Temporary Car Insurance in Delaware: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know

If you need temporary car insurance in Delaware, you may consider purchasing a six-month policy and then canceling it early to get a full refund. A three-month policy in Delaware costs an average of $371.

If you’re traveling to Delaware or don’t own a car in the state but need to drive, rental car insurance might be your best option.

MoneyGeek considered other scenarios where you need rental car insurance, such as if you have a suspended license or you’re a rideshare driver.

Temporary car insurance policies take on different meanings across different states. There are ways to buy temporary car insurance in Delaware, like getting full car insurance and canceling it early. Additionally, those who don’t own cars can get non-owner car insurance or rental car insurance.

HOW TO FIND TEMPORARY CAR INSURANCE IN DELAWARE TO FIT YOUR NEEDS

There are many ways you can get temporary car insurance, but MoneyGeek explores the different ways to get a short-term car insurance policy in Delaware.

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

Local insurance companies in Delaware only sell car insurance policies for a minimum of six months, which usually cost around $741. You can purchase a six-month insurance policy and cancel it early to get a shorter policy. Most car insurance companies in Delaware will refund you your premium for the rest of the term.

For example, you can get 90-day car insurance in Delaware and pay roughly $371 when you cancel a six-month policy three months early.

If you use this strategy, make sure there’s no lapse in your insurance coverage. Otherwise, you may end up paying hundreds of dollars extra per year.

Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Delaware

MoneyGeek conducted an analysis of minimum car insurance coverage by a company in Delaware for a typical six-month, 90-day and one-month or policy.

On average, the cheapest car insurance in Delaware for 90 days of coverage comes from:

• State Farm: $307 per 90 days
• GEICO: $333 per 90 days

Our calculations do not include cancellation fees. Nevertheless, most major car insurance companies do not charge cancellation fees but will refund you your premiums for the policy duration you don’t use.

Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Delaware by Policy Length

Scroll for more

• Company
  One Month
  Three Month
  Six Month
• USAA
  $53
  $160
  $321
• State Farm
  $102
  $307
  $614
• GEICO
  $111
  $333
  $665
• Travelers
  $113
  $338
  $676
• Nationwide
  $114
  $341
  $682
• Progressive
  $120
  $359
  $719
• MetLife
  $148
  $444
  $888
• Allstate
  $157
  $472
  $945

Show more

Compare Auto Insurance Rates

Ensure you're getting the best rate for your auto insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

Compare Quotes

There might be instances where you have Delaware car insurance but you need to temporarily add or remove coverage. In this case, we recommend making adjustments to your existing policy. Some of the common situations that may prompt the need for adjustments include a teenager going to college, needing to store your vehicle or someone borrowing your car.

When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily

---

You can temporarily remove your teenager from your existing Delaware car insurance policy or get a discount if they are going to school elsewhere in the state.

You can remove everything except for your comprehensive insurance if you want to store your car, and military personnel can use car storage discounts from USAA.

If someone drives your car regularly, you can add them to your insurance policy in Delaware.

Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Delaware

If you have kids living with you in Delaware, you have to add them to your car insurance policy. However, this could be expensive. MoneyGeek found you’ll have to pay $2,753 per year on average if you add your 18-year-old son or daughter to your existing policy in Delaware.

To save money on having a teen driver on your policy, you can either remove your young student who lives more than 100 miles away from your home, use distant student discounts or just keep them on your policy.

MoneyGeek discovered that the cost to add a student for two months of the year during summer would only cost you approximately $459. Allstate offers the biggest savings, up to $2,832, in Delaware for temporarily taking a student off the policy.

Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Delaware

Scroll for more

• Company
  Adding 18-year-old for two out of 12 months
  Adding an 18-year-old for the full year
  Difference
• GEICO
  $2,311
  $385
  -$1,926
• Progressive
  $2,566
  $428
  -$2,139
• State Farm
  $3,044
  $507
  -$2,537
• Nationwide
  $3,348
  $558
  -$2,790
• Allstate
  $3,398
  $566
  -$2,832

WHAT IF I CAN’T GET A DISCOUNT?

If you cannot get a discount or temporarily remove your child from the policy, shopping around for the cheapest insurance companies for teens may help you find ways to save money.

What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Delaware

Drivers who want to store their car in Delaware temporarily can save money by getting discounts or switching to a comprehensive-only policy. If your vehicle is in storage, the comprehensive-only coverage will save you money by removing liability insurance coverage. Comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs around $372 per year in Delaware, compared to a cost of roughly $1,195 for a policy with comprehensive and collision and minimum liability insurance included.

Active, USAA provides a discount for car storage. It also has one of the cheaper policies in the state before that discount, at an average of $641 per year.

What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car

If you let someone who does not live in your house drive your car, you do not have to add the temporary driver to your car insurance in Delaware. However, if you and the car borrower live under one roof, they will have to be insured on your policy.

Rental car insurance is available for individuals who rent a car in Delaware. Almost all rental companies in the state offer basic liability insurance. You can also add personal accident insurance, collision damage waivers and supplemental liability insurance. If you add all these coverages, it will cost you $47 to $57 per day on average. To save money, you can try mixing and matching the coverages.

Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Delaware

MoneyGeek collected data in Wilmington, Delaware. We found that the average cost of Delaware rental car insurance that includes all protection, such as supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance, costs $47 to $57 depending on the company. Enterprise charges around $47 per day, while Hertz and Avis charge roughly $57 daily.

If you already have existing car insurance, you might be able to skip the other coverages. You may also skip certain coverages if you already have collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars from your credit card company. These strategies can save you money.

Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Delaware

Scroll for more

• Rental Company
  Total Insurance Cost
  Supplemental Liability Cost
  Collision Damage Waiver Cost
  Personal Accident Insurance Cost
• Enterprise
  $47
  $13
  $29
  $6
• Avis
  $57
  $16
  $31
  $10
• Hertz
  $57
  $7
  $34
  $16

A non-owner insurance policy is the most affordable way to get coverage if you don’t have a car but drive regularly in Delaware. The average cost of this type of insurance in Delaware is $882 annually.

Rideshare drivers are covered by insurance once they transport a passenger or receive a fare. If you haven't accepted a fare, there will be a temporary gap in your coverage. This is where rideshare insurance can be helpful.

Not all states have rideshare insurance policies. To help you find the best rideshare car insurance in Delaware, MoneyGeek compared companies that offer this type of policy.

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about temporary car insurance in Delaware.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

---

Mark Fitzpatrick is a senior content director at MoneyGeek with over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, conducting original research and creating content that can be personalized for every buyer. He has been quoted on insurance topics in several publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Mark earned a master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his economics and insurance knowledge to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.

Read Full Bio »

---