Temporary Car Insurance in Montana: 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, one way to get car insurance for less than six months is to buy car insurance and cancel it early. You can typically cancel your policy before the six-month mark and get a refund for the unused months. A three-month policy in Montana costs an average of $304.
Rental car insurance might be the best option for drivers renting a car in Montana or non-owners who need to drive around Montana.
MoneyGeek also looked into other scenarios that might require drivers to get temporary car insurance, like if you need to purchase non-owner insurance for license reinstatement or if you work for a ridesharing company.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Montana
Getting temporary car insurance in Montana and other states can mean different things and will depend on factors such as whether you own a car or not. Car owners should consider acquiring a full car insurance policy and canceling it early, while non-owners can get rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance depending on their situation.
Since there is no single way to get temporary car insurance, MoneyGeek looked into the different ways to get a short-term policy in Montana 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 Montana Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
Most major auto insurance companies in Montana only sell temporary car insurance policies with a six-month minimum, which cost $608 on average.
One way to get coverage for shorter time periods is to cancel your car insurance early. Major insurance companies usually refund your policy for the term it wasn’t used.
A Montana car owner can acquire a six-month policy and cancel it within 90 days to have a three-month policy. Doing so will cost an average of $304, which is half as much as a six-month policy.
If you use this strategy, MoneyGeek cautions against having a lapse in insurance coverage since it can result in hundreds of dollars in extra payments per year.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Montana
MoneyGeek calculated the average cost of a six-month car insurance policy in Montana. Based on this figure, one-month and three-month policy costs were also calculated.
For the average driver, the cheapest temporary car insurance in Montana for a 90-day policy is from:
- State Farm: $188 per 90 days
- Allstate: $253 per 90 days
MoneyGeek’s calculations excluded cancellation fees since most major insurance companies don’t charge cancellation fees and provide full refunds for the duration the policy wasn’t used.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Montana by Policy Length
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Altering Montana Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you already have car insurance in Montana but need to add or remove coverage, the best solution might be to alter your existing policy. The most common questions many drivers have about temporary car insurance include what to do if the family’s teenager goes away to college, how to insure a stored vehicle or what happens if someone borrows your car.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your child goes to school elsewhere in Montana, it is possible to get a discount or temporarily remove them from your policy.
If you need to store your vehicle, it might make sense to remove everything but your comprehensive insurance. If you’re a military member, you can also take advantage of storage discounts from USAA.
If you let someone borrow your car, you should only add them to your policy if they regularly drive your vehicle.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Montana
If you live in Montana with your child, you will have to add them to your car insurance policy. This can be expensive.
MoneyGeek found that in Montana, adding an 18-year-old to an existing policy costs an average of $2,177 per year. To save money, you can remove them from your policy for a portion of the year if they live more than 100 miles away, ask for a distant student discount or keep them on your policy.
MoneyGeek determined that for a two-month summer, adding a student to your policy costs roughly $363 compared to an average annual premium cost of $2,177.
Progressive offers the biggest savings in Montana if you take your child off your auto insurance policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Montana
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If your child attends a school in Montana that does not meet the 100-mile minimum distance requirement, the best way to save money might be to shop around for companies that could offer lower rates. MoneyGeek listed the cheapest car insurance companies for teens to help you save money.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Montana
You have two options if you want to save money while temporarily storing your vehicle in Montana. You can either switch your car insurance policy to comprehensive-only coverage or ask for a vehicle storage discount.
While your car is in storage, modifying your policy to comprehensive-only and removing liability insurance can help you save money. In Montana, comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs an average of $483 per year. On the other hand, comprehensive and collision and minimum liability insurance costs an average of $945 annually.
Military members on active duty should consider USAA, which offers discounted car storage prices and usually has cheaper policies costing an average of $517 per year.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If someone in your household regularly drives your car, you will have to insure them under your policy. But, if you let someone from outside your household drive your car, you won’t need to modify your policy since they will already be covered.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Montana
If you’re temporarily renting a car in Montana, you don’t need to buy a car insurance policy. Instead, you can get car insurance from your car rental company.
Almost all car rental companies offer basic liability insurance and the option to include damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance coverage. The average cost of all these coverages is from $42 to $59 per day, depending on the company. You might be able to mix and match to get cheaper coverage based on your needs.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Montana
MoneyGeek gathered data from Billings to determine that rental car insurance in Montana ranges from $42 to $59 per day, depending on the company. On average, Avis costs $42 daily, Hertz costs $44 each day and Enterprise costs $59 per day for a rental car insurance policy that includes supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance.
You might not need to purchase all these coverages if your own auto insurance policy has liability, collision and medical payments coverage.
You might also be able to save money if you can get collision damage and waiver coverage for your rental car from your credit card company.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Montana
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Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Montana
Non-owner car insurance is a good option for drivers who don’t own a car and need proof of insurance coverage or need to file an SR-22 for license reinstatement in Montana. The average cost of a non-owner car policy in Montana is $483 annually.
Non-owner insurance is the cheapest way to get a policy for those who don’t have a car and need to file an SR-22 in Montana.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Montana
Ridesharing drivers in Montana may know that they are covered by insurance when they accept a fare or transport a passenger. However, there is a temporary car insurance coverage gap if you haven’t accepted a fare.
Rideshare policies might not be available in every state. MoneyGeek compared companies that offer this type of policy so you can get the best rideshare insurance in Montana.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Montana
There are a variety of ways to get temporary car insurance in Montana, so it’s good to shop around if you want to find the best option for you.
While most insurance companies in Montana don’t sell temporary car insurance, it is possible to get temporary car insurance by canceling your policy early.
It is usually possible to cancel your policy early and get a full refund for the remaining unused period.
Methodology
MoneyGeek gathered car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes across Montana in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. A sample driver profile for a 40-year-old male with a clean driving record and full coverage policy was used. The sample student profile represents the average cost of adding an 18-year-old driver to an existing policy.
MoneyGeek calculated the cost of one-month and three-month temporary car insurance on a prorated basis and based on the assumption that the insurance company would give a full refund.
MoneyGeek manually collected rental car insurance costs in Montana 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.