Key Takeaways
Because temporary auto insurance isn't really real—at least not in the manner that most people believe it to be—this question is challenging to answer.
It's practically impossible to find auto insurance coverage for a shorter period because most contracts last between six months and one year. So beware of companies that advertise short-term auto insurance; they're probably a fraud.
Your best option if you're looking for short-term coverage is to buy six-month insurance from a reputable firm and cancel it early. Just be aware that switching insurance policies abruptly may result in coverage gaps, leaving you legally exposed. In addition, driving without insurance is a serious misdemeanor in most states.
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| Rates may drop more quickly if they are renewed often. | Depending on how risk factors change, rates could go up more quickly when they are renewed. |
| More freedom to rethink your current provider. | |
| Switch without paying a cancellation fee. | |
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| Lock in lower interest rates for a longer time | Fewer chances to change coverage |
| Rate changes will take longer. | |
You would be better off buying a six-month coverage from a reliable insurance provider and canceling it early if you need temporary auto insurance in California. Be cautious because companies advertising shorter coverage are sometimes scammers.
Finding temporary auto insurance can seem impossible. While some businesses may promote short-term insurance coverage, they frequently lack integrity. The shortest contracts from reliable companies are six months long.
In need of short-term auto insurance for less than six months? Not to worry. Way.com, the best car insurance app, has made a guide for California drivers who want short-term car insurance.
Most big auto insurance companies in California don't sell policies for less than six months, and the average cost is $729. You could also cancel your auto insurance early since most big insurance companies will refund your premium for the time you didn't use.
A California car owner who buys a six-month policy and then cancels it to get a three-month policy will pay about $357, which is half of what a six-month policy costs. Way.com says that if you use this strategy, you shouldn't let your insurance coverage lapse because you might have to pay higher premiums in the future.
Way.com looked up how much car insurance costs in California and figured out the cheapest policy for six months. Based on this, the costs of a one-month and three-month policies were also worked out.
In California, the average price of the cheapest temporary car insurance for 90 days is:
Even though most big insurance companies give full refunds for the unused part of the policy and don't charge cancellation fees, these fees are not included in this calculation.
| Company | One Month | Three Month | Six Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esurance | $102 | $279 | $540 |
| Progressive | $108 | $303 | $581 |
| USAA | $114 | $318 | $603 |
| MetLife | $120 | $342 | $666 |
| AAA | $120 | $351 | $669 |
| Allstate | $120 | $360 | $672 |
| CSAA | $129 | $372 | $693 |
| Mercury | $138 | $381 | $741 |
| State Farm | $141 | $396 | $777 |
| Hartford | $153 | $414 | $828 |
Because insurance rates are based on many different things, your quotes may not match the above totals. If the prices you're paying now don't match the ones above, take the time to look around. The short length of a car insurance policy makes it even more important to stay informed and be open to shopping around.
Find out more about short-term car insurance or use Way.com to compare policies online for free.
| City | Average 6-Month Rate | Average Monthly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $1329 | $228 |
| San Diego | $903 | $162 |
| San Jose | $948 | $171 |
| San Francisco | $1137 | $153 |
| Fresno | $954 | $165 |
If you already have car insurance in California but want to add or take away coverage, you might want to change your policy. Most drivers have questions about short-term car insurance, what happens when teenagers go to college, when they need to store their car, or when someone borrows their car.
When you should temporarily change your policy
If you live with your child in California, adding them to your car insurance policy can be expensive. Way.com found that adding an 18-year-old to a California auto insurance plan costs about $3603 per year. To save money, you can ask for discounts, take them off your policy for part of the year if they live more than 100 miles away, or keep them on your policy.
Way.com found that adding a student to your policy for a two-month summer costs about $612 per year, while the annual premium costs about $3603 per year. When you take a student off your auto insurance policy, getting an Allstate policy can save you about $4218 per year.
| Company | 18-year-old for two months | 18-year-old for full-year |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $2163 | $372 |
| State Farm | $2244 | $396 |
| Progressive | $3237 | $555 |
| Allied | $5088 | $870 |
If you want to save money and store your car in California, you can do one of two things. You can either change your policy to cover only extensive damage or ask your insurance company for a discount for storing your car.
A good way to save money while your car is being stored is to change your policy to cover only extensive damage and drop liability insurance. With a $1000 deductible, comprehensive and collision insurance in California costs about $489 per year. On the other hand, comprehensive, collision, and minimum liability insurance costs about $1,047 per year.
Military members, veterans, and military family members in California should think about USAA. It offers a discount for car storage and, on average, has cheaper policies that cost $1182 per year.
If someone in the same house drives your car often, they must be covered by the same insurance policy. But if you let someone who doesn't live with you drive your car, they are covered by your policy without you having to change it.
Some people who think they need one-day car insurance might already have a policy that covers them. For example, let's say you must use a friend's car for the day. If they let you use their car, their standard insurance policy will cover you while you're driving it.
If you borrow your friend's car, you are automatically covered by their policy. This is called "permissive use." That means that as long as you only borrow a car occasionally, you get the same coverage as them.
But some policies don't cover drivers who aren't on the official list. So, if you are in a car accident with a driving friend, you may be covered for less than if you were driving yourself. You should also get your non-owners policy if you often drive a car you don't own.
Most insurance companies want you to list all licensed drivers who live in your house and have regular access to the cars you insure. This includes your spouse and children unless you tell your insurance company that you don't want them to be covered and don't want them to drive your car.
This means that no one who is covered by your family policy as a driver needs to buy a separate temporary policy. As long as the driver's name stays on the policy, they don't need short-term auto insurance even if they go to school and only come home on weekends and breaks.
If you own a car but don't drive it very often, you might want to think about a per-mile plan, which charges you based on how much you drive. National insurance companies have a few per-mile plans, such as Allstate's Miles, Liberty Mutual's ByMile, and Nationwide's SmartMiles.
Per-mile car insurance keeps track of how many miles you drive each month, usually through an app, and then charges you a flat rate plus a few cents for each mile you drive.
Since per-mile or per-use insurance lasts from six months to a year, it's not really temporary insurance. But your rates change monthly based on how much you drive, so you can use a per-mile plan as a temporary way to get insurance.
Let's say you don't have to drive to work very often, but you have to go at least twice a week. You can't get car insurance for just one day so you can drive to work every day, but you can get per-mile insurance that only covers your trips. A policy with a standard length will cost the same as a policy with a short term.
Visitors to the United States who drive cars may want temporary car insurance just for the time they are here. However, how these drivers should get short-term insurance depends on how long they will be there.
Rental car companies offer short-term insurance to foreign drivers who only plan to stay in the US for a short time. They could also avoid the higher prices that rental car companies charge for extra insurance by getting coverage from a company that specializes in insurance for rental cars.
If a person buys their car, they should consider getting per-mile insurance that lasts for six months if they plan to stay for a long time. It will cost less than a normal six-month policy (as long as they don't drive too much), but it will cover them well enough.
Suppose you want to rent a car for a short period in California. In that case, most car rental companies offer basic liability insurance and the option to add collision damage waivers, additional liability insurance, and personal accident insurance.
The average cost is between $40 and $94, depending on the company. But you might be able to pick and choose the coverage that works best for you.
Way.com looked at data from Los Angeles and found that, depending on the company, rental car insurance can cost anywhere from $48 to $108. Hertz rents cars for $48, Avis rents cars for $51, and Enterprise rents cars for $108. These policies cover additional liability, damage from a collision, and personal accidents.
You might not need to buy full coverage if you already have car insurance or health insurance that covers you. If your credit card company offers a collision damage waiver and damage coverage for rental cars, you might be able to save money.
| Rental Company | Total Insurance Cost | Supplemental Liability Cost | Collision Damage Waiver Cost | Personal Accident Insurance Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | $108 | $9 | $81 | $5 |
| Avis | $51 | $14 | $17 | $10 |
| Hertz | $48 | $16 | $17 | $7 |
Non-owner car insurance is a good choice for California drivers who don't own a car but need proof of insurance or need to file an SR-22 to get their license back. In California, a non-owner car insurance policy costs an average of $461 a year.
Non-owner insurance is the most affordable way to get a policy in California if you don't own a car or don't have one.
If you are a ridesharing driver in California, you may know that once you take a passenger or a fare, you are covered by insurance. However, you won't have car insurance for a short time if you don't.
Even though rideshare insurance policies might not be available in all states, Way.com compared all the companies in California that offer the best options that meet your needs.
Ultimately, whether you choose a six-month or 12-month policy depends on your needs. For example, a six-month policy might be better if you are in the military, planning to move to a different state, planning to add a teen driver to your policy soon, or planning to buy a new car.
There are some good things about longer policies, but drivers may benefit more from the flexibility of a shorter one.
If you want short-term car insurance in California, you must shop around to find car insurance companies offering six-month policies. You should also consider what kind of coverage you need, how much coverage you need, your budget, and what you look for in an auto insurance company.
For example, the best car insurance companies might have great customer service, wide coverage options, and good ratings from independent sources, but their rates might not be the lowest.
On the other hand, the cheapest car insurance companies have cheap policies, but they might not be as good regarding coverage options or customer service.
In certain situations, temporary car insurance can help protect you financially even more than your regular policy. If you're unsure which protections will work best for you, talk to a licensed agent.
You might be able to find other short-term auto insurance solutions, depending on your particular situation. Both non-owner and rental car insurance are reasonably priced options for coverage in case California drivers encounter particular circumstances.
Consider renting a car if you require a short-term means of transportation through California without violating the state's insurance requirements. When you rent a car, you can choose to sign a collision damage waiver (CDW), which offers you the highest level of insurance protection.
The drawback is that CDWs are frequently pricey. However, other choices for affordable short-term coverage, such as rental car liability insurance and personal auto accident insurance, are frequently available from the rental agency. Additionally, several well-known credit card issuers provide complimentary rental collision insurance.
For California's mandatory liability coverage, you may wish to consider non-owner car insurance if you don't own a car but frequently borrow or rent one. Non-owner insurance is linked to you, unlike typical car insurance, which is linked to a particular car. As a result, you are protected no matter what car you drive. Additionally, it often costs 10% less than regular insurance.
Regardless of the type of coverage you need, California auto insurance prices aren't always the most economical, but getting a cheap policy doesn't have to be difficult. Certainly not if you utilize the Way.com app. Download the app, enter your information, and you will receive personalized quotations within 60 seconds or less!
Way.com, the top-rated insurance app, finds you the insurance you need at the lowest rates from our top-rated partner companies for as long as you need it.
What's best? Users of Way.com save $971 per year on car insurance on average. With the aid of Way.com, you might be able to afford greater coverage if you need a temporary policy to save money!
The auto insurance rates published in this guide are based on the results of research completed by Way.com’s data team. Using a mix of public and internal data, we analyzed millions of rate averages across U.S. ZIP codes.
Quotes are typically based on a full coverage policy average unless otherwise noted within the content.
These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes will differ. Given this, it’s important to go through our insurance steps form to find how much you can save with way.com
Way.com’s Insurance Broker Quote Data
In California, insurance companies don't usually sell temporary car insurance. However, if you cancel your policy early, you can get temporary car insurance.
Most likely. You can usually cancel your insurance policy early and get a refund for the time you didn't use it.
In California, temporary car insurance prices depend on a few things.
First, it depends on what kind of policy you buy. Your history of making claims and how well you drive will also affect your premium, among other things. In California, your ZIP code, credit score, and gender can't be used to figure out how much your car insurance will cost.
Insurance companies don't sell one-day policies. Instead, most offer temporary car insurance that covers your car for at least six months.
If you occasionally drive someone else's car, you don't need your car insurance. But if you drive someone else's car a lot, you might want to think about getting non-owner car insurance.
You can stop paying for car insurance at any time. You might even get a refund of some or all of the premiums you've already paid. But before you cancel your insurance, it's a good idea to do some research, so you don't end up without coverage. If you let your insurance lapse, your premiums may go up.
Access your digital insurance card through the app. You no longer need to carry your physical insurance card with you.
Receive reminders before your renewal. Way.com will also send new quotes from up to 45 insurance companies with your renewal reminder.
Keep everyone on your policy up to date by sharing your insurance information.
Make changes to your policy right from the app (coming soon) and ask for expert advice.
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