Yes—as a California resident, you generally must have qualifying health insurance unless you qualify for an exemption.
“I just received my Green Card and live in California. Am I legally required to have health insurance?”
Summary
This is California’s rule for residents, not a separate requirement triggered by receiving your Green Card. You may already satisfy it through existing coverage, and exemptions can protect you from a penalty. (Cal. Gov. Code § 100705; FTB Form 3853 Instructions.)
Your next move depends on whether you already have qualifying coverage or qualify for an exemption.
You do not need an additional policy just because you received your Green Card. Employer coverage, qualifying individual insurance, and qualifying government coverage can meet the requirement. (Cal. Gov. Code § 100705(a); FTB Form 3853 Instructions.)
One Covered California application screens you for its insurance plans and Medi-Cal. Do not assume the federal five-year Medicaid waiting period rules out Medi-Cal: California’s 2026 eligibility table lists full-scope coverage for Green Card holders even when that federal waiting period applies, subject to other eligibility requirements. (Covered California, Major Life Changes; DHCS, 2026 Adult Expansion Freeze eligibility table.)
Possible exemptions include income below the tax-filing threshold, qualifying unaffordable coverage, and a qualifying short coverage gap. For a 2026 affordability-hardship exemption, Covered California generally uses costs exceeding 8.05% of projected annual household income; eligibility is not automatic merely because a plan feels expensive. (FTB Form 3853 Instructions; Covered California, Exemptions.)
Without qualifying coverage or an exemption, you face a penalty when you file your California income tax return. (Cal. Gov. Code § 100705(e).)
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Next steps
If you need coverage, follow the enrollment steps below; if you qualify for an exemption instead, use the tax instructions in the final step.
If you need insurance
Gather your household information
Prepare these details for the family members in your household before starting the Covered California application. Its document list accepts a Permanent Resident Card, also called Form I-551. (Covered California, How to Apply; Proof of Immigration Status or Lawful Presence.)
Requirements
Do not assume the card’s delivery date starts a deadline
Apply during the right enrollment window
Apply at https://apply.coveredca.com/static/lw-web/account-creation/choose-application or call (800) 300-1506. If gaining lawful presence made you newly eligible for marketplace coverage, the usual special-enrollment deadline is 60 days after that event. If you were already lawfully present, receiving a Green Card alone does not establish that particular ; another qualifying event may apply. Without a special-enrollment event, enroll November 1–December 31, 2026, for coverage beginning January 1, 2027. The same application screens for Medi-Cal. (45 CFR 155.420(c)(1), (d)(3); 45 CFR 155.410; Covered California, Major Life Changes and 2027 enrollment notice.)
Choose the branch that applies
Complete enrollment or claim your exemption
For a Covered California private plan, choose the plan and pay the first bill directly to the insurance company by the due date printed on that bill; selecting a plan alone does not complete enrollment. For most tax exemptions, use Form FTB 3853 with your California income tax return. If your income is below the filing threshold and you are not required to file, you do not need to file a return solely to claim that coverage exemption. (Covered California, How to Apply; FTB, Personal Health Care Mandate; FTB Form 3853 Instructions.)
Legal sources
This answer draws on California law, the Franchise Tax Board, Covered California, DHCS, the IRS, and federal enrollment regulations.
Cal. Gov. Code § 100705
California requires residents to maintain qualifying coverage unless an exception applies and imposes a state tax penalty for noncompliance.
§ 100705(a), (e)
For each month beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a California resident shall be enrolled in and maintain minimum essential coverage for that month, except as provided in subdivision (c). An Individual Shared Responsibility Penalty shall be imposed for failure to meet the requirement of the Minimum Essential Coverage Individual Mandate pursuant to Part 32 (commencing with Section 61000) of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
FTB Form 3853 Instructions (2025; revised March 2026)
The tax instructions explain qualifying coverage, the low-income filing exception, and the limits of the short-gap exemption.
Minimum Essential Coverage; Coverage Exemption Claimed on Your Tax Return; Short Coverage Gap
MEC generally includes coverage under a government-sponsored program, coverage from your employer, and coverage under certain plans that you buy in the individual market. If you are not required to file a tax return because your applicable household income or gross income is less than your filing threshold, and you do not wish to file a tax return, your applicable household is exempt from the Individual Shared Responsibility Penalty and you do not need to file a tax return or do anything else to claim the coverage exemption. You generally can claim a coverage exemption for yourself or another member of your applicable household for each month of a gap in coverage of 3 continuous months or less. If an individual had more than one short coverage gap during the year, the individual is exempt only for the month(s) in the first gap. If an individual had a gap of more than 3 months, the individual is not exempt for any of those months.
IRS, Individual Shared Responsibility Q&A
There is no federal uninsured payment for 2019 onward, which is separate from California’s state penalty.
Individual shared responsibility payment
Enacted in December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduced the shared responsibility payment to zero for tax year 2019 and all subsequent years.
Covered California, Exemptions
Covered California publishes the 2026 affordability-hardship standard.
Affordability Hardship Exemption
If health insurance available to you through a job or Covered California is unaffordable based on your projected household income, you may qualify for an affordability hardship exemption. For tax year 2026, insurance is generally considered unaffordable if your costs are more than 8.05 percent of your projected annual household income.
DHCS, 2026 Adult Expansion Freeze eligibility table
California’s 2026 table lists full-scope Medi-Cal for Green Card holders, including those subject to the federal five-year bar.
Lawfully Permanent Resident row
| Immigration Status | Lawfully Present | Qualified Non-Citizen | 5-Year Bar Applies | PRUCOL | Citizen/Alien Indicator | Alien Eligbility Code | Under 19 | 19-20 and Not Pregnant | 21+ and Not Pregnant | |Lawfully Permanent Resident (LPR/Green Card holder |Yes |Yes |Yes (If not a veteran or spouse or child of a veteran) |No |K |If 4, 5, 6, or 8 the LPR is a veteran or spouse of child of a veteran exempt from 5-year bar. |Full Scope |Full Scope |Full Scope |
45 CFR 155.420
The status-based enrollment event requires newly qualifying eligibility, and the usual plan-selection window is 60 days.
(d)(3), (c)(1)
The qualified individual, or his or her dependent, becomes newly eligible for enrollment in a QHP through the Exchange because he or she newly satisfies the requirements under § 155.305(a)(1) or (2); Unless specifically stated otherwise herein, a qualified individual or enrollee has 60 days from the date of a triggering event to select a QHP.
45 CFR 155.410
The current regulation shortens enrollment for 2027 onward and sets January 1 coverage for timely selections.
(e)(5)(i), (f)(4)
The annual open enrollment period for all Exchanges must begin no later than November 1 and must end no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the benefit year. For benefit years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, the Exchange must ensure that coverage is effective January 1, for QHP selections received by the Exchange on or before December 31 of the calendar year preceding the benefit year.
Covered California, Enrollment Channel Partner Briefing
Covered California’s year-specific notice gives the November–December 2026 enrollment dates for 2027 coverage.
2027 Open Enrollment announcement
In addition, the Open Enrollment period for plan year 2027 will be shortened to a nine-week window, running from November 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Covered California, How to Apply
Covered California identifies the application information and first-payment requirement.
Application information; Pay Your Bill
You’ll need Social Security numbers, birthdates, immigration documents and current income information for the family members in your household. If you qualify for Covered California, you must choose a health plan and pay your first bill to complete your enrollment with Covered California. You need to pay your specific insurance company — not Covered California — no later than the due date printed on the bill.
Covered California, Major Life Changes
One application is reviewed for both Covered California coverage and Medi-Cal.
Applying after a major life change
Covered California will review your application for Covered California plans, Medi-Cal, and other programs.
FTB, Personal Health Care Mandate
The current Franchise Tax Board guidance confirms that most exemptions are claimed through your California tax return.
Exemptions
You may qualify for an exemption to avoid the penalty. Most exemptions may be claimed on your state income tax return.
These are the official rules as published on the cited dates; rules and enrollment procedures can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice, and SettleKit is not a law firm.
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