Do I need insurance for a car I don’t plan on driving for a while?
I found a used car that's selling for a great price and I want to buy it, but I don't plan to drive it until I find a full-time job and start commuting. Do I need to buy insurance for this car, even though it'll just be sitting in my driveway for a few months?
Answer
You have a couple of options! The most important thing to keep in mind is that the car cannot be driven at all without insurance. If you don’t plan to register or drive the car right away, see if the current owner will bring the car to you. This way, you won’t need to worry about coverage for the drive home and you can get insurance whenever you’re ready.
You also have the option of using a storage plan. Some carriers will allow you to have just comprehensive coverage to protect your car from perils such as fire, theft, and vandalism. This will save you a good amount on the premium, but be aware that the car cannot be driven with this type of policy.
If you need to get the vehicle registered right away, you’ll need to get your insurance started before going to the DMV. To learn more about getting a car registered, check out this article: How to Register a Car.
Shannon Martin
Answered on Feb 24, 2021
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