How to Find Temporary Car Insurance in California
The best way to get temporary or short-term car insurance in California is to purchase a six-month or one-year traditional policy and cancel it early.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Pat Roache
If you live in California and need a temporary car insurance policy, the best course of action is to simply purchase a traditional six-month or one-year policy and cancel it early.
Looking for short-term car insurance can feel like a challenge. There are companies out there that claim they offer temporary coverage, but beware—more often than not, these untrustworthy organizations are trying to scam you! To get short-term coverage that provides the protection you need after an accident, consider using a no-fee cancellation policy from a major insurer to your advantage.
Need California auto insurance for six months or less? We’re here to help. Keep reading this useful guide from
Jerry
to learn more about temporary car insurance, where to get it, and how our insurance shopping comparison app can help lower your car insurance
costs.Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds (Title in payload)
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhat is temporary car insurance?
Believe it or not,
temporary car insurance
doesn’t exist—as in, you can’t buy a “temporary policy” from a legitimate provider. But people often use the term when they need insurance coverage for less than six months. If you ever run into a company that claims to offer a temporary auto insurance policy, beware—it’s probably a scam.If you need a short-term policy in California, your best bet is to purchase coverage for six months or one year from a reputable provider that doesn’t charge cancellation fees. Then, cancel your coverage once you don’t need it anymore.
To find out more about how your insurance provider handles cancellation, ask them whether they follow a pro-rata or short-rate cancellation policy. If you’ve never heard those terms before, here’s what they mean:
- Pro-rata cancellation: You only pay for the amount of time you used and get a refund based on the amount of time left.
- Short-rate cancellation: You pay for the amount of time you used plus a percentage (usually about 10%) of the time left.
By purchasing coverage from a car insurance company that follows a pro-rata cancellation policy, you won’t be stuck with extra fees when you cancel your temporary car insurance. Instead, you can cancel the policy, pay for the time you used, and be refunded for any excess time you don’t need.
Remember though, it’s not legal for you to drive in California once you cancel your insurance coverage. If you get pulled over while uninsured, your
driver’s license will be suspended
, you’ll have to pay a fine, and—if you’re a repeat offender—you could even face a jail sentence!Best companies for temporary car insurance in California
Even though true temporary insurance doesn’t exist, check out the list below for reputable auto insurance companies that make it easy to cancel coverage. In most cases, these companies don’t charge early cancellation fees, but you should always check your policy details to be sure.
- Allstateoffers six-month policies that can be canceled at any time.
- Nationwideoffers hassle-free cancellations and refunds for any pre-paid time you didn’t use.
- Progressive'spolicy terms vary from state to state, but they usually don’t charge cancellation fees.
- Safecoallows free-of-charge cancellations and refunds the unused portion of your policy term.
- State Farmdoesn’t charge cancellation fees and refunds you for any pre-paid unused time.
- USAAis only available to military members and their families. They won’t charge you a fee for canceling your policy and will refund you for any remaining time.
If you’re thinking about canceling your short-term insurance but plan to buy a car soon, it could be more cost-effective to keep your car insurance coverage. Talk to your insurance agent about how a minimum coverage policy can help you avoid a
car insurance lapse
while you shop for your new vehicle—you can always add other insurance options, such as full coverage
, later.Key Takeaway If you need short-term car insurance, look for coverage from nationwide providers who don’t charge cancellation fees. Speak with your insurance company for more information on their cancellation policies.
Alternatives to temporary car insurance
Depending on the specific reason you need temporary car insurance in California, other types of short-term insurance—like rental car insurance or non-owner insurance—could make the most sense for you. Here’s a breakdown of how these types of coverage work.
Rental car insurance
If the vehicle you’ll be driving is rented through a car rental agency, look into
rental car insurance
. The rental car company themselves will usually try to sell you coverage in the form of a collision damage waiver or liability insurance
—but these policies often come with higher car insurance rates. Instead, motorists who don’t have standard car insurance should look into getting rental car coverage through a travel-rewards credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X, or American Express Platinum cards. In addition to other perks—like allowing you to redeem credit card points for hotel stays or airline miles—these cards offer rental car insurance that pays to replace or repair a rental car after an accident.
Non-owner car insurance
If you don’t own a car but often borrow a friend’s car or drive a rental vehicle, consider
non-owner car insurance
. These liability coverage policies don’t include a deductible and can be up to 10% cheaper than standard auto insurance—but because you can’t take advantage of important coverage options like collision
and comprehensive insurance
, you could still have to pay for costly car repairs after an accident.If you decide to buy a non-owner policy and then purchase your own car, you’ll have to cancel your coverage and look for traditional car insurance instead. Non-owner auto insurance only covers borrowed vehicles such as rentals or those belonging to a family member or friend—not personal cars.
Key Takeaway If you don’t like the idea of purchasing and canceling traditional car insurance, look into alternative short-term coverage options such as rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
How to find affordable car insurance in California
Whether you need temporary coverage or something long-term, finding affordable car insurance in California can be tough. But that’s why
Jerry
is here to help! Just download the app, fill out your personalized driver profile, and get access to customized car insurance quotes in just 45 seconds.Jerry is a
trustworthy insurance shopping app
that narrows down your best offers from more than 55 of the nation’s top-rated insurance companies, making it easy to get cheap car insurance
. Have questions or need help along the way? Just text one of Jerry’s helpful agents through the app. They’re always available to provide advice on coverage options. On average, Jerry users save more than $800 a year on their car insurance premiums.
“I was tired of looking around multiple websites, so I decided to giveJerrya try. Let me tell you—the process is so easy and simple, and they really find you the best prices for your coverage level. Getting insurance for my new car was quick and easy!” —Joanna D.
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