Temporary Car Insurance in Louisiana: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
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Updated: 3/30/2023
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One way to get temporary car insurance is to purchase a six-month coverage and cancel it before the end of the term. On average, a three-month policy in Louisiana costs $760.
For those who don’t own a car or are only visiting Louisiana, rental car insurance may be the best option.
MoneyGeek also researched options to obtain temporary car insurance in Louisiana for different cases, such as drivers who need to get their license reinstated or those who are working for a ridesharing company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Louisiana
In Louisiana and other states, temporary car insurance can mean different things. Those who own a car can purchase a regular car insurance policy and cancel it early, while those who don’t own a car can get rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
Since there’s no single way to purchase temporary car insurance in Louisiana, MoneyGeek looked at all the options to get short-term car insurance.
- 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 Louisiana Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
Reputable car insurance companies in Louisiana, as well as in other states, do not provide policies shorter than six months. The average car insurance rate in Louisiana for a six-month policy is $1,520. You could get a shorter period of coverage by canceling it early.
Most insurance companies provide refunds for the remainder of the term. For example, a driver who purchased a six-month policy could cancel by the third month and only pay an average of $760, half the price of a six-month policy.
If you take on this approach, remember to avoid incurring an insurance lapse, which could increase your auto insurance rates.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Louisiana
MoneyGeek calculated the cost of car insurance in Louisiana by company and across terms of six months, three months and one month.
The following insurers have the cheapest car insurance rates in Louisiana on average for a three-month term:
- Southern Farm Bureau: $403 per 90 days
- GEICO: $609 per 90 days
MoneyGeek’s calculations did not include cancellation fees since most insurers don’t charge them when you end the term of your car insurance. Most major insurance companies provide you with a refund for the months that you haven’t used.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Louisiana by Policy Length
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Altering Louisiana Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you have an existing car insurance policy in Louisiana but need to temporarily add or remove coverage, the best solution may be to make alterations to your current policy.
The most common scenarios where altering car insurance can be beneficial include when a teenager leaves home for college, when you need to store your car for a certain period or when someone else will be using it temporarily.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your child is going to school elsewhere, you can temporarily remove them from your policy or seek a discount.
If you plan to store your car, it may be a good option to remove all coverage except comprehensive insurance. If you’re in the military, USAA offers car storage discounts that you can take advantage of.
If someone else drives your car regularly, it may be best to add them to your policy.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Louisiana
If your teenager lives with you, you’ll have to add them to your car insurance policy, which could be quite expensive. MoneyGeek’s research shows that including an 18-year-old driver on a policy costs an average of $6,131 annually.
When adding a teen driver to a policy, some options to save money include taking them off your policy while they’re living more than 100 miles from home, seeking distant student discounts or keeping them on your policy.
MoneyGeek’s research shows that having a student on your policy for only two months a year during summer breaks costs an average of $1,022, while keeping them on your policy for the whole year costs an average of $6,131.
Progressive can give you the biggest savings just by temporarily removing your teen from your policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Louisiana
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If your child lives less than 100 miles and you can’t take them off your policy or get a discount, you can still find cheap car insurance options for teens by shopping around.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Louisiana
If you plan to temporarily put your car in storage, there are two ways for you to save money. You can switch your car insurance policy to comprehensive-only or request a vehicle storage discount.
Switching to comprehensive-only coverage and removing liability insurance coverage temporarily can help you save when storing your car. Comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs around $658 in Louisiana. A policy with comprehensive, collision and liability insurance costs an average of $1,839 per year.
If you’re in the military on active duty, consider a policy from USAA. They offer a vehicle storage discount and have a relatively cheaper premium even before the discount at $1,580 per year on average.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
Members of your household driving your car should be included in your policy. If you give permission to someone from outside your household to drive your car, you won’t have to adjust your policy as they’ll be covered.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Louisiana
If you are temporarily renting a vehicle in Louisiana, you don’t have to purchase car insurance. Almost all rental companies offer basic liability insurance with the option to add collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance. Having these extra coverages can cost around $46 to $57 per day, but you may be able to mix and match these add-ons for cheaper coverage depending on your needs.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Louisiana
To get the average cost of policies for rental car insurance in Louisiana, MoneyGeek collected data from the city of New Orleans. Prices range from $46 to $57 per day depending on the company. For a rental car policy that includes supplemental liability, collision damage waivers and personal accident insurance, Enterprise charges roughly $46 daily, Avis charges around $56 daily and Hertz charges approximately $57 daily.
If you already have a car insurance policy, your own liability, collision and medical payments coverage may already cover you. In addition, your credit card provider may cover you for collision damage waiver for rental cars. If you have these perks, you can save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Louisiana
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Louisiana
If you don’t own a car and need proof of insurance when filing for an SR-22 to reinstate your license, non-owner car insurance is an ideal option. The average cost of non-owner car insurance in Louisiana is $916.
Non-owner car insurance may be the cheapest option for drivers who don’t own a car and need proof of insurance to file an SR-22 in Louisiana.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Louisiana
If you’re working for a rideshare company in Louisiana, you’re probably aware that you have insurance coverage when you accept a fare or are transporting a passenger. When you don’t fall into these categories, you have a gap in your coverage. To address this, you may want to get rideshare insurance.
However, rideshare insurance policies are not available in all states. To make it easier to choose which coverage matches your need, MoneyGeek reviewed the best rideshare insurance companies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Louisiana
MoneyGeek answered some of the most frequently asked questions about getting temporary car insurance in Louisiana.
Yes, you can get temporary car insurance in Louisiana in different ways depending on your situation. Car owners can buy a standard policy and cancel early, while those who don’t own a car but drive frequently can either get non-owner car insurance or rental car insurance.
You can get refunded for your unused premium when you choose to cancel a policy before the term period ends.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes from insurance companies in Louisiana in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. The rates collected were based on a 40-year-old driver getting full coverage as described in our methodology page. Rates for a student driver were based on adding an 18-year-old to a policy.
Assuming a full refund from insurance companies when you cancel a policy, MoneyGeek calculated the cost for one-month and three-month policies on a prorated basis. Rental car insurance costs in Louisiana were collected manually using 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.