Looking for affordable car insurance? Something under $400 annually?

Don't know where to go?

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones can help.

That was the case Thursday at San Diego City College, where Jones helped staff a booth during a Cinco de Mayo celebration promoting the state's Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program.

The program, which began as a pilot, became statewide in the mid 2000s. In San Diego County, it has been available since 2006.

California requires all drivers to carry liability insurance but many don't because of the cost. The state created the low-cost program to reduce that barrier.

"By law you have to have auto insurance in California," Jones said. "If you don't have auto insurance, you're placing yourself and others at risk. You're violating the law and you can ultimately lose your license."

Jones, who was elected last year, said four million cars or 15 percent of the total in California are uninsured. It's unclear how many Latinos drive without insurance but the number is believed to be high, he said.

According to insurance officials, uninsured drivers in California tend to be lower income, younger Latino or African-American males.

Which explains why Jones was in San Diego on Cinco de Mayo.

State reps invited young students to fill out an online quiz to see if they qualified for low-cost auto insurance and provided multi-lingual material.

The quiz can be found on the low-cost program's website at www.mylowcostauto.com

Information in spanish is available.

The state also has a phone line, 1-866-602-8861, which also has multi-lingual services.

In San Diego, low-cost liability coverage can be purchased for as low $264

annually for drivers who qualify. Jones said the regular cost can be twice that much.

Basic requirements include:

• Have a good driving record. No more than one at-fault, property damage-only accident or one point for a moving violation in the past three years.

• No at-fault accident involving bodily injury or death in the past three years and no felony or misdemeanor conviction for a vehicle violation.

• Family meets income eligibility of $27,225 for a single person, $55,875 for a family of four.

• The vehicle is valued at $20,000 or less.

• Have been continuously licensed to drive for three years.

Undocumented immigrants cannot legally obtain a driver's license in California and are not eligible to participate in the low-cost insurance program, Jones said.

The state does not provide the coverage. Instead it administers a program that all insurers who sell auto coverage in California are required to participate in as a condition of doing business in the state.

"The program is funded by private insurers," he said. "We make sure that insurance companies participate. It's a way for them to help make sure we have an affordable insurance program for all Californians."

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com