Temporary Car Insurance in California

In California, temporary car insurance means buying a standard six-month policy and canceling it early if you own a car. If you don't own a vehicle, options like rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance can provide short-term coverage based on your needs.

Esurance offers the most affordable option for temporary car insurance in California, with a 90-day policy averaging $264. This estimate assumes you purchase a standard policy and cancel it early, a common strategy for short-term coverage.

Our calculation excludes cancellation fees because most insurers don't charge them, and some may even refund the unused portion of your premium.

Adding an 18-year-old to your car insurance in California costs an average of $2,654 per year because they must be listed on your policy if they live with you. To save money, you can temporarily remove them if they live more than 100 miles away or ask your insurer about distant student discounts.

Covering a student for just two months during the summer costs around $442 on average, saving you over $2,200 compared to keeping them on your policy all year. The table below compares how much you could save with select insurers by only covering a student part-time.

There's no straightforward way to get temporary car insurance in California, but we found ways to get short-term coverage depending on your situation:

• Need a full car insurance policy temporarily? Buy and cancel a standard policy.
• Want to add or remove a driver? Alter your policy temporarily.
• 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.

Top car insurance companies in California and other states offer policies that last for a minimum of six months. The average cost of a six-month policy in California is $610. You can get car insurance for a shorter time by canceling your policy before the six-month period ends.

If you cancel before the predetermined period, some companies will refund your unused premiums. A driver who signed up for a six-month policy could pay roughly $305 (half the six-month cost) if they cancel within 90 days.

When using this approach, there's a risk of having coverage lapses, which you want to avoid because it may result in extra charges in the future.

The best solution if you need to temporarily add or remove coverage in California is to make alterations to your existing car insurance policy. Short-term car insurance is ideal for families with teen drivers who go away to college, car owners who need to store their car and those who lend their car to another driver.

If you're temporarily storing your car, you can save by switching to a comprehensive-only policy or asking your insurer about storage discounts.

In California, a comprehensive and collision policy with a $1,000 deductible costs about $407 per year, much less than a full policy, which averages $914. Military members may save even more with USAA's storage discounts, with annual rates averaging $677.

If someone else in your household will be driving your car, you need to add them to your policy. However, if you let someone outside your household drive your car, they are automatically covered under your policy.

If you're renting a car in California, most rental companies offer temporary coverage that includes basic liability plus optional add-ons like collision damage waivers and personal accident insurance. You can mix and match these coverages based on your needs and budget.

Rental insurance costs between $40 and $94 per day, depending on the provider and selected protections. The table below shows a breakdown of average daily rental car insurance costs in California from companies like Enterprise, Avis and Hertz:

Non-owner car insurance may be a good option for drivers who need proof of insurance coverage when filing an SR-22 to get their license reinstated. The average cost of non-owner car insurance in California is $573 per year.

Non-owner car insurance is the cheapest way to get insurance if you don't have a car and you need to file an SR-22 in California.

With rideshare insurance, you're only covered when you accept a fare or are transporting a passenger. This means temporary gaps in your coverage.

Not all states offer rideshare insurance policies. We listed the companies with the best rideshare insurance policies.

Temporary car insurance isn't directly offered in California, but you can get short-term coverage by purchasing a standard six-month policy and canceling it early. Alternatively, non-owner or rental car insurance can provide temporary coverage. These options help you secure appropriate short-term car insurance in California.

We answer questions you might have about temporary car insurance in California.

MoneyGeek compiled California auto insurance rates by collecting data from the California Department of Insurance and Quadrant Information Services. We examined 240 quotes from five providers to identify the state's best and most affordable options.

Coverage Levels

We compared non-owner car insurance rates from companies in California using minimum coverage policies. The state-required minimum coverage includes:

• $15,000 in bodily injury liability per person
• $30,000 in bodily injury liability per accident
• $5,000 in property damage liability per accident

Drivers and Cars in California

To find the best and most affordable companies for non-owner car insurance in California, we used a sample driver profile with the following characteristics:

• 40-year-old male
• 2012 Toyota Camry LE
• Clean driving record
• 12,000 miles driven annually

Learn more about MoneyGeek's car insurance methodology.