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Drivers in
Georgia
can purchase standard car insurance
policies for six or twelve months, but temporary or short-term car insurance
isn’t an option. However, if you only need a policy for the time being, you still have options.
Temporary car insurance options in Georgia include non-owner policies, pay-per-mile insurance, rental car coverage, or getting added on someone else’s policy.
Temporary car insurance options in Georgia include non-owner policies, pay-per-mile insurance, rental car coverage, or getting added on someone else’s policy.
Many insurers offer refunds after early cancellations, but you may be charged a cancellation fee and face other consequences.
Many insurers offer refunds after early cancellations, but you may be charged a cancellation fee and face other consequences.
If you see a car insurance company offering short-term policies, it’s probably not legitimate.
If you see a car insurance company offering short-term policies, it’s probably not legitimate.
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Your best solution for temporary auto insurance in Georgia depends on why you need it
Temporary auto insurance includes various coverage solutions designed to meet or exceed the state’s laws for car insurance in the short term. Here are Georgia’s minimum coverage requirements:
- $50,000 bodily injury liability insurance per accident
Let’s explore the best car insurance options you have for short term coverage in the Peach State.
If you’re buying a car
Avoid short-term dealership policies.
You may be able to purchase temporary coverage from a dealership if you’re buying a car in Georgia—but it’s not your best option.
Temporary car insurance benefitsDealership insurance usually lasts 28–30 days, so you’ll have plenty of time to find a standard policy.
temporary car insurance drawbacksDealership policies typically have much higher insurance premiums than standard policies and typically only offer limited coverage.
You can save money and headaches by purchasing coverage yourself
before buying a car
. Getting same-day coverage is simple, especially if you’re working with an online broker like Jerry
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If you don’t drive often
Pay-per-mile insurance.
Pay-per-mile policies are a great option to maintain continuous coverage even if you don’t drive often.
- Pro: Starting with a low, fixed monthly auto insurance rate, you’ll receive a surcharge for each mile you drive.
- Con: Your car insurance rate will vary from month to month. These policies typically only provide cheap car insurance if you drive less than 10,000 miles per year.
If you’re renting
Rental car insurance.
Rental car companies offer a variety of coverage options for drivers who don’t own their own vehicle and don’t carry insurance.
- Pro: If you don’t own a car and don’t have insurance, you can purchase the coverage you need quickly and easily through most rental car companies.
- Con: You’ll pay much more for coverage than with a standard non-owner policy.
Learn More:
Rental car insurance, explained
If you have a credit card, check the details—you may already have rental coverage as a cardholder perk.
If you have a credit card, check the details—you may already have rental coverage as a cardholder perk.
If you borrow cars regularly
Non-owner insurance.
If you don’t own a car but you do rent or borrow vehicles frequently, a
non-owner insurance
policy is ideal.- Pro: A Georgia non-owner car insurance policy will provideliability coverageto meet or exceed state insurance requirements.
- Con: Non-owner policies offer secondary coverage, which means they only kick in to cover damages outside of what the vehicle owner’s policy limits cover.
Your personal car insurance policy may not cover you if you rent from a peer-to-peer service like If you use peer-to-peer (P2P) rental services, like Turo, ZipCar, or Getaround. P2P services include basic liability coverage as part of the rental rate—though purchasing increased coverage is a good idea. As with standard insurance, you'll be charged a deductible (usually between $1,000 and $3,000) if you need to file a claim.
Your personal car insurance policy may not cover you if you rent from a peer-to-peer service like If you use peer-to-peer (P2P) rental services, like Turo, ZipCar, or Getaround. P2P services include basic liability coverage as part of the rental rate—though purchasing increased coverage is a good idea. As with standard insurance, you'll be charged a deductible (usually between $1,000 and $3,000) if you need to file a claim.
Rental car insurance vs non-owner insurance: If you rent cars frequently, a non-owner policy may end up being cheaper than the fees for rental car liability coverage—but you might still want a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) since non-owner insurance won’t cover damage to the car you’re driving.
If you borrow a car occasionally
You’re already covered!
You can be covered temporarily under someone else’s policy if they gave you permission to use the vehicle. This is called permissive use.
- Pro: Most standard auto insurance policies allow for permissive use—as long as you have the owner’s permission to use the vehicle, their insurance coverage will protect you in case you cause an accident.
- Con: If you’re named as an excluded driver on an owner’s insurance plan, you will not be covered when you drive their car. Permissive use only covers occasional use.
If you regularly borrow a specific car
Named driver.
If you have a driver’s license and live with a family member or someone else who owns a vehicle, or you regularly borrow the same person’s car, they should add you to their policy.
Pro: Named drivers are covered anytime they borrow the insured’s vehicle.
Con: Adding named drivers can increase the policyholder’s insurance rates—especially if the named driver has recent accidents on their driving record or a poor driving history. It can also be difficult to remove a named driver if you’re unable to show proof they’ve acquired separate coverage.
If you stop driving temporarily
Standard policy with adjusted coverage levels.
Many Georgia insurance providers allow policyholders to temporarily adjust their policies according to their needs. This might be a coverage shift or a named driver exclusion or addition.
Here are some situations that might call for a policy adjustment:
- If you’re the parent of a college student who only drives when they’re home on break: If you have a child who won’t be driving while they're away at school, ask your insurance agent about “away at school” options that provide coverage when your child is home for breaks and holidays, but keeps costs low while they’re away with no vehicle.
- If you own a car you only drive during certain seasons: If you own a vehicle you only drive during certain seasons, check with your provider to see if they offer“parked car” or “storage” policiesto protect your car from damage that can occur from weather, theft, or vandalism. Note: These and other “comprehensive only” plans usually require you to surrender your license plates to avoid a lapse in liability coverage on a registered vehicle.
- If you’re a military member who only drives between deployments: Choose an insurer that offers a military storage plan with reduced coverage and rates while you’re deployed andfull coveragewhen you return home.
The worst way to get temporary car insurance
Standard policy with early cancellation.
When you’re searching for temporary car insurance online, you’ll probably find a lot of advice saying you can just purchase a six- or 12-month policy, then cancel it early. While this is certainly an option, we generally don’t recommend it.
Here’s why:
- Refusal of coverage: If a provider sees that you frequently purchase and cancel insurance, they may refuse to offer coverage. It can even be considered a type of insurance fraud.
- Gaps in your insurance history: If you cancel car insurance coverage for any period of time without purchasing a new policy, it raises major red flags for insurance companies, which could cause your rates to increase.
- Lack of protection: New insurance policies don’t always offer full protection from day one. If you’re in an accident before your new policy fully kicks in, you may not be able to file a claim for damages.
- Cancellation fee or loss of down payment: Most providers don’t charge a fee for early cancellation, but some do. Plus, if your insurer requires a downpayment to begin a policy, you’re likely to forfeit that if you choose to cancel early.
In some few circumstances, buying a standard six-month or 12-month policy and canceling early could be a viable option:
- If you’re buying a car that you’ll be re-selling soon, and you don’t plan to buy another new one.
- You’re visiting the US and want to drive while you’re here.
You may see insurance providers offering temporary car insurance policies online—often in seven-day or one-month increments. However, these aren’t usually reputable companies. In the best case, they’ll redirect you to an agent who’ll tell you that you can only buy a standard 6- or 12-month policy. Worst case, it could be a scam that leaves you uninsured.
You may see insurance providers offering temporary car insurance policies online—often in seven-day or one-month increments. However, these aren’t usually reputable companies. In the best case, they’ll redirect you to an agent who’ll tell you that you can only buy a standard 6- or 12-month policy. Worst case, it could be a scam that leaves you uninsured.
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FAQs
Is temporary car insurance legit?
Generally speaking, if you see an insurance company offering terms less than six to 12 months, it’s probably a scam. If it’s not, you’ll usually be directed to an agent who’ll recommend a six-month policy.
How many days can you go without car insurance in Georgia?
If you own a vehicle, going even one day without insurance in Georgia is technically illegal. This is a big part of the reason insurers offer
new car insurance grace periods
that extend coverage from an existing policy to a vehicle not yet added to that policy for a limited amount of time.Can I drive a car without insurance if I just bought it in Georgia?
No—to drive legally in Georgia, motorists must not only carry a policy that meets or exceeds the state’s minimum coverage requirements but they must also carry
proof of insurance
anytime they’re behind the wheel. What is the shortest term for car insurance?
Generally, a six-month car insurance policy is the shortest term available. If you see providers offering car insurance quotes for terms less than six months, they’re probably not reputable.
