What 30/60/15 means for California auto coverage
The California DMV lists $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage. The actual policy may have different limits or special rules. Minimum financial responsibility and the amount of a person’s losses are separate questions.
Sources: California DMV insurance requirements ↗ · Insurance Code section 11580.2 ↗
Minimum coverage versus the policy actually purchased
For a simple arithmetic example, compare a hypothetical $100,000 UIM limit with a $30,000 payment from the other driver. Subtraction gives $70,000. Whether that figure has any role in a real claim depends on the statute, policy, exhaustion, consent, proof of damages, and other facts.
Sources: California DMV insurance requirements ↗ · Insurance Code section 11580.2 ↗
SEE THE DISTINCTIONS
California 30/60/15: three separate limits
- 01
30 — $30,000
Injury or death to one person under the ordinary minimum limits.
- 02
60 — $60,000
Injury or death to more than one person in one accident.
- 03
15 — $15,000
Property damage. This is a separate category from bodily injury.
These figures describe the ordinary minimum liability categories. Read the actual policy and any applicable special rules. They are not a promised payment.
Sources: California DMV insurance requirements ↗
Download this diagram ↗
A hypothetical underinsured motorist offset example
For a useful review, keep the following information together. You do not need to enter it on this website.
- The actual policy, bill, report, or notice involved.
- Dates and facts that could change which rule applies.
- The questions you want an attorney to answer before you take a step.
READ THE DECISIONS
Court decisions relevant to california 30/60/15 auto insurance limits
Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Macri
(1992) 4 Cal.4th 318, pp. 323–329
No insurance and too little insurance are different problems. The court held that some coverage rules differ too.
Limits of this decision: Read the current law and policy. Do not assume the same steps apply to both kinds of coverage.
Read the opinion ↗Review information for this guide is recorded above. Read each decision with its stated limits.
Legal and agency sources for this page
Use the sources to read the underlying rule or current official process. A source link is not personal legal advice.
- California DMV insurance requirements ↗
- Insurance Code section 11580.2 ↗
- Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Macri (1992) 4 Cal.4th 318 ↗
Reviewed by Andrew Ronald Gillin · 2026-11-05 · Review and correction process