What is Temporary Car Insurance and Should I Get It? – ValuePenguin

October 24, 2022

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Reputable insurers generally do not offer term auto insurance. You can only buy auto insurance in six-month or one-year increments, although many insurers offer payment plans that allow policyholders to pay month-to-month, and you can cancel your policy early if you don’t it does. I don’t need it anymore.

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If you see ads for short-term or temporary auto insurance policies, think twice before buying one. Companies that sell car insurance for one day, one week or one month may offer misleading or overpriced coverage.

Reading: Daily car insurance how it works

what is temporary car insurance?

Insurers typically don’t sell term or short-term auto insurance for less than six months at a time. Websites may lure you in with promises of temporary seven, 14, or 30-day auto insurance plans, or even one-day insurance at a very low cost. however, submitting your information for a quote online or calling the phone number will likely redirect you to a regular licensed agent who can only offer policies for at least six months.

Even if you only need short-term auto insurance (a month or two months, say), you’ll likely need to get a policy for six months. If you don’t own a car but still need insurance, a non-homeowners insurance policy or rental car insurance may be the best option for your short-term situation.

how to get car insurance for temporary situations

Car insurance is sold in units of six months or one year, which means you can’t buy it monthly. You must agree to buy six months of auto insurance, which you can then pay for on a month-to-month basis. then simply pay your bill each month

Either way, set a reminder so you don’t forget to cancel your policy before it expires. if you paid in full in advance, be sure to request a refund. get a cancellation confirmation number and write down the time, date and representative you spoke with.

Car insurance companies generally do not charge cancellation fees and often refund unearned monthly premiums. And if, for example, you drop coverage after six weeks but only paid for four weeks, the insurer will send you a balance due for the additional two weeks. however, keep a close eye on your bank statement: payments may be processed despite cancellation and refunds may take some time.

To get cheap auto insurance for a temporary scenario, get quotes from multiple companies to ensure you get the cheapest auto insurance rates. be sure to compare the same coverage, limits, and duration between insurers.

What short-term situations should you adjust your auto insurance for?

There are a couple of temporary circumstances where it makes sense to adjust your auto insurance coverage. Here are some common short-term situations where you should contact your insurer to see if they can adjust your policy:

temporary coverage for student drivers

If your child attends college or university and drives a car constantly, they need ongoing auto insurance, not temporary coverage. But if they drive alone during winter or summer vacations, she may want to adjust her insurance coverages for a temporary period to reflect those changes.

If you temporarily suspend auto insurance coverage for a college-age driver by removing them from your policy during the semester, you can reduce your rates by $1,000 to $2,500 each year, depending on the student’s age and driving record. however, don’t forget to temporarily add them back when they return for winter and summer breaks; Driving without insurance is illegal and can result in fines or jail time.

Proceed with caution, however: some insurers require that all members of a family who are licensed or have reached driving age be included in a policy, even if the drivers do not use the car often or not at all.

Other auto insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders for keeping college-age drivers on the policy. State Farm, for example, offers the best discounts for college students. These include a nice student discount and an out-of-school student discount on policies where a college student attends school more than 100 miles from home.

Your insurer may offer comparable discounts. Call your insurance representative, explain your situation, and carefully consider your coverage options. Temporary insurance coverage for college students during breaks may seem like an obvious choice, but it may not be the most affordable decision.

If a college-age student leaves their own car at home for the semester, lower their coverage to the minimum required by their state and temporarily increase it when they return. this will lower your rates when the car is not in use.

temporarily add someone to your car insurance

Lending your car to a friend or roommate for a one-time errand? You probably don’t need to add this temporary driver to your auto insurance. Temporary instances of carpooling are likely covered in your own insurance policy by what’s known as a lazy user clause, a policy that protects your car when occasionally used by another driver.

Do you have a babysitter, relative or friend who will be driving the car regularly for a short time? you’ll want to add this person to your car insurance. To temporarily add someone to your auto insurance policy, you’ll need to call their insurer and share the following information about them:

When the friend, babysitter or family member in question stops using the car regularly, you can remove them from your policy. Putting someone on your car insurance will temporarily increase your rates, but it’s worth making sure your car is covered in case this person is in an accident.

temporary car insurance for rental cars

Do you need car insurance for your weekend rental? Buying short-term insurance for a rental car may seem like a good idea, but check with your own insurer before choosing coverage sold by the rental company. Your own auto insurance policy may give you enough coverage when you drive a rental car, and many credit cards also provide some coverage when you use the card for your rental.

Please note that your auto insurance policy may not cover a car rented for business purposes. If you’re on a business trip, you may want to purchase temporary auto insurance coverage from the rental company for your business needs.

short-term international car insurance

Are you planning to drive to Mexico or Canada? You may need to add some form of temporary international coverage to your car insurance. Many major insurers, such as Geico, Farmers, and Progressive, extend their US coverage. uu. coverage to canada but not to mexico.

Always check with your insurer to make sure you have coverage before crossing international borders. Your car insurance might cover you on a short-term trip through Ontario, but it probably wouldn’t apply in Mexico.

visiting the usa from another country? Temporary car insurance is required for all foreigners. If you are a foreign visitor for only a short period of time, you can purchase temporary car insurance from a car rental company. if you plan to stay longer, you may need to purchase a policy from a US insurer.

car storage

Temporary coverage could also be a good option if you plan to store a car for several months. Even if you’re not driving the car, you’ll still be at risk of theft or damage, which could be covered by the full portion of the policy. Your state may also require you to maintain auto insurance, including a minimum level of liability coverage, or else deregister and surrender your plates.

other circumstances

There are a handful of other circumstances where you might wonder if you need a term auto insurance policy. this is what you should do when you find them:

Temporary One-Day Driving Test Auto Insurance: If you are a licensed driver, you must be covered by your parent’s, spouse’s or partner’s policy while you learn the rules of the road . the car you’re testing in must be insured, so there shouldn’t be a need to purchase a separate term policy for just one day.

Temporary carpool insurance: Rideshare insurance isn’t as simple as you might think. Because you are temporarily converting your car to a business car, insurers treat you differently than if you were driving your car for personal reasons. check your state laws and insurer rules to make sure you’re covered when driving for rideshare companies like lyft and uber.

Temporary auto dealer insurance. You can’t drive a vehicle off a car dealer lot without showing that it’s insured, even if you’ve already purchased it. (You are covered by the dealer’s insurance when you take a car for a test drive.)

If you already have insurance on another car, that insurance may cover you for a short period of time, up to the limits of your current policy. You do not need to purchase term auto insurance from a car dealer, even if the dealer offers such insurance.

If you don’t already have car insurance, shop around for the best rate instead of buying insurance from a car dealer. this may take longer, but will probably save you money.

car insurance for non-owners

If you frequently drive cars that you don’t own, consider getting third-party auto insurance. A third-party auto insurance policy provides coverage for liability for bodily injury and property damage, which are required in most states. Since liability coverage follows you, not the car, you’ll always be covered, whether the car belongs to a friend, employer, or rental car company.

Non-owner auto insurance can help lower your costs in the long run. Buying a traditional insurance policy means you’re paying for something you don’t use every day, and repeatedly buying rental car insurance can cost more than buying a non-owner’s policy.

Non-owner auto insurance is also a good option if you frequently borrow cars from other people. but if you live with someone and borrow their car frequently, you should add it to your policy . An insurer might refuse to cover an accident if you’re not listed, even if you have a non-owner auto insurance policy.

what is the downside of a non-homeowners policy? it usually serves as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in if the primary insurance policy, held by the car owner, is not sufficient to cover the damage. and even then, it will only kick in if your non-owner’s policy coverage exceeds the owner’s policy coverage.

While many drivers would like to purchase term auto insurance, it’s not something that reliable insurers sell. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get auto insurance for short-term situations. Talk to different insurance companies and see how they can help you temporarily adjust your coverages for your particular situation. And always be sure to shop around for auto insurance to ensure you get the best rate.