Coverage builder

A car insurance policy is a bundle of separate coverages, each with its own job. Some the law requires, one the law includes unless you sign it away, and the rest are choices. Switch them on and off below to see what each one does — and what you give up without it.

Required, included, optional

• Required: liability for injuries and property damage, at least 30/60/15 (Vehicle Code 16430). The DMV also accepts a $75,000 deposit, a $75,000 surety bond or a self-insurance certificate instead of a policy (DMV).
• Included unless you sign it away: uninsured motorist coverage. A liability policy must contain it unless the named insured signs a written agreement to delete it or take lower limits — and that agreement binds every insured on the policy (Insurance Code 11580.2).
• Optional by law: collision, comprehensive, medical payments, rental and roadside. A lender or lessor usually makes collision and comprehensive a condition of the loan or lease.

What each coverage actually pays — and what it excludes — is in your policy wording, which varies by company. The declarations page lists every coverage and limit you bought; that page, not the word "full," is what to compare.

Sources (official)

• California Vehicle Code section 16430 (the 30/60/15 liability minimum)
• California Insurance Code section 11580.2 (uninsured motorist coverage and written waivers)
• California DMV — Insurance requirements

Descriptions are general. What a coverage pays, and its exclusions, are set by your policy wording and vary by company — read the declarations page and the policy.