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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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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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Temporary car insurance can provide coverage for a few days or weeks if you’re borrowing a friend’s car, renting for a trip, or filling a gap in coverage. But true short-term policies are rare in the U.S.
Insurance companies typically won’t sell policies for terms shorter than six months because the administrative costs aren’t worth it. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options.
Here’s what you need to know about temporary car insurance, including what it covers, how much it costs, and alternatives to consider to get the auto coverage you need.
Most car insurance companies won’t sell an auto policy for less than a six-month term.
If you regularly drive someone else’s vehicle but don’t own one, consider non-owner car insurance.
Pay-per-mile, usage-based, and pay-as-you-go auto policies may be cheaper than traditional policies but offer similar coverage.
In certain situations, such as borrowing, renting, or test-driving a vehicle, temporary or even one-day car insurance might make sense. Here are some common scenarios where you might need temporary driver insurance.
If you need a car only occasionally, a friend or family member may let you borrow theirs. Insurers call this permissive use. Since they’re giving you permission to drive their vehicle, their insurance policy may cover you as an occasional driver. But this varies by insurer, so they should make sure their policy will cover you if you get into an accident.
If not, then exploring temporary coverage alternatives (we’ll discuss these later) can help protect you and their vehicle.
Most rental companies offer insurance when you’re renting a car, but it might overlap with your own auto insurance coverage. Rental companies may not provide coverage for long-term rentals over 30 days, in which case you’d need your own insurance policy.
When test-driving a new car from a dealership, the dealer’s insurance usually covers you. But if you’re test-driving a vehicle from a private seller, their policy might not cover you, which means you could be responsible for damages and injuries you cause in an accident.
Car-sharing services like Turo and Zipcar often include basic liability coverage, but coverage levels vary and depend on the vehicle owner’s specific purchase. You may need additional car insurance coverage to protect yourself if something happens while you’re using it.
Driving without insurance, even for a day, is risky and illegal. If you’re between policies, consider non-owner car insurance to cover the gap before your new policy starts.
While true temporary car insurance — policies that last just days or weeks — doesn’t really exist in the U.S., that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. Several legal and flexible alternatives may offer you short-term coverage based on how, when, and what you drive.
Let’s take a look at the most common options for getting the protection you need without committing to a long-term policy.
Compare quotes and find a policy that works for your budget.
Since short-term policies aren’t available, the only legal and effective way to get temporary coverage is by choosing the right alternative based on your driving situation.
Here are some common solutions.
Non-owner auto insurance provides coverage for drivers who don’t own a vehicle but occasionally drive someone else’s, like when you rent or borrow a car. It provides liability coverage, and you may have the option to include medical payments coverage for yourself and uninsured motorist coverage. But it won’t cover damage to the vehicle you’re driving.
When you rent a vehicle, you can usually purchase car insurance directly from the rental company. You can usually choose from liability coverage, collision damage waivers, and other coverage options.
Many major credit cards also offer rental car insurance as a free perk, although the coverage type and limits vary by card type and issuer.[1]
If you rarely drive, pay-per-mile insurance may offer the flexibility you need. Insurers track how much you drive and charge you based on mileage, plus a low monthly car insurance rate. Usage-based insurance tracks your driving habits and charges you based on your driving behavior and mileage.
If you don’t drive often and are generally a safe driver, these options may be cheaper than a traditional six-month policy.
The way pay-as-you-go insurance works varies by insurance company. Some insurers, like Metromile and Nationwide, offer pay-per-mile insurance, charging by the mile, plus a standard monthly base rate.
Others, like Hugo, offer customizable policy terms, allowing you to turn coverage on and off for short periods as needed. It may be a good option for weeklong car insurance or if you need coverage only for a few days.
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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
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The cost of temporary car insurance varies widely based on the type of coverage you choose. Rental car insurance usually costs around:[2]
$10–$20 per day for collision damage waiver
$7–$14 per day for liability insurance
$2–$5 per day for personal effects coverage
$1–$5 per day for personal accident insurance for you and your passengers
Mile Auto offers pay-per-mile insurance for around $69 per month.
Your rates will depend on several factors, including your age, driving history, location, coverage level, and vehicle type. Since non-owner car insurance doesn’t cover the vehicle you’re driving, it usually costs less than a standard auto policy.
Temporary car insurance typically provides basic protections, but coverage varies by insurer and policy type. Common coverages may include:
Non-owner insurance generally covers liability, with the option to add medical and uninsured motorist coverage. Rental car coverage provides state-minimum liability coverage, but you can usually increase the liability limits. You can also purchase additional coverage, like collision damage waivers and personal belongings coverage.
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Temporary car insurance doesn’t cover everything, and knowing the exclusions can help you avoid costly gaps. Here’s what it doesn’t cover.
Long-term use of the vehicle
Drivers not listed on the policy (especially for rentals)
Business or commercial use
Excluded drivers
Intentional damage or illegal activities
Always check the fine print or ask questions to avoid gaps, especially if you plan to let others drive the vehicle.
Compare personalized quotes from dozens of top companies.
If you still have questions about temporary car insurance, here are answers to the most common questions people ask when looking for short-term coverage.
No, U.S. insurers don’t offer true one-day car insurance. But rental car coverage and pay-as-you-go policies can provide protection for short periods. Or you can buy a six-month policy and cancel it when you no longer need it. But beware that early cancellation may come with fees or prorated refunds.
It depends on how long you need it and who owns the vehicle. Rental car coverage may be cheapest for a short-term rental. Non-owner car insurance is often the most affordable if you don’t own a vehicle but are borrowing someone else’s.
Yes, many existing auto insurance policies extend to rental cars. You may also have rental coverage through your credit card, but you should verify the details before declining the rental company’s insurance.
If you have permission, the owner’s insurance policy may cover you under permissive use. But not all policies allow this, or they may require the owner to add you as a listed driver. It’s important to confirm with the vehicle owner or insurer first.
Yes. If you regularly borrow or rent cars but don’t own one, non-owner insurance can be an affordable way to stay legally covered in case of an accident. It can also help you avoid gaps in insurance history if you plan to get a policy in the future.
You can usually get quotes and a car insurance policy the same day through insurers that offer online coverage. Once you complete the application and make a down payment, you should receive your policy and ID cards.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
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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.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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