Temporary Car Insurance in West Virginia: 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
Car owners can create a temporary car insurance in West Virginia by purchasing a policy and canceling it before six months are up. Cancelling your policy early will entitle you for a full refund for the unused premiums of the remaining term. For instance, a three-month insurance policy in West Virginia costs an average of $254.
People visiting West Virginia or those who don't own a car but need to drive may find rental car insurance to be the best option. MoneyGeek also looked into other scenarios that may require temporary car insurance, such as acquiring non-owner insurance to get a license reinstated and insuring rideshare drivers.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in West Virginia
In West Virginia and other states, temporary car insurance can mean different things. Drivers who own cars can buy full car insurance and cancel it early for a full refund. Meanwhile, those who don't own cars can get rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
Generally, there’s no single way to acquire temporary car insurance in West Virginia, but MoneyGeek looked into all the available options for purchasing short-term car insurance in the state.
- 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 West Virginia Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
Reputable companies in West Virginia and elsewhere only sell auto insurance policies with a minimum term of six months. On average, the cost of a six-month policy in West Virginia is $508. You can get coverage for a shorter time period by canceling your car insurance policy early. Most major insurance providers issue refunds for the unused premiums for the remainder of the term. For example, if you get a three-month policy, you’ll only be paying about half of the cost of a six-month policy. The average rate of a three-month policy in West Virginia is $254.
If you use this strategy, MoneyGeek advises against having an insurance lapse because it can result in significantly more expensive premiums later on.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in West Virginia
MoneyGeek calculated car insurance costs in West Virginia for a six-month policy. The costs of three-month and one-month policies were also calculated.
For a driver looking for a three-month policy, the cheapest car insurance in West Virginia are from:
- Erie: $175 per 90 days
- State Farm: $201 per 90 days
MoneyGeek’s calculation excludes cancellation fees. Major car insurance providers don’t typically charge cancellation fees and give full refunds for the premiums of the months you haven’t used.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in West Virginia by Policy Length
Scroll for more
Altering West Virginia Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
If you already have a car insurance policy in West Virginia but you need to temporarily add or remove coverage, making alterations to your existing policy might be your best option.
Some of the most common questions drivers ask about temporary car insurance in West Virginia involve getting short-term coverage for a teenager going to college, insuring a car that will temporarily be in storage and knowing what to do when someone borrows your car.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If you have a child going to school elsewhere in West Virginia, you can temporarily remove them from your policy or ask for a discount.
If you plan on storing your car temporarily, consider removing all coverage except comprehensive insurance. If you’re military, you can take advantage of USAA’s vehicle storage discounts.
If someone else is driving your car, you only need to include them in your policy if they drive it regularly.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in West Virginia
If your child lives with you in West Virginia, you’ll have to add them to your auto insurance, which can lead to expensive premiums. MoneyGeek found that in West Virginia, adding an 18-year-old to a policy costs an average of $2,122 annually.
If you have a young student in West Virginia, you can adjust your car insurance costs by taking them off your policy for part of the year if they live more than 100 miles away. You can also take advantage of distant student discounts or just keep your child on the policy.
In West Virginia, adding a student for two months of the year during the summer costs an average of $354. That’s $1,768 less than the cost of having the student on the policy for the whole year.
Progressive offers the biggest savings in West Virginia for temporarily taking a student off a policy at an average of $2,238.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in West Virginia
Scroll for more
If your child studies in West Virginia and lives close enough that you can’t temporarily remove them from your policy or get discounts, you might still be able to save money by shopping around. MoneyGeek compared the cheap auto insurance for teens to help you find the best deals.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in West Virginia
If you’re temporarily putting your car in storage, you can save money by switching your car insurance policy to comprehensive-only. You can also ask for a vehicle storage discount.
Switching to comprehensive-only coverage while your car is in storage can help you save money by removing liability insurance. In West Virginia, comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs an average of $364 per year. Meanwhile, a policy that includes minimum liability insurance costs $843 annually on average.
For active-duty military members, USAA may be a good option as it offers a vehicle storage discount. It also offers the cheapest policies in the state even before the discount, at an average of $622 per year.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If someone else in your household drives your car, you’ll have to include them in your policy. On the other hand, if you give a person outside your household permission to drive your car, they’ll be automatically covered by your policy without you needing to adjust it.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in West Virginia
If you’re temporarily renting a car in West Virginia, there’s no need to buy car insurance. Rental car insurance from the car rental company is already sufficient. Most car rental companies offer basic liability insurance, but you can also add collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance. On average, the cost of adding all these coverages in West Virginia ranges from $42 to $57 per day, depending on the provider. You can mix and match coverages based on your needs to get cheaper rates.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in West Virginia
MoneyGeek collected data for West Virginia from Charleston. The cost of rental car insurance in West Virginia ranges from $42 to $57 per day, depending on the company. Rental car insurance costs $42 at Enterprise, $53 at Hertz and $57 at Avis. These costs include collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance.
If you have a car insurance policy, your liability, collision and medical payments coverage may already cover you, so you may not need to buy these coverages.
Many credit card providers also offer collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars. If your credit card company has this coverage, you can decline it from the rental car company to save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in West Virginia
Scroll for more
Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in West Virginia
If you don’t have your own car but temporarily need proof of insurance, non-owner car insurance may be your best option. In West Virginia, the average cost of non-owner car insurance is $363 per year. Non-owner car insurance is the cheapest option for individuals who don’t own a car but drive regularly and need insurance coverage.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in West Virginia
Rideshare drivers in West Virginia may be aware that they are covered by insurance when they accept fares or transporting passengers. However, there is a temporary gap in coverage when a driver has not accepted a fare.
Getting rideshare insurance can help you address this gap. That said, this coverage may not be available in all states. MoneyGeek examined rideshare insurance companies to help you find the best options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in West Virginia
Understanding how to buy temporary car insurance in West Virginia can be confusing for people who have never done it before. MoneyGeek answers some of the frequently asked questions to help you find the best options.
Most car insurance companies in West Virginia offer policies with a six-month minimum. You can get short-term insurance by buying and canceling a normal policy early to get a refund for the unused term, getting rental car insurance or opting for non-owner car insurance.
Yes, most companies provide a full refund for the unused premiums paid for the remainder of the term. Keep in mind that some insurers can impose a cancellation fee.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes across West Virginia in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. All policies are for a 40-year-old driver and full coverage as described on MoneyGeek’s methodology page.
Costs for a student driver reflect the average rates of adding an 18-year-old to a car insurance policy.
MoneyGeek calculated the cost of one-month and three-month policies on a prorated basis, assuming a full refund from the insurance company.
Rental car insurance costs were collected manually by MoneyGeek using the online tools of Avis, Enterprise and Hertz in one city.
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.