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How soon should I get insurance after buying a new car?
I just graduated college and bought a new car for myself—now I need auto insurance. How long do I have to find the right policy?
Carlos Kirby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Congratulations on graduating! If this is your first car and you don’t have an existing policy, you will need to get insurance as soon as possible. Driving without insurance is illegal in 48 out 50 states across the US, and most lawmakers require
liability coverage
, at a minimum.If you are adding this car to an existing policy, there is usually a four-day window in which most insurers will extend coverage to the new car before you officially add it. This allows you to secure a car loan, which requires proof of insurance for your new vehicle.
The other common grace period is a 7-30 day window for adding a new car that is replacing a previously-covered car on the policy. In this case, your insurance rates are likely to remain the same as before.
After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?
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- Gregory R.
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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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