What Is Weekend Car Insurance and How Can You Get It?

You might find insurers that offer car insurance for one or two days. MoneyGeek cautions you against them. Usually, the shortest car insurance policy you can purchase lasts six months, so those offering brief coverage may be insurance scams.

Car insurance follows the car, not the driver. If you’re using your friend’s car, their policy may cover you as long as you have your friend’s permission to use the vehicle.

For other situations, you may need to purchase coverage. Although insurers don’t offer weekend car insurance, you have several options for temporary coverage. One is buying a policy and canceling it early. Another is purchasing rental car insurance instead of a standard policy.

• Can You Buy Weekend Car Insurance?
• Short-Term Car Insurance Rates
• How to Buy Temporary Car Insurance
• Why Buy Weekend Car Insurance?
• Frequently Asked Questions

The short answer is no — the briefest policies available through most insurers last six months to a year. Be wary of carriers that offer car insurance for a day or a week. Likely, these aren’t legitimate offers. There are other ways to secure temporary car insurance coverage.

The cost of short-term car insurance varies depending on what kind of coverage you purchase. Drivers often opt for a standard policy and then cancel it after a few days, weeks or months. The table below can give you an idea of how much this might cost.

Comparing estimates from multiple providers is an effective way to find which insurer offers the cheapest temporary car insurance. You’ll need several documents to complete your application. These may include your driver's license, social security number, bank account details and information about the car you want to insure.

Once you've gathered this information, there are several routes you can take to purchase temporary car insurance; MoneyGeek outlined some of the most common of these below.

Even when buying temporary car insurance, make sure you meet your state’s minimum car insurance requirements. Most states require drivers to carry coverage or proof of financial responsibility. And in some cases, how much car insurance you need might be more than minimum state requirements. If you think you’ll be driving more often in the future, rethink getting weekend car insurance.

There are several reasons why someone would need car insurance for a weekend. Short-term coverage may be beneficial in the following situations:

• You’re on a short vacation and want to rent a car.
• You have errands to run but need to borrow a vehicle.
• You borrowed someone else’s car for a road trip.
• You live with someone who regularly borrows your car.
• You work for a rideshare company.

Temporary car insurance provides you the necessary protection for any or all of these scenarios.