Last reviewed: 14 October 2026
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California: official insurance lookups
Short answer: Insurance in California is regulated by the California Department of Insurance (CDI). CDI's consumer hotline is 800-927-4357.[1] CDI publishes a Consumer Complaint Study that compares insurers' justified complaint ratios for auto, homeowners and life insurance.[2] We link to CDI's official tools and don't confirm anyone's license ourselves.
Official lookups
| What you want to do | Official link |
|---|---|
| Look up an insurance company (profile and complaint information) | CDI company profile search |
| Check an agent's or broker's license status | CDI license status information |
| Complaint data | CDI Consumer Complaint Study[2]: auto, homeowners |
| File a complaint or get help | CDI consumer help |
California complaint study, explained
According to CDI, the "justified complaint ratio is based on the number of justified complaints per 100,000 policies or exposures", and the study "only includes complaints that are closed for a given year regardless of when the complaints were filed." It covers "the past three years".[2] CDI also offers a Company Performance and Comparison Data Study for each company, which is reached from the company profile search.[2]
We don't reproduce CDI's tables or rankings. Open CDI's pages to see them.
FAQ
How do I check if a California agent is licensed?
Use CDI's license status lookup, linked above. We don't confirm licenses. See How to check if an insurance agent is licensed.
What does a "justified complaint" mean?
CDI's study points to California Insurance Code Section 12921.1 for definitions.[2] Read CDI's study page for details.
How do I complain about an insurer in California?
Start at CDI consumer help or call 800-927-4357.[1]
References
- [1] CDI, "Contact Us", https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0500-about-us/05-Contact/ (accessed 2026-10-14).
- [2] CDI, "Consumer Complaint Study", https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/120-company/03-concmplt/index.cfm (accessed 2026-10-14).