Perhaps you’re house sitting for a friend and will drive her vehicle

throughout the end of the week.

In the other case, you’re in Europe and want to rent a car.

Perhaps you are going car shopping and want to know if the vehicle

will be covered when you drive it home.

Is it necessary to purchase car insurance for a day or for a few days?

The answer to this question depends on the circumstances,

including your area.

However, in many cases, you are already covered under an

insurance policy, even if it is not your own.

However, in many cases, you are already covered under an

insurance policy, even if it is not your own.

Here are your options for temporary car insurance.

Here’s what you need to know

1. Before getting behind the wheel of any vehicle, make sure that it

is insured.

You should also ensure that you know exactly what the insurance

covers and what it does not cover

2. You may be stuck paying out-of-pocket expenses if you buy the wrong auto insurance.

3. Investigate your options for additional coverage if your auto

insurance policy has gaps.

Table of Contents

Is it possible to get car insurance for a day?

Some countries allow you to take out a one-day to a 28-day car

insurance policy.

Generally, one-day car insurance isn’t available in the U.S., except in very limited circumstances.

Any vehicle you drive will likely need liability insurance to comply with state minimums, but this can be handled without short-term

auto insurance.

Insurance in the United States in most cases follows the vehicles, and not the drivers.

Sometimes the insurance policy covers you and in other cases, you

have to supplement coverage with your own policy.

Please be aware:

Uninsured vehicles can be fined and penalized. Serious accidents

result in revoked licenses and other severe penalties.

If you’re already covered

You probably already have an insurance policy when:

Rent a car when on vacation.

With permission, borrow your friend’s car.

As part of your job duties, you may be required to use the
company car during your workday.

You can test drive a vehicle at a dealership.

Insurance policies generally state that coverage extends to people

who are authorized to drive the vehicle .

It’s important to remember that coverage may not be as broad as

you thought, so it is helpful to know basic auto insurance terms and

how you are covered from the auto insurance company or your agent.

For Example

That your friend Sandy liability-only coverage on her car

and you damage it.

Sandy’s insurance company will not cover the broken taillight and

smashed fender.

If you damage a vehicle while on a test drive, depending on any

waivers you signed you may have to pay for it.

In many cases, the insurance policy of the car owner will cover any

damages.

If you have auto insurance, it may also kick in depending

on your policy.

When a hailstorm damages your rental car and you did not

purchase a damage waiver from the rental agency, you will be

responsible for paying for repairs.

As long as you had comprehensive coverage on your auto

insurance policy and you did not purchase a damage waiver, your

the policy would cover the damage.

If You’re Not Covered

You may or may not be covered in these situations:

While providing ridesharing services at certain times.

Driving a newly purchased vehicle from the dealership to you home if you do not have any insurance already

Utilizing a company vehicle for personal use.

If these situations occur, you will want to contact your insurance

company to determine if you’re covered or if it would be better to

purchase additional short-term insurance or a more permanent solution.

You will need to purchase a different auto insurance policy, or an

endorsement to your existing vehicle insurance policy, to cover

such situations.

Options for short-term car insurance:

If you contact the insurance company that covers the car and the

coverage is not as extensive as you had hoped, you have a few

options to improve it.

Many short-term car coverages are for rental cars.

Car rental agencies

Most rental agencies include basic and minimum liability

insurance policies in the rental cost, as well as extra coverages

and waivers available for an extra charge.

Most rental company insurance policies cover state minimums for

liability coverage, which is the bodily injury and property damage

you cause to others in an accident.

Note that this coverage does not typically cover

damage to the rental car caused by you or other people.

As an example, if the car gets stolen and destroyed, you’ll most

likely have to pay for the car’s replacement.

If you already have auto insurance which includes collision and

comprehensive coverage, then these will help cover rental car

damage up to the limits of your policy after you have paid the

deductible.

The rental agency may offer temporary coverage via a Collision

Damage Waiver if you do not have coverage.

What is credit card coverage?

Credit cards may offer primary coverage for rental cars (which will

cover any damage to the rental car without making a claim on your

personal auto policy).

Your credit card may also offer secondary coverage (which covers

rental car damages after your own policy expires).

For more information about what this type of temporary coverage

includes, contact your credit card company.

What is temporary insurance and how does it work?

There are some travel insurance companies that offer car rental insurance plans.

A temporary car rental insurance policy covers only the damage

that may occur to the car during the rental period, and it doesn’t cover any damage to other vehicles that you may borrow or use.

Short-term insurance isn’t available in all states and the terms of

coverage can vary from state to state, so you need to be aware of

what you’re getting before buying it.

Some car-sharing services offer optional damage protection plans

that covers the repair fee.

The International Temporary Insurance Policy

If you are in the military and will be stationed overseas for a short

time, you should ask your insurer about overseas insurance options.

Several Military insurance companies can offer advice about

managing car insurance while overseas.

Before departing, travelers may also want to investigate the options

they have auto insurance coverage.

For example, driving into Mexico is typically not covered by car

insurance policies, but many insurers offer optional add-on

coverage.

Some insurers, such as GEICO, offer one-day insurance policies for

Mexico.

Whenever you rent a car overseas, your car rental agency should be

able to provide you with information on temporary insurance options and damage waivers, which can help cover costs if you are involved in an accident.

The options for temporary insurance and damage waivers will vary

from country to country.

Options for Car Insurance When You Don’t Drive Much

Consider other options if you don’t drive much.

Classic cars

In some cases, you may have access to a car but not drive it very

often. If you have a classic car insurance policy, for example, it

covers cars older than 25 years that are not used as primary

household vehicles.

Certain insurers ask classic car owners to manage their mileage

limits.

Usage-Based Car Insurance

As you may know, usage-based auto insurance calculates your rate

based on the number of miles you drive, and there are now a large

number of insurers offering this coverage in most states.

Insurers usually charge a base rate plus a cost per mile driven. You can save money on your auto insurance premiums with this temporary auto insurance option.

Non-Owner Car Insurance

Having a non-owners car insurance policy provides coverage for licensed drivers as well as more protection if you drive a car that belongs to someone else.

As an example, you could get held financially responsible for the

difference in damages if you hit someone while driving your

friend’s car and caused $100,000 in damages, but your friend has

only $50,000 in insurance coverage.

If you have non-owner auto insurance of $50,000, that policy may cover the costs.

The following is important:

Some policies provide only liability coverage, while others include

additional coverage for medical expenses, uninsured or

underinsured Insurance coverage for motorists and other types of