How to Find Temporary Car Insurance in Ohio
Finding temporary car insurance from a reputable insurer in Ohio is difficult. Your best bet is to purchase a six-month plan and cancel it early.
Written by Shannon Fitzgerald
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
It’s difficult to find temporary car insurance in Ohio that lasts less than six months from a reputable insurance company. Your best option is to purchase a six-month plan and cancel it early—especially since most companies advertising policies shorter than six months are usually scamming.
If you’re selling your car soon or just borrowing a car for a few months, you may want temporary insurance to avoid spending money on a longer policy than you need. But while a shorter policy can save you money, finding one from a reputable company that lasts less than six months is tricky business.
That’s why the
car insurance
app Jerry
put together a guide on securing short-term car insurance policies in the Buckeye State. Here we’ll go through everything you need to know about temporary cheap car insurance in Ohio
—from how to find it to which insurers you can trust. What is temporary car insurance?
As it stands, “
temporary car insurance
” doesn’t really exist—at least not in a straightforward way. The shortest policy term offered by most reputable insurance companies is six months. Anywhere that offers week-long or month-long terms is almost certainly trying to scam you. Your safest bet is to purchase a six-month plan from a reputable insurer and cancel it before your renewal. However, there are a few caveats: not all companies allow you to cancel a policy early, and you’ll want to make sure you have no gaps in your coverage. Driving without liability coverage is illegal in most states, Ohio included.
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+ driversBest companies for temporary car insurance in Ohio
Fortunately, there are several insurance companies in Ohio that allow you to cancel a policy early at any point in time. Some of them even offer refunds for unused premiums and waive cancellation fees.
Here are a few insurance companies that make canceling a policy a little easier:
- State Farm—State Farm lets you cancel a policy whenever you need to, and in most cases, doesn’t charge a cancellation fee. You may also receive a refund.
- Allstate—You are welcome to cancel your Allstate policy at any time, and they usually won’t charge a cancellation fee. You may also be issued a refund for your unused premium.
- Progressive—While you may have to pay a cancellation fee with Progressive, you are free to cancel your policy whenever you need to, and you will usually receive prorated refunds.
- GEICO—GEICO does not charge a cancellation fee and lets you cancel a policy anytime before the renewal. Usually, they will refund you unused policy months, as well.
- USAA—USAA doesn’t penalize early cancellation and allows members to cancel a policy early at any time. It should be noted, however, that USAA is only available to military members and their dependents.
Before you cancel your policy, you’ll need to make sure you have another policy lined up if you still drive or own the vehicle in question. If you’re ever caught with a lapse in Ohio’s minimum liability coverage requirements, your license will be suspended until you show
proper proof of coverage
. You will then need to pay a $100 reinstatement fee if it’s a first offense. Driving without insurance a second time results in a one-year license suspension and $300 reinstatement fee, while every subsequent offense will lead to a two-year suspension and $600 reinstatement fee.
In each case, you may lose your license plates and vehicle registration and be required to file a Financial Responsibility (FR) bond, or
an SR-22 certificate
, for three to five years—so be sure to maintain your coverage continuously. RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Alternatives to temporary car insurance
There are some alternative routes to acquiring temporary or shorter-term policies in Ohio without purchasing and canceling a six-month plan. If you’re renting a car or you don’t own your own vehicle, for example, certain coverages may apply directly to your needs.
Rental car insurance
For those who are renting a car in Ohio,
rental car insurance
can be a more practical solution to acquiring temporary insurance. This type of coverage is coordinated by the rental car company, and usually involves signing an optional collision damage waiver (CDW).While signing a CDW entitles you to the rental company’s highest level of protection on the road, experts warn that they are grossly overpriced. You’ll likely be better off just going with less costly limited-coverage options like rental car liability or personal car accident insurance. Your credit card company may actually offer rental collision coverage free of charge—so definitely check to see if this is available to you!
Non-owner car insurance
When you don’t own a vehicle, but you frequently borrow or rent one,
non-owner car insurance
covers you car-to-car rather than anchoring you to one vehicle. Not only can this ensure that you don't break Ohio car insurance laws
, but it might help you save some money, too—non-owner insurance is often up to 10% cheaper than standard car insurance. MORE: How to avoid being unfairly charged for rental car damage
How to find affordable car insurance in Ohio
Finding affordable car insurance in Ohio is fortunately much less of a hassle than securing temporary insurance—just download the
Jerry
app!All you have to do is answer a few questions, and the app instantly analyzes custom quotes from some of the top insurance companies nationwide to pinpoint the lowest rates available to you. The whole process takes under a minute.
Once you’ve decided on a cheaper plan, select it through the app. As a
licensed broker
, Jerry will help cancel your old policy and handle the transition calls and paperwork. The average user ends up saving $887 a year on car insurance so it’s definitely worth a look to spend even less on your short-term policy! “By usingJerryI found a policy that HALVED my monthly expenses with Geico! Best of all, they helped cancel my policy and got me a refund on my premium. This app is a lifesaver.” —Josiah T.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Can I insure a car for just one month?
Unfortunately, if a company is advertising a one-month policy, they are more than likely a scam. However, you can usually purchase a six-month policy from a reputable insurer, then cancel early. Some insurers won’t charge a cancellation fee for doing so and may even refund you your unused premium.
What happens if you drive without insurance in Ohio?
If it’s your first offense driving without insurance in Ohio, your license will be suspended until you can provide proof of coverage, and you will be charged a $100 reinstatement fee. For a second offense, your license will be suspended for a year, and you will be charged a $300 reinstatement fee. Any subsequent offense is subject to a two-year suspension and $600 reinstatement fee.
In each case, you may also have your license plates and registration revoked and be required to file a Financial Responsibility (FR) bond, or
an SR-22 certificate
, for three to five years.
