You may not find temporary car insurance in Virginia
from a reputable insurer. However, you can always purchase a six-month policy and cancel before your renewal. While some companies may advertise that they offer plans with shorter terms than this, buyer beware: these are more than likely a scam. There are several reasons why temporary car insurance might be ideal—if you’re planning to move states soon, for example, or you’re borrowing a car for a short term. Unfortunately, finding insurance for less than six months is not easy. And with scammers offering one-month or one-week policies, one must be cautious.
What is temporary car insurance?
What’s tricky about “temporary car insurance” is that it doesn’t exactly exist by definition. Most reputable insurance companies only offer terms that last six months at the shortest, and those offering anything less are very likely a scam.
But, this doesn’t mean that temporary car insurance is totally impossible. A common roundabout method is to simply purchase a six-month policy from a reputable insurer and cancel it before the renewal.
You will need to be careful doing this, though. If the timing doesn’t line up, your insurance could lapse, and driving with lapsed insurance is illegal in most states. While Virginia is one of just two states that allow registered vehicles to go uninsured, you will need to pay an annual Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee or possess minimum liability coverages to be on the road legally.
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 Virginia
You’ll find that there are several insurance companies in Virginia that make temporary car insurance more feasible by allowing early cancellations. In some cases, they may even refund unused premiums.
The following insurance companies have some of the most hassle-free cancellation policies:
Allstate
—Allstate allows you to cancel a policy anytime, and typically won’t charge a cancellation fee. You may also get a refund for any unused coverage months. State Farm
—There’s no limitation on when you can cancel a policy with State Farm. In most cases, you will also receive a refund and are not subject to a cancellation charge.Progressive
—Depending on your situation, you may have to pay a cancellation fee with Progressive. However, you are free to cancel at any point and usually receive a refund on prorated premium. GEICO
—GEICO is very lenient with its cancellation policies. You can cancel anytime you need to at no charge and will usually receive a refund. USAA
—Members of USAA won’t get penalized for canceling early and can do so at any time. It should be noted, however, that this insurer is only available for military members and their families.
Before you call up your agent to cancel, you’ll want to make sure you have a new insurance policy lined up if you plan on driving or owning a car again. Failing to have car insurance or pay the $500 UMV fee in Virginia can result in hefty penalties. This includes the suspension of your license, plates, and registration, a $600 noncompliance fee, and a reinstatement fee. You will also need to file a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate, or SR-22
, with the DMV for a period of three years. Insurance companies in Virginia electronically report the insurance status of all registered vehicles, so even if you aren’t caught driving without insurance, the DMV will still know that your vehicle is uninsured.
RECOMMENDEDNo spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Alternatives to temporary car insurance
If you’re renting a car in Virginia or don’t own a vehicle yourself, there are alternative methods to acquire temporary car insurance.
Rental car insurance
Drivers who are only in Virginia for a short period may find renting a car more practical. In this case, rental car insurance
can solve your temporary car insurance needs. This type of insurance is offered by the rental car company themself—to purchase their highest tier of protection on the road, they will usually ask if you’d like to sign a collision damage waiver (CDW). For the most part, experts agree that CDWs are excessively overpriced, however. Some even end up costing more than the rental car itself! It’s therefore generally recommended that you opt in to less expensive, limited coverage options like rental car liability or personal car accident insurance. You may even find that your credit card company already offers rental collision coverage to you for free—so be sure to check in with them first.
Non-owner car insurance
Drivers who don’t own a vehicle but frequently borrow or rent may find non-owner car insurance
to be a better option. This type of insurance follows the driver car-to-car, rather than anchoring itself to one vehicle. Not only does this help Virginia drivers maintain consistent insurance coverage, but it also usually costs 10% less than standard car insurance. “I’d recommend Jerry
to anyone. I’ve almost halved my insurance bill with a new Allstate plan and it took under 10 minutes.” —Leon W.
FAQs
