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How do I drive a new car home without insurance?
I'm buying a new car. We already have one, but I want to get one for my wife. I was just wondering how I can drive it home without insurance. I want to surprise her, and I'm worried she'll see the car on the insurance bill or something.
Liz Jenson · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
While it’s possible that you’ll be legally permitted to purchase a car without insurance, you won’t be able to drive your car without getting a policy first. Since you already have an insurance policy, though, it’s possible that you’ll get a grace period before you need to
add your new car
to your policy.Usually, this grace period is around seven days, although you should check with your insurer to find out exact details. After this grace period ends, you’ll only be covered up to the value of the car that you traded in in the event of an accident. If that doesn’t cover the accident, you’ll have to pay the difference on your own, which may end up being thousands of dollars.
If you’re buying your car from a dealership, you might also need to present
proof of insurance
before you’re allowed to drive away, so make sure to talk to the dealership first, too.If you’re worried about keeping the car a secret, you can also get a new policy for the new car so that your wife won’t have any chance of seeing her new set of wheels on the next statement. One way to shop around quickly and easily is by using the
Jerry
app. Jerry will collect quotes for you for free, so you can find a policy that works for you in minutes.View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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