Temporary Car Insurance in Connecticut: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
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Updated: 2/8/2023
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If you have a car of your own, then you can get temporary car insurance by buying and canceling a policy within the first six months. You can get a full refund for canceling it early. The average cost of a three months temporary car insurance in Connecticut is $360.
However, rental car insurance can be beneficial for people who do not own a car but need to drive in Connecticut.
MoneyGeek evaluated other situations when you might need temporary car insurance. These include buying non-owner insurance to get your license reinstated or working for a rideshare company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Connecticut
In Connecticut and other states, getting temporary car insurance can have various meanings. Drivers who own their car might want to get a full car insurance policy and cancel it early. Those who don’t own cars should consider purchasing rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
There’s no single way to get temporary car insurance in Connecticut, but MoneyGeek analyzed the various options to get short-term coverage.
- Need a full car insurance policy temporarily? Buy and cancel
- Want to add or remove a driver? Alter your policy
- Renting a car? Buy from the rental company or use your own policy
- Don’t own a car? Look into non-owner Insurance
- Working for a rideshare company? Buy rideshare insurance
Buying a Six-Month Connecticut Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
In Connecticut and elsewhere, the major car insurers only sell car insurance that lasts at least six months. The cost of a six-month car insurance policy on average is $721 in Connecticut, while a 90-day car insurance policy will cost you around an average of $360.
MoneyGeek always advises getting proper insurance coverage so that there is no lapse in your coverage, which can result in higher rates when you buy a policy later on.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Connecticut
MoneyGeek has calculated the cost of car insurance in Connecticut not only for six months but also for a three-month policy and a one-month policy or 30-day policy. For a 90-day policy, the cheapest car insurance policies that you can buy in Connecticut on average are from:
- GEICO: $231 per 90 days
- Progressive: $292 per 90 days
MoneyGeek did not include any cancellation fee as major insurance companies in the state typically do not have any cancellation charges. They generally provide complete refunds for the remaining months of your policy.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Connecticut by Policy Length
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Altering Connecticut Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you already have a car insurance policy for your car in Connecticut but you need to add or reduce coverage, the best thing to do is to alter your current policy. The most typical questions drivers have about short-term car insurance involve a teenager going to college, needing to store a vehicle or letting someone borrow your car.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
You can remove your children from your policy or request a discount if they are going to school elsewhere in Connecticut.
If you want to store your car, then you can remove everything but your comprehensive insurance. If you’re from a military family, take advantage of car storage discounts from USAA.
You can add a temporary driver to your car insurance in Connecticut if someone else is driving your car regularly.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Connecticut
If your child lives with you in Connecticut, you must add them to your auto insurance policy even though it is expensive. It could cost you an average of $2,989 to add your 18-year-old to your policy.
You can reduce this cost if they live 100 miles away from you in Connecticut. You can also request discounts or just keep them on your policy.
MoneyGeek has found that if you add your teenage kid for only two months during the year, it costs an average of $498, which is approximately $2,491 lesser than the cost of adding them for a full year. Nationwide provides the biggest savings of roughly $3,173 when adding a child to your policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Connecticut
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If your child lives with you or within 100 miles of your home, then you cannot take him or her off your policy. You need to shop around to find the cheapest car insurance policies for teenagers.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Connecticut
If you are planning to store your car, you can save money by switching to a comprehensive-only policy or opting for vehicle storage discounts. A comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs an average of $348 per year in Connecticut, compared to a cost of around $1,181 for a policy with comprehensive and collision and minimum liability insurance included.
If you are in the military, you might be able to get a better deal from USAA. It costs an average of $847 annually before any discounts to purchase a policy from this insurer.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If anyone from your family drives the car apart from you, then they must be on your insurance policy. This will increase the cost of the policy. However, if you let someone else from outside your home drive your car, then you do not need to adjust or add them to the policy since your policy will cover them.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Connecticut
Drivers using rental cars in Connecticut might not need to have any car insurance policy to get covered. Most car rental companies provide basic liability insurance, and you can add collision damage waivers, personal accident insurance and supplement liability insurance to it by paying an extra amount. The average cost of insurance from a car rental company is between $39 and $59 per day.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Connecticut
MoneyGeek collected car rental insurance data in Connecticut from the city of Bridgeport. It found that the total insurance cost for rental car insurance varies from $39 to $59 as per the insurer. Enterprise charges roughly $39 per day, while Avis charges around $59 and Hertz charges approximately $58 for daily coverage, including supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance.
However, if you have a car insurance policy of your own, you may not need these coverages as your current policy may already meet those needs.
Additionally, many credit card providers have collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars. If you get this coverage from your credit card company, you may be able to use it to save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Connecticut
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Connecticut
If you do not own a car but drive one often, then you can buy non-owner car insurance in Connecticut for insurance coverage. This could also be the cheapest option when filing an SR-22 to get your license reinstated. The average cost of buying non-owner car insurance in Connecticut is $738.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Connecticut
People who work for a rideshare company in Connecticut get insurance coverage from the company itself. However, the coverage is only available when they accept a fare or transfer a passenger. If they are in between rides, then there is a temporary gap in insurance coverage. It could be smart to get a rideshare car insurance policy.
While there are different rideshare insurance policies available, not all of them are available in every state. If you are looking for one in Connecticut, you can use MoneyGeek’s research to find the best rideshare insurance policies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Connecticut
Here are some frequently asked questions from people looking for temporary car insurance in Connecticut.
There is no single way of getting temporary car insurance in Connecticut. MoneyGeek has found out a few options to get short-term car insurance. For instance, you can buy and cancel a six-month full coverage policy before the six months have elapsed and get a refund of the premium.
Yes, most major insurance companies provide a full return of the premium for the months left from the insurance tenure.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes from Connecticut in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. The policies mentioned are averages for a 40-year-old driver and full coverage as described on our methodology page. Costs for a student represent the average cost of adding an 18-year-old driver to a policy.
The costs of one-month and three-month policies were calculated by MoneyGeek on a prorated basis, assuming a full refund from the insurance company. The rental car insurance costs in Connecticut were collected manually by MoneyGeek using the online tools from Avis, Enterprise and Hertz.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.