Temporary Car Insurance in Iowa: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
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Updated: 2/8/2023
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If you own a car and want temporary car insurance in Iowa, you can buy a six-month policy and cancel it early to get a refund for the remainder of the unused term. This means that if you only retain your coverage for 90 days, you will pay roughly $195.
Rental car insurance may be the best option for you if you are visiting Iowa and driving a rental car or you do not own a car. MoneyGeek’s analysis also looked into other scenarios that require temporary coverage, like non-owner car insurance or rideshare insurance.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Iowa
In Iowa and other states, temporary car insurance has different meanings. Drivers who own a car may want to get a full car insurance policy then cancel it early. Drivers who don’t own cars can consider rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
MoneyGeek found that there are various ways to get temporary car insurance in Iowa depending on 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 Iowa Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
Most insurance companies in Iowa and other states provide car insurance for a minimum of six months. On average, drivers in Iowa pay $389 for a six-month car insurance policy. However, if you need coverage for less than six months, you can cancel your policy early and get a refund for the remainder of the term.
For example, if you cancel your policy after three months, you will only pay an average of $195.
If you use this strategy, MoneyGeek recommends that you avoid an insurance coverage lapse since you may incur extra charges.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Iowa
MoneyGeek analyzed car insurance rates in Iowa from different insurers for different policy terms, including six months, 90 days and one month.
We found that, on average, the cheapest insurers for a 90-day policy in Iowa are:
- GEICO: $118 per 90 days
- State Farm: $154 per 90 days
These rates do not include cancellation fees. Most major insurers do not charge any fees for canceling your policy and provide full premium refunds for what’s left of your insurance term.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Iowa by Policy Length
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Altering Iowa Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
Making alterations to your existing car insurance policy could be the best option if you want to temporarily add or remove coverage.
When it comes to short-term car insurance, most drivers want to know what to do when a student driver in the family goes to college, if they need to temporarily store their cars or if they lend their car to someone else.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your son or daughter goes away to college somewhere within Iowa, you can ask for a distant student discount from your insurer or temporarily remove them from your policy.
If you are planning to store your car, remove all coverage except comprehensive insurance from your policy. Military members can take advantage of USAA’s car storage discounts.
If someone else drives your car, it is not necessary to add them to your policy unless they drive it regularly.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Iowa
In Iowa, student drivers who live with you must be added to your policy, which can be quite expensive. MoneyGeek found that it costs an average of $1,584 per year to add an 18-year-old driver to your policy in Iowa.
You can temporarily adjust the cost of your car insurance policy by removing the student from your policy if they go to school more than 100 miles away, getting a distant student discount or keeping the student driver on the policy.
Our study showed that if you add a student to your policy for two months only during the summer, you will just pay an average of $264, compared to roughly $1,584 for having the student on your policy for the whole year. Allied offers the most savings in Iowa for temporarily taking a student off your policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Iowa
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If your child goes to school in Iowa and is close enough that you can’t temporarily take them off your policy or get a discount, you can still save on premiums by comparing quotes. MoneyGeek analyzed rates from different insurers to help you find the most affordable insurance for teens.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Iowa
If you are storing your car temporarily in Iowa, you can save on your car insurance premiums by switching to comprehensive-only insurance or using storage discounts. Removing liability coverage from your insurance policy will get you lower premiums.
The average cost of comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible in Iowa is $329 per year, while a policy that includes liability insurance as well as comprehensive and collision coverage costs around $654 annually.
USAA is a good option for drivers who are on active military duty since it offers storage discounts. Even without the discount, USAA is one of the cheapest options for car insurance in Iowa, with an average annual cost of $614.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If someone else in your household drives your car, they will need to be added to your car insurance policy. However, when someone outside your household borrows your car with your permission, they will be covered by your policy, so there is no need to adjust it.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Iowa
If you are temporarily renting a car in Iowa, instead of buying a traditional car insurance policy, rental car insurance could be the best option. Most car rental companies offer basic liability insurance with the option to add collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance. These coverages cost around $47 to $60 per day depending on the rental company. However, you can mix and match coverages depending on your needs for cheaper rates.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Iowa
MoneyGeek collected rental car insurance data in Iowa from Des Moines. The average rental car insurance rates in Iowa range from $47 to $60 per day depending on the company.
For rental car insurance with all protections including supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance, Enterprise costs roughly $47 per day, Avis costs around $57 daily and Hertz costs approximately $60 daily.
If you have an existing car insurance policy, you may already have liability, collision and medical payments coverage, so there is no need for you to purchase these coverages. Your credit card company may also have collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars, so you can decline this coverage to save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Iowa
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Iowa
Non-owner car insurance is a good option if you do not own a car but need proof of insurance when SR-22 filing to get your license reinstated. The average cost of non-owner car insurance in Iowa is $256 per year.
For drivers in Iowa who need to file an SR-22, non-owner car insurance is the most cost-effective way to get proof of insurance.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Iowa
Rideshare drivers in Iowa may have a temporary gap in coverage while still waiting for passengers and before accepting a fare. Rideshare insurance helps to cover this gap by ensuring that even before you start transporting a passenger, your insurance still covers you. However, not all rideshare insurance policies are available in all states.
To help you find the best rideshare insurance in Iowa, MoneyGeek compared all insurers in the state that offer rideshare policies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Iowa
If you need more information on how to get temporary car insurance in Iowa, here are some answers to commonly asked questions on short-term insurance.
Yes, you can get temporary car insurance in Iowa. If you own a car, you can buy a six-month policy and cancel it early for a refund. Those who do not own cars can opt for rental car insurance.
Yes, you can get a full refund from most insurers if you cancel your car insurance policy early. The insurer will refund your premium based on the time remaining on your policy.
Methodology
Temporary car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes were collected in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services across Iowa. MoneyGeek’s analysis is based on a full coverage policy for a 40-year-old driver as described on our methodology page. The 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.
Rental car insurance costs in Iowa were collected manually by MoneyGeek using the online tools of 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.