Updated: April 25, 2025
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In Texas, drivers can find the most affordable temporary car insurance from Farmers, State Farm, GEICO, AAA and Esurance. A common strategy for short-term coverage is buying a standard six-month policy and canceling it early.
The average cost of a three-month car insurance policy in Texas is approximately $329. Canceling early adjusts costs based on your coverage period.
If you need temporary coverage but don't own a car, look into rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance for flexible options.
You can’t get true temporary car insurance in Texas, but there are ways to get coverage for a short time. One option is to buy a standard policy and cancel early. Some insurers also offer flexible month-to-month plans that can work for temporary needs. Drivers who do not own cars may, on the other hand, consider purchasing rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
While in Texas, you may not find a direct way of purchasing temporary car insurance. But we found several possible procedures that you can follow to secure temporary insurance for your needs.
In Texas and most other states, you won’t be able to purchase car insurance with a term that’s less than six months. Texas drivers pay an average of $658 for a six-month policy.
If you need a shorter term for your policy, canceling your policy before the full term elapses might be the solution. Most insurers will refund the remaining balance of your policy costs after cancellation. For instance, if you cancel your six-month policy after three months, you will pay approximately $329, which is only half of the six-month coverage cost.
When canceling car insurance, you must ensure that you do not have a coverage lapse. Otherwise, you might pay higher car insurance rates in the future.
Drivers who do not own cars but need to file an SR-22 may have to prove that they have insurance before getting their suspended licenses back. Non-owner car insurance serves this purpose, and you can get it in Texas at $571 per year on average.
This type of car insurance is the cheapest option for you if you do not own a car.
You can get temporary car insurance in Texas if you intend to use rented cars. You can use rental car insurance from your rental car company in this scenario.
Rental car insurance in Texas includes standard liability coverage, and you have the opportunity to purchase extra coverages like supplemental liability insurance, personal accident coverage and collision damage waivers.
It costs an average of $55 to $60 per day to add all of the optional coverages to your policy. This rate may vary based on the insurer you choose. Selecting only the add-on coverages you need can save you money.
If you work for a rideshare company, you get insurance coverage once you accept fare or as soon as you start transporting a passenger. Before accepting the customer, you will have a temporary lapse in your coverage and might need to purchase rideshare insurance.
Rideshare insurance policies vary from one state to the other and may not be available in all states. MoneyGeek’s rideshare insurance comparison can help you identify the best rideshare options available in Texas.
Drivers who have already purchased car insurance in Texas but need to remove or add temporary coverage may simply consider adjusting their current policy to suit their temporary needs.
The most common questions concerning temporary car insurance are about the available options for teenage drivers going away to college, drivers who wish to store their cars as well as letting people borrow a car.
If you live with your children in Texas, it is essential that you include them on your car insurance policy. To save on your premiums, you can opt to remove your teenage student from your policy if they live more than 100 miles away during their school term, retain the student on your policy or ask your provider for a distant student discount.
In Texas, drivers who wish to store their car temporarily may save on their premiums by requesting a vehicle storage discount from their insurer or switching to comprehensive-only coverage.
Comprehensive and collision car insurance with a $1,000 deductible costs roughly $436 annually, which is lower than policies that include the state minimum liability coverage that cost an average of $994 per year.
If you are a current military member, you can also consider purchasing car insurance from USAA. The company offers the lowest rates in the state in addition to car storage discounts. Drivers with a USAA policy pay an average of $885 per year.
If you lend your car to drivers who are outside of your household, it may not be necessary to add them to your insurance since they are already covered in the policy. But for members of your household, you need to ask your insurer to list them if they plan to drive your car.
MoneyGeek determined average car insurance costs in Texas for the standard six-month term as well as three-month and one-month periods.
From this research, the cheapest temporary car insurance providers in Texas for a 90-day policy are Farmers with $205 per 90 days rate and State Farm with $231 per 90 days rate.
Company | One Month | Three Months | Six Months |
|---|---|---|---|
Farmers | $68 | $205 | $411 |
USAA | $74 | $221 | $443 |
State Farm | $77 | $231 | $462 |
GEICO | $79 | $238 | $476 |
AAA | $93 | $280 | $559 |
Esurance | $96 | $287 | $575 |
Allstate | $97 | $292 | $584 |
Nationwide | $107 | $321 | $642 |
Mercury | $120 | $360 | $720 |
MetLife | $127 | $381 | $762 |
The General | $232 | $695 | $1,391 |
The costs used in this guide exclude cancellation fees since most insurers do not charge cancellation fees. After canceling your policy, insurance providers give you a refund for the months you have not used in your policy.
Rental car insurance policies cost an average of $55 to $60 per day. On average, Enterprise offers the lowest rate of $55 daily, while Hertz is the most expensive at $60 daily, and Avis costs $57 daily.
The rates are for renters insurance that comprises liability insurance plus additional insurance such as collision damage waiver, personal accident insurance and supplemental liability coverage.
Company | Total Insurance Cost | Supplemental Liability Cost | Collision Damage Waiver Cost | Personal Accident Insurance Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Enterprise | $55 | $13 | $35 | $6 |
Avis | $57 | $17 | $31 | $10 |
Hertz | $60 | $19 | $34 | $7 |
Parents pay an average of $500 in Texas to add a student to their policy for two months during the summer. That’s cheaper than the $2,998 average rate to keep them on a policy for a full year.
In Texas, the insurer that saves you the highest cost if you exclude a student from your policy is Nationwide.
Company | Adding 18-year-old for two out of 12 months | Adding an 18-year-old for the full year | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
State Farm | $2,250 | $375 | -$1,875 |
GEICO | $2,481 | $413 | -$2,067 |
Allstate | $3,652 | $609 | -$3,043 |
Nationwide | $3,695 | $616 | -$3,079 |
If you are unable to secure a discount from your insurance provider or your student driver is too close to home to temporarily take them off your policy, you can still find the best cheap car insurance coverage for teens in Texas by shopping around.
Ensure you are getting the best rate for your insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
Finding temporary car insurance in Texas often means purchasing a standard policy and canceling early or exploring alternatives like rental or non-owner insurance. Compare options from top insurers to secure the best short-term coverage for your needs.
Temporary car insurance is essential for drivers who need short-term insurance policies. Some of the common questions about temporary insurance in Texas are answered below.
You can purchase temporary car insurance in Texas in various ways. While the minimum period for standard car insurance is six months, you can shorten your policy’s term by canceling it early. If you don’t own a car, your best options may be rental car insurance or non-owner car insurance.
Temporary car insurance providers refund drivers part of the premium after canceling the policy. Insurers will return the cost of the unused coverage in the remaining months of your policy.
MoneyGeek compiled Texas auto insurance rates by collecting data from the Texas Department of Insurance and Quadrant Information Services. We examined 240 car insurance 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 Texas using minimum coverage policies. The state-required minimum coverage includes:
Drivers and Cars in Texas
To find the best and most affordable companies for non-owner car insurance in Texas, we used a sample driver profile with the following characteristics:
Learn more about MoneyGeek's car insurance methodology.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!
Passionate about economics and insurance, he aims to promote transparency in financial topics and empower others to make confident money decisions.
