AB 60 Licenses and Insurance
Since 2015, California has issued driver's licenses to residents who cannot document lawful presence, under the law commonly called AB 60. These are real California driver's licenses for the purpose of driving, and holders can be quoted and insured. If you have been told otherwise, you were told wrong.
What the license is and is not
It authorises you to drive in California. It is marked to indicate it is not acceptable as federal identification, which is a statement about federal ID purposes rather than about driving or insurance. California law is explicit that it is unlawful to discriminate against a holder of one of these licenses because of the license, and the Department of Insurance has been clear that carriers may not refuse to write someone solely on that basis.
How the quote runs
The same way any other quote runs. License number, date of birth, driving history, vehicle VIN, garaging address, household drivers. Nothing about the process is separate, and the same rating factors apply — California Insurance Code section 1861.02 puts driving record, annual mileage and years of driving experience first regardless of which license you hold.
The two practical wrinkles
- Driving experience. If the license is recent but you have driven for years elsewhere, that history may not be on a California record. Say so and ask what documentation the carrier will accept — an international license, a letter from a prior insurer, or records from another country. Whether any of it is credited is company-specific.
- Carrier appetite differs. Not on the basis of the license type, which is not permitted, but on the ordinary factors: record, vehicle, experience. As with any placement, more than one carrier is worth trying.
What to bring
- Your California driver's license.
- Vehicle registration and VIN.
- Any prior insurance documents, including from outside the United States.
- Everyone in the household who drives, with their license details.
If someone refuses you because of the license
Ask for the reason in writing. Refusal on that ground alone is not permissible, and the California Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints. In our office this comes up as a fear far more often than as an actual event.
Start a quote the ordinary way — it is the ordinary way for a reason.
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Can I get car insurance with an AB 60 license?
Yes. It is a California driver's license for driving purposes, and refusing to insure someone solely because they hold one is not permitted.
Do I pay more for having this type of license?
The license type is not a rating factor. What affects the price is the same list as for anyone else — driving record, mileage, years of experience, vehicle and coverage choices.
What if my driving experience is from another country?
Say so. Whether prior foreign experience or insurance history can be credited varies by carrier, so ask what documentation they will accept before assuming it counts for nothing.