Temporary Car Insurance in New York

If you’re a car owner, you might be able to get temporary car insurance by purchasing a policy and canceling it within six months. A three-month policy in New York costs an average of $858. If you are visiting New York or don’t own a car but need to drive, rental car insurance could be the best option. MoneyGeek analyzed other scenarios requiring temporary car insurance, including getting your license reinstated or working for a rideshare company.

In New York and other states, getting a temporary car insurance policy can have various meanings. For example, one driver might own a car and want to get a full car insurance policy then cancel it early, while drivers who don’t own cars would be better served by getting rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.

In New York and other states, reputable car insurance companies only sell policies that last a minimum of six months. On average, a six-month car insurance policy costs $1,717. You may be able to get car insurance temporarily by buying a policy and then canceling it early. Most companies will refund your premium for what’s left of the term.

For example, someone buying a 90-day policy in New York will only pay an average of $858. This is less than a six-month policy.

MoneyGeek advises against any lapse in insurance coverage since it can result in you paying extra money annually.

MoneyGeek researched the cost of car insurance in New York for a typical six-month policy as well as for a one-month and a three-month policy.

On average, our data shows that the following are the cheapest companies in New York for a three-month policy:

• GEICO: $467 per 90 days
• Erie: $482 per 90 days

The calculations mentioned above by MoneyGeek exclude cancellation fees. Most companies in New York do not charge cancellation fees and will refund your premium for the period you won’t use the policy.

If you already have a car insurance policy in New York but need to add or remove coverage, the best option for you would be to update your existing auto policy. The most common types of people concerned about short-term car insurance have a teenager going to college, want to store their vehicle or have someone else borrowing their car.

If your child lives with you in New York, you need to add them to your auto policy. This can be expensive. MoneyGeek’s research shows that the average cost of adding an 18-year old to your policy is $5,425 per year.

To temporarily modify the cost of your policy, you can take advantage of distant student discounts, take your young student off your policy if they live more than 100 miles away or keep your child on the policy.

MoneyGeek’s research shows that having a student on your policy for only two months a year during the summer costs an average of $904 while keeping a student on your policy for the whole year costs an average of $5,425. We found that Nationwide lets you save the most money for temporarily removing a student from your policy.

If you want to save money on insurance while temporarily storing your car in New York, you can either switch to a comprehensive-only policy or find a vehicle storage discount.

Switching to a comprehensive-only policy is a good way of saving money on insurance while your vehicle is stored. A policy with comprehensive and collision coverage costs an average of $1,045 per year, while a policy with these coverages and minimum liability insurance costs $4,228 per year on average.

For military families, USAA could be the best option as it offers storage discounts and the cheapest policy at an average cost of $1,622 per year.

If someone from your household drives your car, they need to be insured on your policy. However, if you allow someone from outside your home to drive your car, they will be covered by your policy and you won’t have to adjust it.

If you’re temporarily renting a car in New York, you don’t need to buy a car insurance policy. Instead, you could opt for rental car insurance from the rental company. Almost all companies offer basic liability insurance with the option of adding collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance.

On average, it costs $33 to $66 per day to add these coverages, but you might be able to get a cheaper policy by mixing and matching them according to your needs.

MoneyGeek’s data from New York City shows that rental car insurance costs $31–$66 per day, depending on the company. For a daily rental car policy that includes supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance, Hertz charges $33, Avis charges $31 and Enterprise charges $66 on average.

However, you may not need all these coverages if you have a personal policy since your liability, collision and medical payments coverage may already cover you.

If you don’t own a vehicle but temporarily need proof of insurance coverage and SR-22 filing for the reinstatement of your license, non-owner car insurance could be the best option for you. On average, it costs $2,084 per year to buy a non-owner policy in New York.

A non-owner policy is the cheapest option to get insurance coverage for people who don’t own a car.

If you work for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft in New York, you’re covered by insurance if you accept a ride or are transporting a passenger, but you have a temporary gap in coverage if you haven’t accepted a ride. While rideshare insurance policies are not available everywhere, MoneyGeek researched the best companies that offer a policy to help you find the cheapest option.

You can read the following frequently asked questions about temporary car insurance in New York to make a better decision about choosing a policy.

Car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes were collected in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services across New York. Policies were for a 40-year-old driver and full coverage as described on our methodology page. Rates for a student represent the average cost of adding an 18-year-old driver to a policy. Numbers pertaining to the cost of one-month and three-month policies were calculated by MoneyGeek on a prorated basis with the assumption that the insurance company will offer a full refund. Rental car insurance costs in New York were collected manually by MoneyGeek using Avis, Enterprise and Hertz’s online tools.