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California vs Ohio

Bottom line

Ohio requires more property-damage coverage than California ($25,000 vs $15,000). Both require an SR-22 for certain violations, though California files for 3 years versus Ohio's 1. Ohio generally has lower license-reinstatement costs.

Official government sources Last verified June 2026 36 fields reviewed Source links on every value

Important differences between California and Ohio

The differences drivers should know.

Bodily injury / person
California$30,000
Ohio$25,000
California requires higher bodily-injury coverage.
Bodily injury / accident
California$60,000
Ohio$50,000
California requires higher bodily-injury coverage.
Property damage
California$15,000
Ohio$25,000
Ohio requires more property-damage coverage.
UM/UIM requirement
California30/60
OhioOptional — not part of the required minimum (insurers must offer; driver may reject in writing).
Filing duration
California3 years of continuous SR-22 filing
OhioScenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA path: 1 year (BMV form 3135; §4509.45). OVI/other court…
California requires a longer SR-22 filing (3 vs 1 years).
Clock starts from
CaliforniaSuspension/reinstatement-based
OhioFRA/no-insurance path: from the date the registrar imposes the suspension (§4509.45). OVI path: runs…
Non-owner SR-22
CaliforniaYes
OhioYes (owner and non-owner FR filings/bonds available).
License reinstatement
California$55 standard reissue; $125 Admin Per Se (DUI) reissue; $15 DMV admin; $100 under-21 Zero Tolerance
OhioScenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA: $40 (1st) / $300 (2nd) / $600 (3rd+) — BMV form 3135 + §4509.101.…
Ohio costs less to reinstate.
Registration reinstatement
California$14 (separate fee, for a no-insurance registration suspension)
OhioThe FRA reinstatement fee ($40/$300/$600) covers the no-insurance suspension. Separate…
California costs less to reinstate.
No-insurance, first offense
California$100-$200 base fine on a first conviction, plus penalty assessments — a civil infraction under CA Veh.…
OhioAdministrative FRA suspension model — no per-offense criminal fine for the FR violation itself. 1st…
No-insurance, repeat offense
California$200-$500 for a subsequent conviction within three years, plus penalty assessments — civil infraction…
OhioLicense lost 1 year (2nd) / 2 years (additional offenses); reinstatement $300 (2nd) / $600 (3rd+).…
DUI suspension
CaliforniaAPS suspension: 4 months (1st); 1 year (2nd within 10 yrs). Refusal: 1 yr / 2 yr revoke / 3 yr revoke.…
OhioOVI (§4511.19): 1st = 1-3 years; 2nd within 10 yrs = 1-7 years + 90-day vehicle immobilization; 3rd =…
DUI fine range
California$390-$1,000 (first offense, VC 23536)
OhioOVI fines (§4511.19): 1st $565-$1,075; 2nd (within 10 yrs) $715-$1,625; 3rd $1,040-$2,750; 4th/5th+ (F4…
Driving while suspended
CaliforniaMisdemeanor. No-insurance suspension (VC 14601.1): up to 6 months jail and/or $300-$1,000.…
OhioDriving under OVI suspension (§4510.14): M1, mandatory 3-day jail, $250-$1,000 fine, 30-day vehicle…
CDL consequence
CaliforniaMust downgrade to a Class C license to obtain a restricted license. If not operating a commercial…
OhioAn OVI conviction OR a §4511.191 implied-consent suspension (refusal or over-the-limit test)…
View full comparison ↓

Recent law changes

Changes verified from official state sources.

California2025-01-01 — minimums raised to 30/60/15 (SB 1107).
Ohio2025-04-09 — OVI statute §4511.19 amended (SB 100 / HB 37, GA 135).

Full comparison

Every compared field, with the official source on each value.

Coverage

Bodily injury / person
California
$30,000
Official source ↗
Bodily injury / accident
California
$60,000
Official source ↗
Property damage
California
$15,000
Official source ↗
UM/UIM requirement
California
30/60
Official source ↗
Ohio
Optional — not part of the required minimum (insurers must offer; driver may reject in writing).
See Ohio sources ↗

SR-22 / FR-44

SR-22 required same
FR-44 required same
Filing duration
California
3 years of continuous SR-22 filing
Official source ↗
Ohio
Scenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA path: 1 year (BMV form 3135; §4509.45). OVI/other court suspensions: proof of FR (SR-22) must be maintained…
Full details
Scenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA path: 1 year (BMV form 3135; §4509.45). OVI/other court suspensions: proof of FR (SR-22) must be maintained through the reinstatement and runs with the court suspension term (OVI suspensions range 1 yr to 12 yrs depending on offense count, §4511.19).
Official source ↗
Clock starts from
California
Suspension/reinstatement-based
Official source ↗
Ohio
FRA/no-insurance path: from the date the registrar imposes the suspension (§4509.45). OVI path: runs with the court-ordered suspension and continues…
Full details
FRA/no-insurance path: from the date the registrar imposes the suspension (§4509.45). OVI path: runs with the court-ordered suspension and continues past reinstatement.
Official source ↗
Non-owner SR-22
California
Yes
Official source ↗
Ohio
Yes (owner and non-owner FR filings/bonds available).
See Ohio sources ↗

Costs

SR-22 filing fee same
California
~$15-25 (charged by the insurer, not the DMV)
See California sources ↗
Ohio
~$15-25 (charged by the insurer, not the BMV)
See Ohio sources ↗
License reinstatement
California
$55 standard reissue; $125 Admin Per Se (DUI) reissue; $15 DMV admin; $100 under-21 Zero Tolerance
Official source ↗
Ohio
Scenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA: $40 (1st) / $300 (2nd) / $600 (3rd+) — BMV form 3135 + §4509.101. OVI: a higher reinstatement fee set by…
Full details
Scenario-dependent. No-insurance/FRA: $40 (1st) / $300 (2nd) / $600 (3rd+) — BMV form 3135 + §4509.101. OVI: a higher reinstatement fee set by §4511.191(F)(2) (commonly ~$475, higher for repeat offenses).
Official source ↗
Registration reinstatement
California
$14 (separate fee, for a no-insurance registration suspension)
Official source ↗
Ohio
The FRA reinstatement fee ($40/$300/$600) covers the no-insurance suspension. Separate security/judgment suspensions after an uninsured crash carry…
Full details
The FRA reinstatement fee ($40/$300/$600) covers the no-insurance suspension. Separate security/judgment suspensions after an uninsured crash carry their own reinstatement.
Official source ↗

Penalties

No-insurance, first offense
California
$100-$200 base fine on a first conviction, plus penalty assessments — a civil infraction under CA Veh. Code 16029(a), for failing to provide evidence…
Full details
$100-$200 base fine on a first conviction, plus penalty assessments — a civil infraction under CA Veh. Code 16029(a), for failing to provide evidence of financial responsibility (16028(a)). The court may impound the vehicle and order coverage maintained for at least one year.
Official source ↗
Ohio
Administrative FRA suspension model — no per-offense criminal fine for the FR violation itself. 1st offense: license lost until requirements met; $40…
Full details
Administrative FRA suspension model — no per-offense criminal fine for the FR violation itself. 1st offense: license lost until requirements met; $40 reinstatement. Driving during an FRA suspension (§4510.16) is an unclassified misdemeanor, fine up to $1,000.
Official source ↗
No-insurance, repeat offense
California
$200-$500 for a subsequent conviction within three years, plus penalty assessments — civil infraction under CA Veh. Code 16029(b). Same…
Full details
$200-$500 for a subsequent conviction within three years, plus penalty assessments — civil infraction under CA Veh. Code 16029(b). Same penalty-assessment multiplier as the first-offense fine; the court may also impound the vehicle.
Official source ↗
Ohio
License lost 1 year (2nd) / 2 years (additional offenses); reinstatement $300 (2nd) / $600 (3rd+). SR-22 maintained 1 year.
Official source ↗
DUI suspension
California
APS suspension: 4 months (1st); 1 year (2nd within 10 yrs). Refusal: 1 yr / 2 yr revoke / 3 yr revoke. 30-day temp license after arrest.
Official source ↗
Ohio
OVI (§4511.19): 1st = 1-3 years; 2nd within 10 yrs = 1-7 years + 90-day vehicle immobilization; 3rd = 2-12 years; 4th/5th+ (felony F4) = class two…
Full details
OVI (§4511.19): 1st = 1-3 years; 2nd within 10 yrs = 1-7 years + 90-day vehicle immobilization; 3rd = 2-12 years; 4th/5th+ (felony F4) = class two suspension (3 years to life). Limited driving privileges and IID/unlimited-privileges options available per §4510.13 / §4510.022.
Official source ↗
DUI fine range
California
$390-$1,000 (first offense, VC 23536)
Official source ↗
Ohio
OVI fines (§4511.19): 1st $565-$1,075; 2nd (within 10 yrs) $715-$1,625; 3rd $1,040-$2,750; 4th/5th+ (F4 felony) $1,540-$10,500. Mandatory minimum…
Full details
OVI fines (§4511.19): 1st $565-$1,075; 2nd (within 10 yrs) $715-$1,625; 3rd $1,040-$2,750; 4th/5th+ (F4 felony) $1,540-$10,500. Mandatory minimum jail/intervention escalates with each offense.
Official source ↗
Driving while suspended
California
Misdemeanor. No-insurance suspension (VC 14601.1): up to 6 months jail and/or $300-$1,000. Reckless/negligent suspension (VC 14601): 5 days-6 months…
Full details
Misdemeanor. No-insurance suspension (VC 14601.1): up to 6 months jail and/or $300-$1,000. Reckless/negligent suspension (VC 14601): 5 days-6 months + $300-$1,000. DUI-related: VC 14601.2.
Official source ↗
Ohio
Driving under OVI suspension (§4510.14): M1, mandatory 3-day jail, $250-$1,000 fine, 30-day vehicle immobilization (1st); escalates. Driving under…
Full details
Driving under OVI suspension (§4510.14): M1, mandatory 3-day jail, $250-$1,000 fine, 30-day vehicle immobilization (1st); escalates. Driving under FRA suspension (§4510.16): unclassified misdemeanor, fine up to $1,000. General driving-under-suspension (§4510.11): M1. Driving under a 12-point suspension (§4510.037): M1, minimum 3-day jail (non-suspendable).
Official source ↗

CDL

CDL consequence
California
Must downgrade to a Class C license to obtain a restricted license. If not operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the offense, a $125 reissue…
Full details
Must downgrade to a Class C license to obtain a restricted license. If not operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the offense, a $125 reissue fee applies after a 30-day suspension. A DUI in a commercial vehicle triggers a 1-year CDL disqualification under federal rules.
Official source ↗
Ohio
An OVI conviction OR a §4511.191 implied-consent suspension (refusal or over-the-limit test) disqualifies a CDL for 1 year (1st) or life (2nd)…
Full details
An OVI conviction OR a §4511.191 implied-consent suspension (refusal or over-the-limit test) disqualifies a CDL for 1 year (1st) or life (2nd) (§4506.16(D)). Disqualification is 3 years if hauling hazmat at the time. Per §4506.16(F), the offense counts even when committed in a personal (non-commercial) vehicle if it occurred after the person obtained the CDL or on/after 9/30/2005. A test refusal also = immediate 24-hour out-of-service (§4506.17). Two serious traffic violations in 3 years = 60-day disqualification; three or more = 120 days.
Official source ↗