You likely won’t find temporary car insurance in North Carolina from a reputable insurer, but you can purchase a six-month policy and cancel before your renewal date. Note that companies advertising policies any shorter than this are often scamming, so you’ll want to tread carefully!
Whether you’re borrowing a family member’s car or planning to sell your vehicle, securing temporary insurance for a vehicle can be extremely difficult. You may come across some untrustworthy companies offering day-long or week-long insurance, but your safest bet is to go with the shortest plan from a legitimate insurer—which, in most cases, lasts six months.
There are still ways to insure your car for less than six months without getting scammed, though—and the car insurance app Jerry
is here to walk you through it. So if you’re looking to find temporary cheap car insurance in North Carolina
, this guide is for you. What is temporary car insurance?
The truth about temporary car insurance is that it’s not technically an option. While you can obtain a policy that lasts six months, most reputable insurance companies won’t offer a shorter policy. In fact, companies that do offer insurance for less than six months are almost always a scam.
Therefore, if you need car insurance for a very short period of time, your best option is to purchase a six-month plan from a respectable company and cancel it early. That said, you’ll need to be careful doing this to avoid having gaps in your coverage— driving without insurance is illegal in most states, and North Carolina is no exception.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Best companies for temporary car insurance in North Carolina
Finding a “temporary insurance” policy for less than six months is tricky business, but there are companies in North Carolina that make it easy to cancel a policy early. In fact, you may even get a refund for your unused premiums.
Here are some insurers where canceling before your renewal is a possibility:
GEICO
—GEICO lets you cancel a policy anytime before the renewal, and usually offers a refund for the months you already paid for.USAA
—Though USAA is only available to military members and their dependents, you can cancel your policy without a fine and receive a refund in most cases. State Farm
—State Farm also allows you to cancel a policy early without charging a cancellation fee, and offers refunds for unused premium payments. Allstate
—Typically, Allstate makes it easy to cancel a policy before your renewal, and doesn’t fine you for it. Progressive
—While Progressive’s cancellation fee policies vary state to state, you are welcome to cancel your insurance plan at any point.
If you still intend to keep your car after canceling your policy—regardless of whether you’re driving it or not—you will need to purchase another policy to comply with state insurance requirements. Any lapse in your car insurance in North Carolina results in a $50 fee, which increases to $100, then $150 for a second and third offense.
Keep in mind, North Carolina insurance companies are required by law to notify NCDMV if your vehicle’s insurance is canceled. NCDMV will therefore know if you have insurance gaps, even if you’re not caught driving without proof of insurance.
Continued failure to insure a vehicle leads to license plate revocation, civil penalties, and hefty fines—so be sure to leave no gaps in your coverage!
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Alternatives to temporary car insurance
There are a few unconventional options for short-term car insurance, as well, depending on your situation. Both rental car insurance
and non-owner car insurance
, for example, can offer temporary coverage for North Carolina drivers. Rental car insurance
If you’re only going to be driving in North Carolina temporarily, it may be more practical to get a rental car, which comes with its own insurance options. Most notably, this includes a collision damage waiver (CDW)—signing one with the rental company allows you to receive their highest level of protection on the road.
You should be warned, though—rental companies are notorious for overpricing CDWs, so much so that CDW protection can sometimes total more than the rental car price itself. Usually, you’ll be better off opting for less expensive limited-coverage options like rental car liability insurance or personal car accident insurance.
Additionally, several credit card companies offer rental collision coverage for free, so be sure to check with yours!
Non-owner car insurance
If you’re someone who rents or borrows cars frequently, but you don’t own a vehicle of your own, non-owner car insurance could keep you from breaking North Carolina’s car insurance laws
. While traditional car insurance is tied to a registered vehicle, non-owner insurance is attached to the driver instead and is often up to 10% cheaper than standard car insurance. How to find affordable car insurance in North Carolina
If you’re on the market for temporary car insurance in North Carolina, you’ll want to make sure you’re continuously covered for an affordable price—and Jerry
’s got your back. The Jerry app instantly tracks down the cheapest rates available to you from over 50 top insurance companies. When you’re ready to make the switch, simply select your new policy through the app, and as a licensed broker
, Jerry does the heavy lifting to get your coverage and savings started seamlessly. The best part? The average Jerry user ends up saving $887 a year on car insurance, so it’s definitely worth a try while you’re searching for that short-term plan!
“I was literally floored by the savings Jerry
found for me. I was paying close to $960 every 6 months and now I’m paying $380 every 6 months for IDENTICAL COVERAGE in North Carolina!” —Olivia Z
