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California Casualty Insurance review 2024

Updated Nov 13, 2024
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At a glance

Bankrate's take

California Casualty Insurance may be a good fit for essential workers like educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers and nurses in need of home and auto insurance. However, policies are not available to the general public, and state availability is limited.

  • Only available to public service employees like educators, firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers and other “heroes”
  • Mexico car and home insurance available
  • Policies available in seven states
  • More complaints than average with the NAIC for home and auto insurance
  • No mobile app

New

What’s new with California Casualty?

In 2023, California Casualty withdrew from 22 states and Washington, D.C. In a statement, the insurer cited profitability as the main motivator behind the decision.

California Casualty car insurance review

California Casualty car insurance is available to teachers, firefighters, nurses, law enforcement officers and other qualifying public service workers across seven states. In addition to the car insurance basics, drivers can also insure their antique or classic cars, trailers, campers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, RVs, golf carts and road-registered dune buggies. Policies are also somewhat customizable with extra benefits like pet injury coverage, gap insurance, up to $500 in personal property coverage and custom parts coverage. However, not every coverage option is available in every state where California Casualty writes auto policies.

Like the best car insurance companies, California Casualty Insurance offers standard coverage options such as liability, comprehensive, collision, medical payments and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If you’re interested in additional coverage types, California Casualty offers several options, including some specific to essential workers. Law enforcement officers may appreciate turnout gear and firearms coverage, which pays out to cover stolen, damaged or destroyed firefighter and law enforcement gear and/or firearms stored in the vehicle, as well as custom/non-factory equipment coverage to insure any parts and devices that aren’t from the vehicle’s original manufacturer that get damaged or need replacement after a covered loss.

Pros and cons of California Casualty car insurance

When shopping for car insurance, comparing car insurance companies and requesting quotes can help direct you toward the best choices for your needs. Here’s a quick summary of California Casualty car insurance to help you decide:

Green circle with a checkmark inside

Pros

  • $500 in personal property coverage for belongings in the vehicle
  • Coverage for custom or aftermarket additions to the vehicle
  • Unique coverage options based on qualified professions
Red circle with an X inside

Cons

  • Strict eligibility requirements
  • Only available in AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, OR and WY
  • Not all coverage selections are available in every state
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California Casualty car insurance cost

The average driver pays $2,372 annually for a full coverage policy from California Casualty and $517 for a minimum coverage policy. In comparison, the average cost of car insurance in the U.S. is $2,458 per year for full coverage and $678 for minimum coverage.

Keep in mind that every driver pays a different rate for car insurance. Car insurance rates vary by company, as each one factors in characteristics such as your location, driving record and claims history differently when determining your premium.

How much is California Casualty car insurance?

Drivers with incidents or at-fault accidents on their records typically pay higher car insurance rates compared to drivers with clean driving records. However, you may still be able to find affordable coverage with a less-than-perfect record by shopping around and looking for relevant discounts. The table below compares California Casualty car insurance rates for various driving infractions against national average rates.

Good driver, good credit
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,372
National full coverage premium
$2,458
California Casualty full coverage premium
$4,596
National full coverage premium
$4,502
California Casualty full coverage premium
$3,575
National full coverage premium
$2,975
California Casualty full coverage premium
$4,149
National full coverage premium
$3,508
California Casualty full coverage premium
$4,909
National full coverage premium
$4,713
*All rates displayed are average annual rates.

California Casualty car insurance quotes by age

In most states, a driver's age influences what they pay for auto insurance with young drivers paying some of the highest average rates. Younger drivers, especially teens, are more likely to drive recklessly and have less experience behind the wheel. To account for the added risk of insuring a younger driver, many insurance companies charge these drivers higher rates.

California Casualty full coverage premium
$5,517
National full coverage premium
$5,229
California Casualty full coverage premium
$5,082
National full coverage premium
$4,501
California Casualty full coverage premium
$5,442
National full coverage premium
$4,972
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,732
National full coverage premium
$3,031
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,367
National full coverage premium
$2,622
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,372
National full coverage premium
$2,458
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,148
National full coverage premium
$2,220
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,372
National full coverage premium
$2,458
California Casualty full coverage premium
$2,148
National full coverage premium
$2,220
*All rates displayed are average annual rates. Rates are based on our good driver profile, with 16- and 18-year-old drivers added to their parents’ policy.

Compare California Casualty car insurance rates

What one insurance company quotes you will likely be different compared to others. Insurance companies each have their own, unique method for determining what you pay for your car insurance policy. That’s why it is so important to compare quotes across different providers to know if you are getting the best deal.

$2,372
$517
$3,060
$987
$2,418
$706
$2,107
$558
$3,081
$925
$1,992
$585
$1,934
$697
$2,688
$886
$1,996
$543
$2,127
$767
$1,992
$585
$1,934
$697
$2,688
$886
$1,996
$543
$2,127
$767
*All rates displayed are average annual rates.

California Casualty customer satisfaction

Reviewing an insurance company’s customer satisfaction ratings can help paint a picture of what your customer experience may be like. This can be done by speaking with existing policyholders or by reviewing third-party ratings from entities like J.D. Power. J.D. Power scores and ranks companies on a scale of 1 to 1,000 based on a variety of attributes, including how easy it is to manage your policy digitally. Unfortunately, California Casualty was not included in the J.D. Power studies we analyzed, likely because it is a smaller carrier than other national companies.

California Casualty auto insurance customer complaints

Customer complaints are another way to assess how well a company works with its policyholders. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks customer complaints and uses carriers' market share and number of complaints to calculate complaint indexes by product type. The index has a baseline of 1.00, meaning that companies over 1.00 receive more complaints than expected based on their market share and vice versa. California Casualty’s NAIC complaint index from 2021 to 2023 was higher than average, indicating that the company could stand to improve its auto insurance service.

California Casualty car insurance discounts

California Casualty auto insurance has a 12-month rate lock guarantee. Additionally, drivers can access several discounts to save money, such as:

  • Mature driver discount: Drivers over a certain age may qualify for savings. You may want to check with your insurance agent to see if you qualify.
  • College graduate discount: If you hold a degree from an accredited college or university, you may qualify for additional savings.
  • Multi-car discount: Insuring more than one car on your California Casualty car insurance policy could equate to additional discounts.
  • Good student discount: By achieving a certain grade point average, a young driver on your policy could qualify for this discount to be added to the policy.
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Get personalized auto insurance quotes

Answering a few quick questions to check your availability with California Casualty
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Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

California Casualty home insurance review

California Casualty may be one of the best homeowners insurance companies for law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and educators. Customers can choose from various add-on coverage types that most other insurance companies do not offer, and several discounts are available. Unique coverage types with California Casualty include a fallen hero/fallen officer survivor benefit for policyholders in firefighting or law enforcement who pass away in the line of duty and off-duty weapons theft coverage for up to $5,000 in coverage for stolen, personally owned off-duty weapons.

Additional home insurance coverage types include lost luggage coverage, debit or credit card coverage, personal property used in teaching coverage, school violence death survivor benefit (in some states) and educators' excess liability coverage.

Pros and cons of California Casualty homeowners insurance

Understanding the pros and cons of a home insurance company can help you while shopping for home insurance. Here are some pros and cons of California Casualty home insurance to help you more easily compare this company with other insurers:

Green circle with a checkmark inside

Pros

  • Teachers can include optional coverage to insure their own belongings used for class instruction
  • Up to $5,000 in weapons theft coverage for individuals in law enforcement or firefighting
  • Billing plans available
Red circle with an X inside

Cons

  • 24/7 customer service not available
  • Higher than average number of complaints with the NAIC
  • Not rated by J.D. Power for customer service
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California Casualty home insurance cost

The average annual premium for a California Casualty home insurance policy is $2,991 for $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is 30 percent more than the national average cost of homeowners insurance, which is $2,304 for the same amount of dwelling coverage. Individual rates may vary depending on your location, the size of your home, coverage selections and applicable discounts. If you’re looking for cheap home insurance, researching more than one company and requesting home insurance quotes can help you find the best rate.

$150K dwelling
California Casualty average premium
$1,991
National average premium
$1,406
$300K dwelling
California Casualty average premium
$2,991
National average premium
$2,304
$350K dwelling
California Casualty average premium
$3,235
National average premium
$2,571
$450K dwelling
California Casualty average premium
$3,755
National average premium
$3,118
$750K dwelling
California Casualty average premium
$4,867
National average premium
$4,549

Compare California Casualty homeowners insurance rates

Just like with car insurance rates, home insurance rates will also vary based on each company’s underwriting method. You can see how California Casualty’s home insurance costs compare to some of the larger, national carriers in the table below.

$2,991
+ $687
$1,984
- $320
$2,289
- $15
$1,451
- $853
$2,448
+ $144
$1,772
- $532
$3,567
+ $1,263
$1,698
- $606
$2,485
+ $181
$1,871
- $433
$1,772
- $532
$3,567
+ $1,263
$1,698
- $606
$2,485
+ $181
$1,871
- $433

California Casualty customer satisfaction

California Casualty’s home insurance product was not rated by J.D. Power for property claims satisfaction or customer service. This is likely because those studies focus on companies with larger shares of the market, and California Casualty only caters to public service workers.

California Casualty home insurance customer complaints

On the homeowner side, California Casualty has a low market share that may lead to confusing complaint index data. Although its index was above average in 2022 and 2023, the carrier only received a total of two complaints during that time period. Speaking with existing policyholders may give you more insights into California Casualty's service level.

California Casualty home insurance discounts

California Casualty home insurance offers many of the same savings opportunities that other insurance companies have, including discounts for multi-policy and home alert protection. In addition, qualifying policyholders may be interested in the following discounts:

  • Non-smoker discount: If you refrain from smoking in the house, you may qualify for added savings.
  • Fire alarm/extinguisher/automatic sprinkler discount: If you have measures in place to fight a potential fire, you may qualify for this discount.
  • Age 55+/retired discount: Depending on your age and retirement status, you could qualify to add this discount to your homeowners insurance policy.
  • Multiple policy discount: By insuring both your home and auto insurance with California Casualty, this discount could be added to both policies.
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Get personalized home insurance quotes

Answering a few quick questions to check your availability with California Casualty

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Advertising disclosure
This advertisement is powered by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate. The offers and links that appear on this advertisement are from companies that compensate Coverage.com in different ways. The compensation received and other factors, such as your location, may impact what offers and links appear, and how, where and in what order they appear. While we seek to provide a wide range of offers, we do not include every product or service that may be available. Our goal is to keep information accurate and timely, but some information may not be current. Your actual offer from an advertiser may be different from the offer on this advertisement. All offers are subject to additional terms and conditions.

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

Compare California Casualty with other insurers

Finding the best insurance for your needs means shopping around to see what different carriers offer, especially if you’re looking for cheap car insurance or an affordable home policy. If you’re on the fence about California Casualty, here are some other carriers to consider when requesting a car  or home insurance quote:

Badge Icon Featured

California Casualty

California Casualty
Not scored
Info Icon

Geico

Geico
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
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Cost & ratings

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Coverage

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0

Support

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4

Allstate

Allstate
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1
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Cost & ratings

Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5
3.8

Coverage

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5

Support

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4.0
OVERVIEW
Info Icon
Policyholders who value cheaper car insurance and digital capabilities over bundling multiple insurance policies with the same company might consider Geico as their company of choice.
Tied for a 2024 Bankrate Award for Best Homeowners Insurance Company Overall, Allstate offers home, auto and life insurance for those who want the convenience of a single carrier for all their insurance needs.
STANDOUT FEATURES
Info Icon
Lightbulb Icon
DriveEasy telematics program
Online Reviews Icon
Strong digital tools
Loan Icon
Long list of potential discounts
Car Guide Icon
Multiple safe driving rewards
Online Reviews Icon
Strong mobile and online tools
AVG FULL COV. AUTO RATE
Info Icon
$2,107 $3,081
J.D. POWER AUTO SCORE
Info Icon
692/1000 691/1000
AVG HOME RATE
Info Icon
No rates available $2,289
J.D. POWER HOME SCORE
Info Icon
Not Scored 868/1000
AM BEST RATING
Info Icon
A++(Superior) A+(Superior)
Bankrate logo

Why you can trust Bankrate

Read our full methodology

Our insurance editorial team includes licensed agents with decades of combined experience, and we used our intimate knowledge of the industry to conduct this in-depth California Casualty insurance review.

46

years of industry expertise

122

carriers reviewed

34.5K

ZIP codes examined

1.2M

quotes analyzed

Is California Casualty a good insurance company?

Bankrate’s insurance experts put together this California Casualty Insurance review to help you decide whether this company is right for you. The company’s mission is to protect people who serve the community, which is why California Casualty Insurance tailors its insurance coverage to educators, higher education employees, firefighters, law enforcement officers and nurses. If you are in these professions and want access to its specialized coverage and benefits, California Casualty may be a good fit. However, its customer service is not available 24/7 like some competitors, and its average home insurance rates are significantly higher than the national average. Plus, it does not have a mobile app, which could be an issue for some.

What are real-life customers saying about California Casualty?

In order to get a pulse on what actual customers think about the company, our team looked at California Casualty reviews from across the web. Like with many other insurance companies, the general consensus around the company was a mix of positive and negative. Many customers appreciated the company’s customer service and low prices. But, some claimed that customer service was slower than they would prefer. Multiple other Trustpilot users were unhappy with steep car insurance rate increases when their policy was renewed.

Reddit User*
Dec 30, 2014
Solid customer service
I currently have them and the only real complaint I could make is that it can take A LONG time to get to someone on the phone. Other than that, they were cheap, (roughly $60 a month cheaper than all competition in my area) and when I did talk to someone, they were polite, to the point, and they always seem more than willing to help me out when something happens.
via Reddit
Trustpilot User*
Apr 27, 2023
Slow claims response
I was with Geico for 15 years. Changed to CC because I am a teacher and my daughter a nurse and recommended by our unions. Two weeks later someone breaks in my daughter’s car. We are currently in the middle of the claim - a month later. I am wildly disappointed. Emails are not returned, questions are not addressed, phone calls not returned. Car is ready but CC is not responding to me or the dealer so we cannot get the car. Dealer says CC is very hard to work with. At this point, I could not recommend this company to anyone.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

California Casualty company details

  • Customer service: 1-800-800-9410, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT
  • Claims: Claims can be filed online or by dialing 1-800-800-9410, option 4, or mailed to P.O Box 39700, Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9700
  • Website: www.calcas.com

State availability

California Casualty insurance is only available in AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, OR and WY.

California Casualty tools and benefits

California Casualty may be known for its home and auto insurance, but it also offers other insurance products, including:

  • Mexico tourist auto insurance: California Casualty offers car insurance for U.S. drivers headed to Mexico through its partnership with Mexpro Insurance Professionals.
  • Personal umbrella insurance: This policy provides an additional layer of liability coverage to your underlying personal insurance policies, such as home and car insurance.
  • Recreational vehicles insurance: California Casualty may be able to insure these vehicles whether you have a boat, snowmobile or RV.
  • Pet insurance: California Casualty offers pet insurance, which is essentially health insurance for your animals.

Frequently asked questions about California Casualty

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze November 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region.

Auto

Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
  • $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
  • $50,000 property damage liability per accident
  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
  • $500 collision deductible
  • $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket, single at-fault accident and single DUI conviction.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Homeowners

Quoted rates are based on married male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

  • Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $300,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
  • Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $30,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
  • Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $150,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
  • Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $60,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
  • Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
  • Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible, a $500 hail deductible and a 2 percent hurricane deductible (or the next closest deductible amounts that are available) where separate deductibles apply.

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impact policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Overall Score
  • Cost & ratings 50%
  • Coverage & savings 30%
  • Support 20%

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

Written by
Natalie Todoroff
Writer, Insurance
Natalie Todoroff is an insurance writer and industry analyst for Bankrate. She is based in San Francisco and holds a personal lines insurance license.
Edited by Editor, Insurance