Temporary Car Insurance in Michigan: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
Compare Rates
Ensure you're getting the best rate. Review quotes from a top insurance company.
Updated: 2/8/2023
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
If you are looking for temporary insurance for less than six months for a vehicle you own, you can buy a six-month policy and cancel early to get a refund for the remaining duration. The average cost of a three-month policy in Michigan is $1,083.
If you want to insure a rental car during your visit to Michigan or you don’t own a car in Michigan, rental car insurance could be your best option.
MoneyGeek also evaluated scenarios that could require temporary auto insurance in Michigan, such as reinstating your license or when you work for a rideshare company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Michigan
Temporary car insurance can mean different things in different states, including Michigan. Choosing a full car insurance policy and canceling early is a good option for drivers who own cars. Otherwise, rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance might be more suitable.
Since there is no single way to get temporary car insurance in Michigan, you may choose one of the several available options to insure your vehicle temporarily in Michigan.
- 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 Michigan Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
If you’re looking for temporary car insurance in Michigan, the average cost of a six-month policy is $2,167, which is what most major insurers typically offer. If you want insurance for a shorter period, you can get a six-month policy and cancel early as most major insurance companies will offer a refund for the remaining term on your policy.
For example, a three-month policy in Michigan, on average, costs $1,083, which is half of that of a six-month policy.
If you cancel your insurance before the term ends, ensure that there is no lapse in your insurance coverage. Any lapse in coverage may lead to hundreds of dollars in additional expenses per year.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Michigan
MoneyGeek’s research calculated costs for one-month, three-month and six-month policies based on quotes from multiple insurers.
On average, the companies that provide the cheapest car insurance policies for three months in Michigan are:
- GEICO: $540 per 90 days
- Auto-Owners Insurance Co: $575 per 90 days
These rates are calculated on a prorated basis and do not consider cancellation charges that insurers may charge. Most insurers offer a full refund of premiums for the remainder of the term without deducting any cancellation fees.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Michigan by Policy Length
Scroll for more
Altering Michigan Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you have an existing car insurance policy in Michigan and need a temporary solution, adding or removing specific coverages might be the easiest option if you need to modify your policy. The most common circumstances in which you may require temporary car insurance are when you want to lend your vehicle to someone, when a child in the family goes away to college or if you want to put your car in storage.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your child is attending college elsewhere in Michigan, you can take them off your policy temporarily or ask your insurer for a discount.
If you plan on storing your car, you can remove all coverages from your policy except comprehensive insurance. If you are serving in the armed forces, you can use storage discounts offered by USAA.
If you let someone drive your car regularly, you should add that driver to your car insurance policy in Michigan.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Michigan
If you have a young driver in your home in Michigan, they need to be added to your policy. This can be expensive. As per MoneyGeek’s analysis, the average cost of adding an 18-year-old to your policy in Michigan is $6,561 per year.
To save money, you can take your student off your policy for a portion of the year if they attend school more than 100 miles away, take advantage of discounts or leave your child on your policy.
MoneyGeek’s research found that adding a young driver to an existing policy for two months costs $1,093 on average, which is significantly cheaper compared to the average annual cost of $6,561.
State Farm offers the biggest savings in Michigan when you take a student off your policy temporarily.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Michigan
Scroll for more
If your child’s college is not far enough to make you eligible for discounts or removing them from your policy, it could be worthwhile to compare insurance options to get the best rates. You can still adjust your car insurance costs using MoneyGeek’s review of the best cheap car insurance for teens.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Michigan
If you want to put your car in temporary storage, you could solely retain your comprehensive insurance. You can also ask your insurer for storage discounts to reduce costs.
Since you won’t be driving your car, you can save on liability insurance costs if you drop those from your policy for a while. MoneyGeek found that a policy with just comprehensive insurance costs $1,113 per year on average. On the other hand, a policy with liability insurance costs around $3,983 a year.
USAA is the best option if you are in the armed forces. The insurer offers the cheapest car insurance policy in Michigan at approximately $1,128 per year, and it also offers car storage discounts to policyholders.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
A driver who has borrowed your car will be covered by your car insurance without any alterations if they do not live with you. But, if someone in your household drives your car, it is better to add them to your policy.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Michigan
If you’re looking to rent a car temporarily in Michigan, you can use the insurance offered by your car rental company and add specific coverages such as collision damage waiver, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance if needed. Depending on the coverages and the insurance company you choose, rental car insurance can cost you around $51 to $60 per day. You can always mix and match coverages to save on rental car insurance costs.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Michigan
MoneyGeek’s analysis on insurance rates in Michigan was based on information collected from Detroit. On average, rental car insurance costs $51 to $60 per day in Michigan based on the company and the selected coverages.
For rental car insurance policies that include personal accident insurance, collision damage waiver and supplemental liability insurance, Enterprise is the most affordable insurer with plans that cost approximately $51 per day, followed by Avis and Hertz, which offer plans that cost around $57 and $60 per day, respectively.
Your existing car insurance policy or a credit card that you own may already have some of the coverages you need. If so, you may ask your rental car company not to include them.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Michigan
Scroll for more
Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Michigan
Non-owner car insurance allows you to reinstate your license when you file SR-22 insurance in Michigan and is also a good option when you need proof of insurance. Non-owner car insurance in Michigan costs $2,199 per year on average and is the cheapest option for drivers who need to file an SR-22 without owning a car.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Michigan
Drivers who work for rideshare companies should know that rideshare insurance policies do not pay for damages that occur when they are waiting to be matched with riders.
Availability of rideshare insurance depends on where you live. You can find the best rideshare insurance in Michigan to suit your needs using MoneyGeek’s review.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Michigan
If you are looking for temporary car insurance in Michigan, we answered some of the most frequently asked questions to help you determine if it’s right for you.
Most major car insurers offer car insurance in Michigan for a minimum period of six months. Luckily, there are many ways that you can create temporary coverage according to your needs. One way is to purchase a six-month policy and cancel it early.
Yes. If you buy a six-month insurance term and cancel early, most major insurance companies will provide a refund for the remaining period on your policy.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected car insurance and non-owner car insurance policies from multiple insurers in Michigan in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. The policies were for a 40-year-old male driver with full coverage detailed on our methodology page. The cost of adding a student was calculated taking into account an 18-year-old driver.
Insurance rates for one-month, three-month and six-month policies were calculated on a prorated basis, assuming insurers would provide a full refund. MoneyGeek manually collected rental car insurance costs in Michigan from online tools made available by 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.