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How long do you have to pay your car insurance?

I overspent on my budget this month and won't have enough for my car insurance. I'm worried because I need my car for work. How long do I have to pay before I lose coverage?

avatar
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Budgeting is hard. We all slip up at some point, so don’t feel too bad!
To help calm your mind, most
car insurance companies
give you a grace period to make payments after the due date, though you may have to pay a late fee as well. Some grace periods are up to 30 days, while others are seven days or less.
Since you already know you’ve overspent, your best option is to call your car insurance company. It’s always better to inform them about the late payment before they try to take it out of your account.
Some companies, like
Esurance
, allow you to adjust or change your payment date online or by phone, which can prevent a missed payment.
If you don’t inform your insurance, you risk your policy being canceled for nonpayment. If this happens, you may not be able to reinstate your policy and it may be harder to find a new insurance company.
That said, if your current payment is putting stress on your budget, shop around! You may be able to find a rate that better fits your budget and needs. Use
Jerry
to compare dozens of competitive quotes for your desired coverage level.
View full answer 
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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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