GEICO generally has a nine-day grace period for missed payments, depending on your state. Non-payment cancellation notices are mailed about 10 days in advance—if you don’t pay your bill by the date this notice discloses, GEICO will cancel your policy.

It happens to the best of us: life gets hectic and an ongoing bill like car insurance falls through the cracks. Unlike your electric bill, missed payments for car insurance have heavier consequences than discontinued service, though. Not only does lapsed car insurance result in higher premiums in the future, but it can also make it illegal for you to drive in most states.

Knowing what your insurer’s grace period policies are can save you some panic when you forget to pay a bill. That’s why

Jerry

, the

trusted car insurance super app

, has put together a guide. From non-payment policies to reinstatement procedures, here’s what you should know about GEICO’s grace periods—and how you can get the lowest

car insurance

rates from over 55 insurers if you do need to search for a new plan.

Does GEICO give you a grace period after your auto insurance expires?

Yes. If you miss your car insurance payment,

GEICO

generally gives you a two week grace period. During this period, you will still be covered by your GEICO policy. Fortunately, GEICO won’t charge you a late fee.

Immediately after your payment is missed, GEICO will issue a formal cancellation notice giving you 10-14 days to make the payment. If you don’t pay your insurance bill before that date, your policy will be canceled. All insurance companies are required by law to send you a cancellation notice—so you’ll never have to worry about any insurer cancelling your policy without warning.

Once your policy gets cancelled, you’re no longer legally allowed to drive in most states.

Driving without car insurance

can have some serious consequences and hefty fines depending on where you’re from. If you’re struggling to make payments, it’s worth giving your GEICO agent a call to see what your options might be.

What are the benefits of a grace period?

GEICO’s grace period is designed to give you a second chance to pay your missed bill, allowing you some protection against the negative impacts of lapsed coverage. Not only could a non-payment cancellation result in legal repercussions, but

car insurance lapses can raise your premiums

by as much as 8%.

MORE:

How police catch uninsured drivers

GEICO continuous insurance discount

GEICO offers a loyalty persistency discount in certain states—shaving a small percentage off your rates if you renew with GEICO and have held continuous insurance through them.

Some insurers offer a more encompassing continuous insurance discount, however, rewarding discounts to drivers who have maintained continuous coverage regardless of who they were insured with. Though you may not be able to enjoy this discount with GEICO, it’s a good call to shop for car insurance every six months to ensure you’re paying the best price. Should you opt for a new insurer, you could benefit from a continuous insurance discount as long as you’ve had no lapses.

Not ready to devote hours to insurance research? Don’t worry—

Jerry

can instantly do all the hard work for you (for free!).

How long is a typical grace period for car insurance?

Insurance companies aren’t required to extend grace periods for missed payments, so not all of them do. Amongst the insurers who do have grace periods, however, the average time span is around 10 days.

MORE:

The Geico DriveEasy app: How does it work?

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

Consequences of a car insurance lapse

When you don’t end up paying that late GEICO bill, your car insurance will lapse. This leads to a slew of negative consequences—the gravity of which depends on where you live, how you’re financing your vehicle, and how quickly you find a new insurance plan.

Here are the most common penalties to anticipate:

Expensive fines: Almost every state will fine you for driving without the

state’s minimum insurance requirements

. The average charge for a first offense is between $500 and $1,000 while fines for second and third offenses can get as high as $5,000 in certain areas.

License suspension: Unless you live in

California

Iowa

, or

Washington

, your

license will be suspended

if you’re caught operating a vehicle without insurance in a state where it’s required.

Higher premiums: Letting your insurance lapse gives insurers cause to label you a “

high-risk driver

.” Because of this, you’ll notice higher insurance rates as you

shop for car insurance quotes

after a lapse.

Vehicle repossession: If you financed your vehicle with a lender, failing to maintain insurance coverage gives them the right to repossess your car.

What to do if your GEICO car insurance lapses

Communication is key if you’re unable to make your GEICO payment on time. Whether you’re struggling to pay bills or you notice your missed payment too late, contact GEICO at (800) 932-8872 ASAP to see if there’s a way to get your policy reinstated.

f you aren’t able to reinstate your policy, though, you can use the

Jerry

app to secure more

affordable car insurance

quickly—remember, the longer your coverage is lapsed, the more your premiums can increase.

Once you’re settled with a car insurance policy again, you’ll need to update your insurance information with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Make sure that you choose a policy that includes the

basic liability coverage

your state requires. Note that you may also need

personal injury protection (PIP)

, especially if you live in a

no-fault state

Pennsylvania

New York

MORE:

Does GEICO sell non-owner car insurance?

Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds (Title in payload)

Find Savings!

4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars

4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

How to avoid a coverage lapse

No one wants to miss a car insurance payment, which is why it’s important to track your policy’s due dates somewhere you’ll actually look—like your phone or a calendar. If you’re prone to forgetting, you can always enroll in GEICO’s Auto Pay program, too. Not only will your bills be automatically processed via electronic funds transfer (EFT) from your bank account, but you’ll get a small EFT discount for doing so!

GEICO also offers diverse installment options to adjust how frequently you’re billed, allowing you to create a payment plan works with your own cash flow. You can opt to pay in full, or you can opt to pay in two to six installments, depending on your state and how long you’ve held your policy.

If you’re still struggling to handle your GEICO payments, you can also look for a more manageable price for you car insurance with

Jerry

. In less than a minute, we’ll pinpoint the lowest rates for your coverage needs based on your individual factors—like your driving history, discount eligibility, and vehicle type.

MORE:

How do I get car insurance for about $50 a month?

GEICO insurance grace period for new cars

Let’s say you buy a new car and you’re unfortunate enough to get into an accident before you’ve added the car to your policy. In this case, you’ll be glad to know that GEICO has a 30-day grace period for new cars. As long as it’s been less than a month since you bought those new set of wheels, you’ll still be protected by your old vehicle’s GEICO coverage or the most coverage you have in your plan (if you have a multi-car policy).

Just make sure you add your new car to your policy before that month is up!

MORE:

How to transfer insurance to a new car

How to find the best GEICO car insurance quotes

Your decision to go with GEICO for your

car insurance

may have been based on optimal rates, good experience with the company, or simply that clever little gecko.

But if you’re struggling to keep up with payments, it may be time to shop for a cheaper policy—

Jerry

can help. A

trustworthy insurance comparison app

, Jerry cross-analyzes quotes from over 55 leading insurers to narrow down the best rates available to you without sacrificing coverage.

Our brokers are always a text or call away if you have any questions about insurers, coverages, or state requirements. They can then help

cancel your GEICO policy

for you and handle all the calls and paperwork to get your new policy started seamlessly.

The average Jerry user saves over $800 a year on car insurance, so it’s definitely worth the free look to make sure you’re not overpaying those GEICO premiums!

“I felt like I was paying too much for my insurance policy, so I downloaded
Jerry
. I literally only typed in 3 pieces of info and Jerry found my current insurance. In a few minutes, they pulled up 2 Progressive policies that showed $900 in savings over 6 months!” —Maeve J.

RECOMMENDED