Temporary Car Insurance in Florida: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
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Updated: 2/8/2023
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If you are a car owner, you might be able to get temporary car insurance by purchasing a six-month policy and canceling it before it expires for a refund. In Florida, you will pay an average of $552 for a three-month temporary car insurance policy.
For drivers visiting Florida that don’t own a car in the state, rental car insurance might be the best option for coverage.
MoneyGeek evaluated the situations that may prompt the need to purchase temporary car insurance in Florida. For instance, you may need to purchase the coverage to reinstate your license or if you work for a rideshare company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Florida
Temporary car insurance can mean different things in different states, including Florida. If you are a car owner, you may decide to purchase a full coverage car insurance policy then cancel it before six months elapse. If you do not own a car, you may consider rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
While there is no specific way of securing temporary car insurance in Florida, MoneyGeek’s research can help you identify various ways to buy the appropriate coverage for your needs.
- 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 Florida Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
In most states, insurers only sell car insurance policies with a minimum period of six months. In Florida, drivers pay an average of $1,104 for a 6-month temporary policy. That means you can only get short-term policies by canceling your temporary coverage early.
Typically, insurance providers will refund the balance of your policy premium from the time of cancellation. For instance, if you purchase temporary coverage for six months but you cancel after three months, you will pay roughly half the six-month cost, which is around $552.
Also, make sure that you do not have a lapse in your coverage when canceling your temporary policy since this can result in higher annual premiums.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Florida
While the standard minimum duration for car insurance is typically six months, MoneyGeek also determined costs for policies with lower time spans, including 90-day and 30-day policies.
Based on MoneyGeek’s study, the most affordable insurance carriers in Florida for a three-month policy are, on average:
- GEICO: $334 per 90 days
- State Farm: $467 per 90 days
The prices outlined by MoneyGeek do not include cancellation costs since most insurance providers do not charge any fees for canceling.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Florida by Policy Length
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Altering Florida Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you already have auto insurance in Florida but need to add or remove coverage, MoneyGeek recommends that you make changes to your existing policy. Drivers typically want to know about short-term car insurance if their teenager goes to college, when they are storing their vehicle or if someone is borrowing their car.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If you have a teenage child who is away at college, you can temporarily remove them from your policy or ask for a discount.
If you want to store your car, you can save by removing everything but your comprehensive insurance. Alternately, if you’re military, use car storage discounts from USAA.
If someone else drives your car regularly, it may be best to add them to your policy.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Florida
Drivers who live with their children in Florida need to add them to their auto insurance policy. This may result in higher premiums. It costs around $4,403 to add an 18-year-old to your policy in Florida. Parents may get lower rates by removing their students from their policy if their child studies over 100 miles away. They may also request distant student discounts or keep their child on their policy.
Based on MoneyGeek’s research, it costs an average of $734 in Florida to add a student to a policy for two months. Adding them for a year costs roughly $3,669 more.
In Florida, the company that saves you the most money if you temporarily exclude a student from your policy is Allied. Parents save roughly $7,498 with this insurer.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Florida
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If you cannot get a discount from your insurer and your child’s school is within 100 miles, you can save on your premiums by comparing quotes across multiple companies. MoneyGeek’s analysis offers you a detailed comparison of the cheapest insurance providers for teen drivers.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Florida
If you want to store your car in Florida, you can save money by asking your insurer for a car storage discount or making your coverage comprehensive-only.
In Florida, comprehensive and collision coverage with a deductible of $1,000 costs an average of $337 per year. That’s cheaper than the average annual cost of $1,206 for policies that include liability coverage.
Drivers from a military background and those on active duty may consider getting coverage from USAA, which not only provides the cheapest policies in the state but also offers car storage discounts to policyholders. An annual policy from USAA costs an average of $944.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If you allow someone that you don’t live with to drive your car in Florida, you do not need to add them to your policy since they are already covered. However, members of your household will need to be added to your insurance policy if they intend to drive your car regularly.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Florida
In Florida, you do not need to purchase temporary car insurance if you intend to use rented cars. Instead, you may consider getting rental car insurance that includes standard liability insurance but also allows you to buy additional coverage like personal accident insurance, supplementary liability insurance and collision damage waivers. Insurance from rental car companies in Florida costs roughly $46 to $57 per day. However, you can save by selecting cheaper coverage options.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Florida
MoneyGeek obtained analysis data from Jacksonville and discovered that rental car policy costs range from roughly $46 to $57 per day. The cheapest provider in the state is Enterprise, at around $46 per year, while Avis and Hertz both charge $57 per year on average. This covers liability insurance as well as add-on coverages like personal accident insurance, supplemental liability and collision damage waiver.
If you already have car insurance, you may not need to buy rental car insurance because your policy should cover the costs if you get involved in an accident.
Additionally, various credit card companies offer collision damage waiver insurance for rental cars. This can help you save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Florida
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Florida
If you do not own a car but need proof of insurance before your suspended license gets reinstated, purchasing non-owner car insurance may be the best option in Florida. On average, the cost of non-owner car insurance in the state is $999 per year.
Non-owner insurance is the most affordable policy for drivers who do not own cars but need to file an SR-22 with Florida.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Florida
Florida drivers who work for a rideshare company get temporary insurance coverage once they accept fare or start transporting a passenger. This leaves a lapse in coverage between fares and can be a great place for rideshare insurance to fill in this gap.
However, rideshare insurance policies vary across the states, and you can use MoneyGeek’s comparison to select the best rideshare provider that suits your needs while in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Florida
Temporary car insurance provides coverage to car owners and non-car owners alike. Here are some of the commonly asked questions about temporary coverage in Florida.
You can get temporary car insurance in Florida depending on your needs. The minimum duration for the coverage is six months, although you can reduce the period by canceling your policy early for a refund.
Most insurers will refund your premium if you cancel your car insurance before six months. However, you will need to cancel the policy early.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected temporary and non-owner car insurance quotes in Florida in partnership with Quadrant Information Services. The sample policy used in the study was for a 40-year-old driver with a full coverage policy whose limits are outlined on our methodology page. The prices for students are for an 18-year-old driver added to their parent’s policy.
The costs for 30-day and 90-day policies were determined on a prorated basis, with the assumption that insurers will refund the full premium. Rental car insurance rates were obtained manually using online tools for the three providers in Florida, including Avis, Hertz and Enterprise.
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.