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Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
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Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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If you want to borrow a friend’s car to run errands or you’re traveling and need to rent a vehicle, you might be wondering if you can get car insurance for a day. Unfortunately, most reputable car insurance companies don’t sell insurance for fewer than six months.
You might see some questionable companies advertise one-day insurance, but it’s best to proceed with caution and research a company that makes this kind of claim. Still, while it’s generally not possible to get car insurance for just one day, there are some short-term policies you can look into if you don’t want the standard 12-month coverage.
Here’s all the information you need to understand one-day car insurance and to determine the best options available for short-term coverage.
Nearly all insurance companies offer only six- or 12-month policy periods.
Hugo offers insurance you can turn on and off and pay for as few as three days at a time.
Alternatives to one-day car insurance include pay-as-you-go, pay-per-mile, non-owner, and temporary policies.
“One-day car insurance” typically refers to short-term auto coverage designed for temporary needs, such as test-driving, renting, or borrowing a vehicle for a short period of time. But most U.S. insurers don’t offer true 24-hour car insurance.
Scammers exploit this gap by posing as real agents on apps like WhatsApp[1] or acting as “ghost brokers” who sell fake documents for cheap.[2] You should always verify that an agent and insurance company are legit before buying a policy.
The one exception is Hugo, a licensed insurer offering liability-only coverage in increments of three to 30 days in select states. But keep in mind that Hugo Insurance offers only liability coverage. It doesn’t offer full-coverage policies as of this writing.
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Most car insurance companies in the U.S. offer six- or 12-month policies because they help them better manage risk and keep prices more stable. From a financial perspective, offering single-day coverage just isn’t worth the hassle. It makes it harder to price fairly and can attract people who only want to meet legal requirements for a day, then cancel.
Although you can cancel a regular car insurance policy early, you might get hit with cancellation fees or receive only a partial refund. So it’s usually not a great short-term solution, either.
That said, you still have options if you need coverage for just a short period of time.
Even though true one-day car insurance doesn’t really exist in the U.S., that doesn’t mean you’re stuck buying a traditional policy. Depending on your situation, several legitimate options can give you temporary or flexible coverage.
While these alternatives might not be as simple as a one-day policy, they can provide the protection you need without locking you into a long-term plan.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common alternatives to daily car insurance, including who they’re best for and what to expect.
Convenient
Offers immediate coverage
Can be pricy
May have coverage gaps
If you’re only renting a vehicle for a day or two, rental car insurance is the simplest way to get coverage. Most rental companies, like Budget, Enterprise, or Hertz, offer optional insurance when you book. Offerings usually include liability coverage, collision damage waivers (CDW), and personal medical and personal effects coverage.[3]
That said, if you already have a personal car insurance policy, it may extend to rentals. It’s worth checking before you pay extra for coverage you don’t need.
Also, many credit cards offer rental coverage if you use the card to pay for the vehicle. Just make sure to read the fine print to understand what’s actually covered.
Free (if allowed)
No additional coverage necessary
Not guaranteed
May affect policy rates
Many auto insurance policies include something called permissive use, which means you can drive someone else’s car occasionally, as long as you have their permission. If you get into an accident while driving, their policy would cover you just like it would your friend or family member.
But not all policies and companies include “borrow-a-car insurance,” and some may have limitations, such as not covering high-risk drivers or requiring the borrower to live in the same household.
The insurer might also require them to add you as a driver on their policy, which could affect their rates if you don’t have a clean driving record.
Cheaper than traditional coverage
Meets SR-22 requirements
No physical damage coverage
Not available from all insurers
Non-owner car insurance is a great option if you don’t own a vehicle but sometimes borrow one or need to stay covered for legal or DMV reasons (like an SR-22 requirement for high-risk drivers). This type of policy typically offers liability-only coverage, though you may be able to add medical payments, personal injury protection (PIP), or uninsured motorist coverage.
Companies like Direct Auto, GEICO, and State Farm offer non-owner policies, and they’re usually cheaper than standard insurance. While it’s not ideal for short-term car insurance, it’s useful if you drive different vehicles occasionally throughout the month, want to avoid a coverage gap, or need to meet DMV requirements.
Just keep in mind that non-owner policies act as secondary coverage. If you were to get in an accident, the vehicle owner’s policy would cover the damage first. The non-owner policy would only kick in if damages exceeded its limits.
Only pay when driving
Get coverage in minutes
Not available in all states
Full coverage not available
Pay-as-you-go insurance lets you turn your coverage on and off when needed, which may be perfect for drivers who don’t use their car regularly. One of the only companies offering this kind of flexibility is Hugo, which provides liability-only coverage in 3–30 day blocks in 16 states. You can pause your policy when not driving and reactivate it through the app in seconds.
While it’s not quite one-day insurance, this is one of the closest legal alternatives in the U.S.
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Hugo provides a convenient option for drivers looking for flexible, short-term coverage without long-term commitments. But, because the company is so young, policy offerings and availability are currently quite limited.
Get coverage for as little as three days
Turn coverage on/off as needed
Same-day policies with no down payment
No SR-22 insurance
Higher rates for drivers with spotty records
Full-coverage policies available only in IL and CA
Significant potential savings
Rates based on mileage
Higher rates for long trips
Limited insurance company availability
If you own a car but rarely drive it (like once a week or only for special errands), a pay-per-mile insurance policy might be your best bet. Companies like Metromile, Mile Auto, and Nationwide’s SmartMiles program charge a monthly base premium plus an additional rate for every mile you drive.
Although these policies aren’t designed for single-day use, they can significantly cut costs for people who drive only occasionally. Your vehicle will still be insured year-round, but you’ll only pay more when you actually hit the road.
Find lower-cost car insurance from one of America’s top insurers.
Even though temporary car insurance isn’t widely available in the U.S., there are plenty of situations where flexible or short-term coverage still makes sense. If you’re driving only for a short time, these alternatives can help protect you without overpaying.
Borrowing a car: You’re using someone else’s vehicle briefly and want to make sure you’re legally covered.
Test-driving a car: Some dealerships or private sellers may require you to have insurance before letting you behind the wheel.
Driving a rental: Rental car companies or a credit card may offer temporary coverage.
Occasional driving: Infrequent drivers can save money using pay-per-mile or on-demand pay-as-you-go insurance.
But keep in mind, most U.S. insurers don’t offer policies shorter than six months, so exploring these alternatives can help you get the temporary coverage you need.
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Car insurance is mandatory in every state except New Hampshire. But every state has financial responsibility laws that require you to prove you have sufficient assets to pay for medical bills or damages if you cause an accident.
If authorities catch you driving without insurance, you can expect to face consequences including license suspension, fines, and jail time.
For instance, in Connecticut, if you’re caught driving without insurance, you’ll face a fine of up to $1,000, and the state will suspend your license for one month for a first conviction and six months for subsequent convictions. Plus, the DMV won’t restore your license until you can provide proof of insurance — you’ll also have to pay a $175 restoration fee to get your license and insurance.
If you still have questions about one-day or short-term car insurance, check out these quick answers to the most common things drivers want to know.
Not really. Most U.S. insurers don’t offer true one-day car insurance. But some alternatives, such as rental coverage or pay-as-you-go insurance, can offer short-term protection.
Yes. Your friend’s car insurance policy may cover you to drive their vehicle for one day under permissive use, meaning they give you permission to drive it. Check with their insurer first, though, because not all companies offer it.
It can be, but it’s also risky. You might face cancellation fees or only get a partial refund for canceling early. Going without insurance can also create a coverage gap, which could mean higher premiums when you get another policy.
Hugo offers liability-only insurance policies with durations from three to 30 days. You can buy and manage your policy entirely online, either through its website or mobile app.
As of this writing, it’s available in the following states:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Yes, if you rent a car only for one day. Rental car companies provide insurance by the day, making it the most common form of one-day car coverage for a vehicle you don’t own.
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Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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