One-Week Car Insurance

If you're trying to get one-week car insurance for your own car or when borrowing a car, you'll need workarounds since insurers don't sell standalone weekly policies. Here are four strategies that work to get one week car insurance: 

1. Buy and Cancel ($15–$50 per week on average)
2. Non-Owner Insurance ($10–$16 per week)
3. Permissive Use (Free)
4. Rental Car Insurance ($15–$30 per day).

This straightforward approach involves purchasing a six-month policy and canceling after seven days for a prorated refund.  You can shop for this type of policy on MoneyGeek.  GEICO, Kemper, and Nationwide process cancellations without penalties. You'll pay the first month upfront and get a refund for unused premiums within 7 to 30 days. 

Watch out for hidden costs. Processing fees can nearly double your daily cost when compressed into seven days. Some insurers also charge $25 to $50 cancellation fees, which can push your effective weekly rate higher. Watch out for minimum earned premiums that keep your first month's payment regardless of when you cancel. 

One-week car insurance costs from $17 per week (GEICO) to $26 per week (Progressive).Here's a cost breakdown for some of the cheapest one-week auto insurance quotes:

Cheap non-owner policies are for people who don't own a car but regularly borrow or rent vehicles. It's liability-only coverage that protects you if you cause an accident. The car owner's insurance pays first, but if damages exceed their limits, your non-owner policy covers the difference.

Insurers require a 30-day minimum. You'll pay $39 to $63 upfront and don't get refunded if you cancel after one week. This makes it more expensive for true one-week needs.

Non-owner insurance works if you frequently borrow different cars throughout the year, rent regularly, or use car-sharing services. You're spreading that monthly cost across multiple trips, making each borrowing occasion more affordable.

For true one-week needs, permissive use works without any paperwork. You're driving with the owner's permission under their existing coverage. Most car insurance policies cover occasional drivers who are uninsured even if they don't live with the policyholder.

Adding yourself as a named driver rarely makes sense for one week since insurers require you to stay on the policy for months, costing the owner $15 to $30 monthly. Save named driver additions for household members you'll drive with regularly. For borrowing a friend's car once, permissive use already covers you.

If you need car insurance for a week to drive a rental car, then buying rental car insurance is your simplest option for true one-week coverage.

Rental car insurance through the rental company costs $15 to $30 daily and is designed for one-week needs. This works best for infrequent renters without existing auto coverage, international visitors, or those whose personal policy lacks rental protection. You can purchase exactly seven days of coverage with no cancellation hassles. When buying insurance at the counter, look for Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which covers damage to the rental car itself, and Supplemental Liability Protection (SLP), which increases your liability limits.

If you rent more than twice yearly or already have comprehensive auto coverage, check if your credit card provides rental insurance or consider non-owner insurance for better long-term value.

Despite what online ads claim, no legitimate US insurer sells genuine one-week or daily car insurance policies. Any website promising "real" weekly policies is likely a scam or redirecting you to standard policies you'll need to cancel. Your safest bet is sticking with the four legitimate options outlined above from established insurers like GEICO, Kemper, Nationwide, Progressive, and Travelers.

If you found Tempcover.com in search results, it's a UK-only service that doesn't operate in the United States. Their temporary policies only cover UK-registered vehicles with British insurance regulations. US drivers need to use American insurers since coverage must comply with state-specific minimum requirements and DMV regulations.

One-week car insurance policies don't exist. You've got four legitimate options: rental car insurance, buy and cancel a standard policy, non-owner insurance, or use permissive use when borrowing. Compare your options to find what works best for your situation.

Many drivers looking for short-term coverage wonder if one-week car insurance is possible. MoneyGeek answers common questions to help you find temporary coverage that fits your driving needs and budget.

We analyzed 83,000+ insurance quotes from 46 companies across 473 ZIP codes to identify the cheapest one-week coverage options. Our research focuses on state-required minimum coverage rather than generic packages, since many insurers quote higher coverage levels and call them "minimum."

Our sample driver: 40-year-old male with a Toyota Camry LE, clean driving record, and 12,000 annual miles.

Coverage standards: National average of 100/300/100 liability limits; state-specific averages of 50/100/50 liability limits. Both include $1,000 deductibles for comprehensive and collision.

Data sources: Quadrant Information Services and state insurance departments

Learn more about MoneyGeek's methodology.