What Is One-Day Car Insurance?
So, there’s no such thing as one-day car insurance that’s like a quick fix. If you’re hoping to get insurance just for a day, that’s not really a thing. Be careful of companies saying they can do that—they might not be legit. Usually, big car insurance companies have policies that last for at least six months.
If you’re driving a friend’s car and they’re cool with it, you might already be covered by their insurance. You might not need to buy a whole new policy. But if you still want insurance, you could check out rental insurance or coverage that depends on how much you drive. Or you could go for a regular policy that you can buy online and cancel early. Either way, it’s a good idea to figure out which insurance is cheapest and works best for what you need.
When Do You Need One-Day Car Insurance?
Short-term car insurance for a single day isn’t commonly offered. But there are times you might need it, like when borrowing a friend’s car or renting one. Sometimes, you need proof of insurance even if you don’t own a car.
- Using Someone Else’s Car for Errands: If you’re borrowing a friend’s car to run a quick errand, you probably don’t need to buy one-day insurance. Most insurance policies cover you if the owner allows you to drive the car.
- Renting a Car for a Short Time: If you’re renting a car for a trip, it’s handy to have insurance. You can get rental insurance when you pick up the car or check with your own insurance company for a good deal. Some credit cards also offer rental insurance if you use the card to pay for the rental.
- Need to Show Proof of Insurance Without Owning a Car: If you don’t own a car but need to prove you have insurance, there’s something called non-owner car insurance. It’s a policy that gives you liability coverage at a cheaper rate than regular car insurance.
So, even though there’s no one-day insurance, there are options for short-term coverage in different situations.
What one-day car insurance covers
Hugo has a few car insurance options for you to pick from:
- Flex Plan: With this plan, you can buy insurance for a short time, like three, seven, 14, or 30 days. The cool thing is, you can switch the insurance on when you need it and off when you’re not driving.
- Unlimited Basic: This plan lets you get insurance for short times, just like the flex plan, but also for up to six months. However, once you turn it on, you can’t turn it off. It covers things like liability, medical, and accidental death.
- Unlimited Full: Hugo’s full plan is like the insurance many others offer. You can get coverage for short periods, up to six months, but once it’s on, it stays on. This plan covers a bunch of stuff like liability, collision, medical payments, and accidental death.
So, Hugo’s got different plans depending on what you need.
How much one-day car insurance costs
When you get short-term insurance from Hugo, there’s no need to pay extra money upfront or deal with any hidden fees. This helps to make your car insurance costs lower than usual. And guess what? If you don’t drive a lot, you only have to pay for insurance on the days you actually drive.
Hugo makes things affordable. The monthly cost is less compared to regular insurance plans. Like always, how much you pay depends on your specific insurance needs, your driving history, where you live, and other stuff like that.
Check out how much Hugo costs compared to regular insurance in different states. The monthly prices shown are for 30 days of coverage.
| Cost of Daily Coverage | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Average Quote: Liability Only | Average Quote: Full Coverage |
| Alabama | $48 | N/A |
| Arizona | $45 | N/A |
| Florida | $107 | $173 |
| Georgia | $119 | $142 |
| Illinois | $77 | $167 |
| Mississippi | $23 | N/A |
| Ohio | $87 | $240 |
| Pennsylvania | $111 | N/A |
| South Carolina | $128 | N/A |
| Tennessee | $64 | N/A |
| Texas | $65 | N/A |
| Cost of 30 Consecutive Days of Coverage | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Average Quote: Liability Only | Average Quote: Full Coverage |
| Alabama | $140 | $231 |
| Arizona | $180 | $278 |
| California | $127 | $268 |
| Florida | $368 | $501 |
| Georgia | $246 | $368 |
| Illinois | $133 | $210 |
| Indiana | $105 | $183 |
| Mississippi | $159 | $244 |
| Ohio | $122 | $206 |
| Pennsylvania | $143 | $251 |
| South Carolina | $218 | $309 |
| Tennessee | $125 | $222 |
| Texas | $205 | $311 |
Alternatives to one-day car insurance
If one-day car insurance doesn’t seem right for you, there are other options to think about, especially if you’re renting a car or driving a friend’s car:
- Regular Insurance with Early Cancellation: You can go for the usual insurance but cancel it early if you don’t need it for long. Just make sure to check if there are any fees for canceling early before you get the policy.
- Nonowner Insurance: Some companies offer nonowner insurance. It covers you when you drive a car you don’t own. Handy if you borrow a friend’s car now and then.
- Pay-per-Mile Insurance: This type of insurance only charges you based on how much you drive. So, if you don’t drive a lot, you don’t pay a lot.
- Rental Car Insurance: If you’re renting a car, you can get short-term insurance through Hugo or your rental company. It’s just for the time you have the rental.
These are some other choices you can think about depending on what works best for you.
How Can you Get One-day Car Insurance?
Most regular car insurance companies don’t provide short-term plans, and the ones that do usually don’t offer just a one-day option. Usually, the shortest you can get is a 30-day plan.
If you’ll be driving now and then throughout the year, it might be smarter to go for a regular policy. There are lots of different types of car insurance to pick from.
| Insurance Companies | Average Annual Rates for Low Coverage | Average Annual Rates for Medium Coverage | Average Annual Rates for High Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $4,628.03 | $4,896.81 | $5,139.02 |
| American Family | $3,368.49 | $3,544.37 | $3,416.40 |
| Farmers | $3,922.47 | $4,166.22 | $4,494.13 |
| Geico | $3,001.91 | $3,213.97 | $3,429.14 |
| Liberty Mutual | $5,805.75 | $6,058.57 | $6,356.04 |
| Nationwide | $3,394.83 | $3,449.80 | $3,505.37 |
| Progressive | $3,737.13 | $4,018.46 | $4,350.96 |
| State Farm | $3,055.40 | $3,269.80 | $3,454.80 |
| Travelers | $4,223.63 | $4,462.02 | $4,619.07 |
| USAA | $2,404.11 | $2,539.87 | $2,667.92 |
One-day car insurance FAQs
You can buy car insurance without putting down money first from Hugo. If you’re not sure if one-day coverage is right for you, learn more about shopping for car insurance and how much it usually costs. Here’s some info about one-day car insurance:
Yes, you can. For example, when you rent a car for a day, you can usually buy insurance for that day from the rental company. Hugo, a newer company, specializes in short-term plans that can be as short as three days.
Hugo is one company that sells car insurance in really short periods. Their Flex plan lets you turn the coverage on and off day by day, depending on when you need to drive.
Yes, you can get car insurance on the same day. For instance, if you’re renting a car, you can buy insurance on the day you pick up the car.
Usually, yes. Most states say you have to get at least a bit of insurance before you can drive a car.
If you own a car and plan on driving it, yes, you have to get car insurance to drive legally. If you’re just borrowing a friend’s car for a day, their insurance might cover you in case something happens.
About The Author
Andy Walker is a freelance content writer who specializes in writing for insurance and finance related niches. He has years of experience in this field and has written extensively on a variety of topics. Andy’s work is always highly polished and well-researched, ensuring that his clients are always happy with the results.