drives, with dates of birth.
Violations: dates of tickets, accidents, DUIs or suspensions.
DMV paperwork: any notice requiring an SR-22.
Coverage history: your last policy and whether there was a gap.
Vehicles: year, make, model and VIN.
Use: commuting, pleasure or business, and where each car is parked overnight.

How California counts points, and how long they show

Underwriters price a non-standard policy off your driving record. Vehicle Code 12810 sets the point values:

Two points: failing to stop after an accident under 20001 or 20002, driving under the influence under 23152 or 23153, reckless driving, violations of 23140(a) or (b), and convictions under the other sections the statute lists, including 2800.2, 2800.3, 23109(a) or (c), and 14601 through 14601.5.
One point: any other traffic conviction involving the safe operation of a motor vehicle on the highway, any accident in which the DMV deems you responsible, and violations of 27360 or 27360.5.
No points: the specific sections listed in subdivision (i), such as certain 40001(b) violations when the driver isn't the vehicle's owner.
One count per stop: when one arrest or citation produces several convictions, only one counts toward your total.

How long an item shows is a separate rule. Vehicle Code 1808(b) lets the DMV disclose a conviction or accident if the date it happened falls within these periods:

10 years: violations under 23140, 23152 and 23153.
7 years: other two-point violations.
3 years: accidents and all other violations.
Suspensions and revocations: while in effect and for three years after the action ends or the privilege is reinstated, with some listed exceptions (1808(c)).

When you send me your record, I date every line so we know when each one drops off. The Department of Insurance notes that once a violation or accident is removed from your record, you may be able to buy a standard policy. After a DUI, see my California auto insurance after a DUI guide.

When points start to put your driving privilege at risk

Under Vehicle Code 12810.5(a), a driver whose record shows four or more points in 12 months, six or more in 24 months, or eight or more in 36 months is presumed to be a negligent operator. If you request and appear at a DMV hearing, the department must give due consideration to the amount of use or mileage you travel.

Under 12810.5(b)(1), a class A or class B driver, or a holder of certain listed certificates or endorsements, who requests and appears at a hearing is found negligent only at six or more points in 12 months, eight or more in 24, or 10 or more in 36. That higher count doesn't apply to points the DMV reasonably finds came from driving a vehicle that needs only a class C license (without a certificate or endorsement) or a class M license. Under (b)(2), points from violations in a vehicle that requires a class A or B license, or one of those certificates or endorsements, count at one and one-half times their normal value.

The part that matters for insurance is subdivision (c). If your privilege is suspended or revoked as a negligent operator, the DMV may require proof of financial responsibility on or before your reinstatement date, kept on file for three years after reinstatement. That means you need a carrier that will write you, and you can't let the policy lapse during that window.

Count your points by date against the 12, 24 and 36-month windows before your next renewal.
Send me any DMV notice the day it arrives, so we can line up a policy before the date it names.

How the assigned risk plan works behind the scenes

Here is what the law behind the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP) says.

Insurers must take part. Insurance Code 11620 requires insurers admitted to transact liability insurance in California to subscribe to and participate in the plan, which apportions applicants among them. The Department of Insurance says the program assigns you to an insurance company.
It's for people the regular market won't take. The statute covers applicants who are in good faith entitled to coverage but unable to get it through ordinary methods. The coverage it addresses is automobile bodily injury and property damage liability.
The plan sets eligibility standards. Under 11624(a), those standards may look at you and anyone reasonably expected to drive your car with your permission: criminal convictions, license suspensions or revocations, accident records, age, and the condition or use of the car, among other factors.
You sign a certificate of eligibility. Under 11624.08, a personal auto application through the plan comes with a certificate you sign under penalty of perjury. It states whether you meet the Good Driver criteria in 1861.025, and if you do, it names the insurer and representative that denied you coverage. The agent or broker signs too, confirming it was reviewed for completeness.
There's an appeal route. Section 11624(b) requires procedures for appeals to the Insurance Commissioner by anyone who believes they're aggrieved by how the plan operates.

CAARP isn't meant to be permanent. The Department notes that after a certain number of years a violation or accident may be removed from your record, and at that point you may be able to buy a standard policy. I mark those dates in your file when we place you.

Timing your way back to a Good Driver rate

Moving back to standard paper is mostly a calendar question. California Insurance Code 1861.025 sets who qualifies for a Good Driver policy, and the Department of Insurance says every auto insurer must offer coverage for Good Drivers. Most of the look-back is the previous three years:

Licensed for the previous three years. If your driving experience includes time outside the U.S. or Canada, you're presumed to qualify once you've been licensed in the U.S. or Canada for at least 18 months and meet the other tests for that period.
No more than one violation point. An at-fault accident that caused only property damage counts as one additional point. Violations insurers can't use under Insurance Code 488 or 488.5 are left out.
No more than one non-confidential dismissal under Vehicle Code 1803.5 in the 36 months, where the dismissed violations would otherwise have produced more than one point.
Not principally at fault as the driver in an accident that caused bodily injury or death.
No listed convictions under Vehicle Code 23140, 23152 or 23153, felony 23550 or 23566, former 23175, or Penal Code 191.5 or 192.5(a), from the later of January 1, 1999 or 10 years before you apply.

Two things trip people up. A one-point ticket plus an at-fault, property-damage-only accident adds up to two points, which is over the limit until one of them is more than three years old. And a DUI conviction blocks Good Driver qualification for 10 years, not three.

So I work backward from dates: if your newest one-point item turns three years old in March, we can look at standard quotes for a policy starting after that date. The factors California insurers may rate on are on my Prop 103 rating factors page, and the regular-market side is on auto insurance.

Questions

Non-standard auto insurance, answered

What is non-standard auto insurance?

Auto insurance for drivers that standard insurance companies treat as higher risk, usually because of a DUI, several tickets or accidents, or a suspension. The coverages are the familiar ones; the companies and prices differ.

Can I get car insurance in California if every company turns me down?

Yes. The California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan assigns you to an insurance company, and all companies in the plan must charge the same premiums. Installment payments are allowed, and there's no broker's fee for a CAARP policy.

How long will a DUI or accident follow me?

It depends on the violation and your state's rules. In California, after some years a violation or accident can come off your record, which may let you qualify for a standard policy again. That's when I re-shop.

What is California's Good Driver Discount?

Every auto insurance company in California must offer Good Driver rates at least 20% lower than its rates for drivers who don't qualify. Generally you need to have been licensed for three consecutive years with no more than one point on your record.

Do I need an SR-22?

Only if the DMV tells you so. The SR-22 is a proof-of-insurance form your insurance company files with the DMV, so the policy has to come from a company that will file it. My SR-22 page has the details.

Is there a lower-cost option for drivers with limited income?

In California, the Low Cost Auto program offers liability coverage that meets the state's financial responsibility law to income-eligible drivers, for cars valued up to $25,000. It's sold through certified agents, and the program can be reached at 1-866-602-8861.

Can my insurance company cancel my car policy in California after a ticket?

Insurance Code 1861.03(c) makes a notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of an auto policy effective only if it's based on nonpayment of premium, fraud or material misrepresentation affecting the policy or insured, or a substantial increase in the hazard insured against. The section's narrow exceptions cover certain motor club and group arrangements that existed before November 8, 1988.

Do you offer non-standard auto insurance outside California?

Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.

Official sources

Often placed alongside this

Coverage

SR-22 insurance

SR-22 filings with the California DMV, including non-owner policies.

See coverage Coverage

Auto insurance

Standard and non-standard auto for California drivers.

See coverage Coverage

Motorcycle insurance

Liability, physical damage and gear coverage for riders.

See coverage

Also covered with this: What kind of car insurance do I need? Rideshare insurance

By state: Insurance requirements by state

Non-standard auto

Tell me what's on your record. I'll shop it.

Violation dates and any DMV notice are enough to start.

Get a Quote Call (877) 711-4545

Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.

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