Compare Three-Month Car Insurance: Rates, Discounts, & Requirements [2024]

Do you need to arrange a vehicle insurance plan for a limited time only? Can you get three months of car insurance?

A three-month car insurance coverage policy can meet a driver’s needs in special circumstances when they do not want or need coverage for an extended time.

Three-month car insurance policies are not a standard term that the best car insurance companies are used to dealing with, and some companies are prepared to offer coverage on a short-term basis.

To find affordable three-month car insurance, you will need to search for your coverage and compare rates from different car insurance before you buy three-month car insurance. And make sure that you understand your car insurance policy.

Since you’re not buying car insurance for a standard term, the company may charge you higher rates for this temporary coverage, or three-month temporary car insurance policies. High premiums are one of the significant downsides of temporary or month-to-month auto insurance. Learn more about your coverage options in the sections below.

If you’re ready to start comparing car insurance right now, enter your ZIP code to get online car insurance quotes from companies that offer three-month car insurance.

How can you get the best three-month car insurance rates?

The best way to find the best rates on three-month car insurance coverage is to shop around. Rates for the same level and types of car insurance policies coverage will vary depending on the company offering short-term car insurance coverage and the period of time you are searching for coverage. One thing that you should keep in mind is that some insurance providers do not provide short-term policies or month-by-month car insurance. If you are seeking car insurance for one month to three months, you may have to find a specialized provider.

Before you can start shopping for insurance, you need to think about the type and level of coverage you need to have in place. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports the average coverage rates of car insurance each year. Let’s look at the latest average car insurance rates of basic coverage types.

Average Car Insurance Rates of Basic Coverage Types

The minimum level of coverage required varies, depending on the location where you live. You would need to have liability coverage in place to pay for injuries and property damage caused if you are the at-fault driver in an accident.

Consider the level of coverage you are going to put in place carefully.

You can choose to limit your protection to the minimum amount required by law, but it may not be enough to fully pay for damages you cause in a severe accident. Spending a bit more for a higher level of protection is a better choice, even when you only need coverage for a limited amount of time.

Read more: Compare Car Insurance for Road Trips: Rates, Discounts, & Requirements

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When does three-month car insurance make sense for you?

There are certain circumstances when buying a temporary insurance policy can make sense. For example, if you are on an extended trip and decide to buy a car during the time you will be away from home instead of renting, you would want to find three-month car insurance quotes to obtain some type of temporary coverage.

Another scenario where getting a short-term car insurance policy can make sense is when you have visitors for an extended stay, and you will be offering them your car to use.

When you add someone else to your policy, your insurance rates will be affected if that person is involved in an accident.

Having your visitor buy a short-term, or non-owner car insurance policy means that a claim will be put through on their insurance policy instead of your own.

A third situation where you may want to consider a three-month car insurance policy is a case where you are buying a car that you know will only be used for a limited time. You may be planning to move or travel soon, which means you don’t need long-term car insurance coverage.

Where can you find three-month car insurance?

One place you can look for temporary car insurance coverage is with your present car insurance provider.

If your policy is up for renewal shortly, you can ask about rates for a short-term policy. However, not all providers offer this type of policy, and you may not be able to get this protection from your present insurer.

You can also look online for cheap car insurance companies that offer coverage for a limited term.

Visiting several websites to find coverage gives you the advantage of being able to check out the insurance providers themselves to make sure that the company you are considering is one that is reputable and has an excellent financial rating.

Sometimes this information is posted on the company’s website’s “About Us” page.

You should look for a provider that has an A or A+ rating from agencies like Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, or A.M. Best that provide information about the financial stability of insurance companies.

This rating gives you an idea of whether a company has the means to meet its financial obligations.

You don’t want to pay premiums for car insurance only to find that the company is not able to pay out on your claim. Take the time you need to choose a qualified provider for your three-month car insurance coverage!

Can I get car insurance for three months only?

Standard car insurance policies for private passenger vehicles last for either six months or 12 months at a time. Once a term is over, the policy will be reassessed and underwritten to set up the policy for renewal with new car insurance rates.

During a standard personal car insurance term, the rates will remain the same, even if your risk class changes during the term.

Some vehicle owners need car insurance coverage for a limited time. Planning a cross-country trip or arranging the sale of your vehicle could create a unique scenario where you might only need coverage for a few months.

If you’re shopping for coverage and you don’t necessarily need a policy for an entire standard term, it’s essential to assess all of your options.

While you can’t pick a term length that lasts for exactly as long as you want it, some options work for your situation.

Read More: Why do car insurance quotes change on a daily basis?

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What are some scenarios where you may need three-month car insurance coverage?

When it comes to buying insurance, typically, it’s best to find a longer-term so that your rates are guaranteed for longer. Keep researching until you can see month-to-month car insurance or daily car insurance. Pay-as-you-drive and pay-how-you-drive car insurance options are popular with some of the top car insurance companies in the nation.

These temporary car insurance options are called usage-based car insurance.

Longer terms also create an advantage when you have an accident or when you’re convicted of a moving violation because surcharges can’t technically be added until your renewal.

Here are some of the scenarios where shorter terms make sense:

• You’re getting your license privilege back temporarily.
• You’re planning to sell your vehicle soon but need coverage in the meantime.
• You’re planning to put your car in storage when you travel out of the state or the country.
• You have a car in storage but are allowing your visiting family members to drive it while they’re in town.
• You’re traveling cross-country and plan to rent a vehicle for several months at a time.

Whether you need 14-day car insurance or daily car insurance, some scenarios only require a temporary car insurance option.

How long do standard car insurance terms last?

If you’re planning for any of these scenarios, you might not need coverage for an entire term. Unfortunately, car insurance terms are sold in policy terms of either six months or 12 months in the standard marketplace.

Which terms are offered depends on the state and the carrier that’s selling the product. In most states, state officials allow car insurance companies to sell either product.

However, some states prohibit six-month policies or require providers to offer policyholders the option to choose between six-month and 12-month plans so that they’re not at a disadvantage.

You’ll need to check into the state requirements as you compare terms in your state.

Why is insurance sold in terms?

The only time your rates can change is when you fail to disclose information on your application or when there is inaccurate information that changes your risk class and other risk rating factors.

When you’re signing up for a policy, you’ll receive the rates that you were quoted when the policy was underwritten for the remainder of the term.

When the rates change during underwriting, it’s called a misquote.

Fortunately, once you pass the underwriting phase and the policy is issued, you’re guaranteed that your rates won’t change.

This protects you from sudden and unjust rate increases that could otherwise happen in the middle of a term.

Car insurance companies have peace of mind in knowing they’ll collect a certain amount of money throughout the term, and policyholders have peace of mind in knowing they can budget properly.

Read more: Compare Assigned Risk Car Insurance: Rates, Discounts, & Requirements

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Can you cancel your insurance during the term?

Insurance companies can cancel your insurance for practically any reason while the policy is still in the underwriting phase. After that initial binding period, the company has to have a valid reason to terminate your policy in the middle of the term.

Reasons include non-payment, fraud, violation of contractual terms, and loss of a license. The car insurance company must comply with cancellation restrictions. Still, the policyholder is free to cancel their policyholder at any time during the term as long as the cancellation date is in the future.

Since you’re free to cancel a policy a month into the term, you can buy standard coverage for just three months. This gives you plenty of time to find another insurer if you decide to switch carriers after the first few days.

What happens if I don’t pay my premium by the due date?

In this case, the policy will lapse and be canceled unless you make payment before the end of the grace period. If you miss the deadline, then the policy will automatically renew until the next renewal date.

How do you cancel your car insurance policy?

When you don’t need coverage, you can simply put in a cancellation request with the car insurance company. According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it’s within your right to cancel your insurance policy whenever you choose.

Some companies require you to put your request in writing. You’ll need your letter to include your name, the date, the policy number, the effective date, and the reason for cancellation. If you do need to backdate the cancellation date, you will need to prove you didn’t own the vehicle or you had insurance elsewhere.

Is there a fee for early cancellation?

There’s a chance that your car insurance company might charge you a fee for terminating coverage early.

Whether or not that’s allowed is dictated by the state department of insurance.

If fees are allowed in the state, the insurer can decide if a fee is necessary and what type of fee to charge.

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What is the difference between short-rate cancellation vs. prorate cancellation?

If your policy booklet says that the company will offer you a prorated refund, this means that the company doesn’t charge you a fee.

You’ll receive all of the unearned premiums back that you’ve paid once you send in your cancellation request.

If the company offers short-rate refunds, a fee is deducted from the refund due.

This could either be a fixed fee or a percentage of the premiums that have yet to be paid.

These policies have several restrictions but could be reasonable when you don’t need coverage for long. It’s best to compare rates for standard and specialty coverage to see which is the feasible option.

After you compare costs, compare the premiums through each carrier in the marketplace by using a rate comparison tool online.

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