It looks like legal immigrants who buy auto insurance in California may be getting a raw deal from at least some insurance companies. What we're hearing is that a few companies are refusing to give the state's Good Driver discount to immigrants who have held a U.S. drivers license for less than 18 months. Even drivers who can show a clean driving record.

We're trying to confirm that this ripoff is actually occurring. If you (or someone you know) immigrated within the last 5 years and obtained auto insurance before you had your California driver’s license for 18 months, you may have been overcharged by 20% or more. If so, please click here to tell us about it.

Why it's important:

• The Good Driver discount can be worth hundreds of dollars a year, enough to make the difference between affordable and unaffordable auto insurance.
• There's nothing in California law that says a driver has to be licensed in the U.S. for 18 months to qualify for the discount.
• Denying the discount to a driver who can show a clean driving record would be a violation of California insurance laws.
• Such denials may also violate California civil rights law.

So being denied this discount isn't trivial–it's fairly big money, and also a matter of equal treatment. If you're not sure, or you have a question, send us a message here.