Temporary Car Insurance in Arizona: What You Need to Know (2024)

A typical car insurance policy in Arizona lasts for six months. Auto-Owners provides the cheapest six-month policies in Arizona.

Sarah Sharkey
Written bySarah Sharkey
Sarah Sharkey
Sarah SharkeyInsurance Writer
  • 7+ years writing insurance and personal finance content

  • Contributor to top media, including USA Today

A passionate personal finance advocate, Sarah’s writing has graced the pages of many of the personal finance and insurance industries’ top web publications.

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Katie Powers
Edited byKatie Powers
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Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

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Updated January 16, 2024

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Most insurance companies sell car insurance policies in either six- or 12-month terms, but some drivers may want a shorter-term policy. For example, occasional drivers or someone planning a road trip might only need coverage for a few days at a time.

One insurance company, Hugo, offers Arizona drivers on-demand car insurance coverage for as little as three days at a time. The overall average cost of car insurance in Arizona is $144 per month.

Here’s what you need to know about temporary car insurance in Arizona.

Quick Facts
  • The average cost of a liability-only policy in Arizona is $94 per month.

  • Hugo offers car insurance coverage packages that you can turn on and off as needed.

  • Be wary of companies offering one-day car insurance policies because it may be a scam.

Is temporary car insurance available in Arizona?

Most reputable auto insurance companies sell policies that last for six or 12 months.[1]

Temporary auto insurance options are limited, but Hugo is one car insurance company that offers this option to drivers. Through Hugo, Arizona drivers can pay for temporary insurance in increments as small as three days at a time. Drivers with Hugo can add days of insurance to their account in packages of three, seven, 14, or 30 days.[2]

You can meet the state’s insurance requirements, pausing your insurance on days you don’t drive and restarting it without an additional fee. Hugo offers a solution for drivers with temporary coverage needs. It’s a relatively affordable option for drivers looking for temporary auto insurance policies.

But if you lease or finance your vehicle, you won’t be able to use Hugo’s pause and restart option. Your leasing company or lender will likely require you to maintain full coverage on your vehicle at all times.

The good news is that drivers looking for temporary car insurance in Arizona have a few other options to consider. Here’s a closer look at the different strategies you can use to get the coverage you need for a short period of time.

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Getting non-owner car insurance in Arizona

If you’re planning to borrow a car you don’t own, you might want to consider buying non-owner car insurance. This policy type includes liability coverage, which can shield you from financial risk following an at-fault accident. If you cause an accident, liability insurance can help you pay for the other party’s resulting medical bills or vehicle repairs.

Non-owner coverage is useful in many situations. But if you’re borrowing a car from a family member with their permission, you have permissive coverage and don’t need non-owner coverage. In that case, the vehicle owner’s car insurance policy should cover you.

You might want to purchase non-owner coverage if you regularly borrow a friend’s car or often drive rental vehicles. Most insurance companies offer this type of coverage in six- or 12-month terms.

Canceling your policy early in Arizona

Most car insurance policies last for at least six months. This means you’ll be able to budget ahead for auto insurance costs. If you don’t need the full six-month term, you have the option to cancel your policy early to avoid paying for the months you don’t need.

In general, the process of canceling your standard auto insurance policy with a reputable company is straightforward. You’ll have to make the cancellation request on your insurance company’s website or by calling your insurance agent or another company representative.

Some insurance companies charge a cancellation fee. The company should inform you of this before you finalize the cancellation.

Important Information

Canceling your auto insurance policy is a good option if you won’t be driving any time soon. But you shouldn’t cancel your policy if you plan to continue driving, because it’s illegal to drive without car insurance in Arizona. Drivers caught without insurance in Arizona can face fines of at least $500 and a suspended driver’s license.[3]

Getting car insurance for a rental car in Arizona

If you’re renting a vehicle, the rental car company likely offers the option to add insurance coverage while using the vehicle. In general, drivers with an existing auto insurance policy won’t need to buy additional coverage from the rental company. Drivers using certain credit cards to pay for their rental vehicle might also have coverage built-in.

Some credit cards offer rental car coverage as a benefit to card users.[4] If you want to rely on your credit card’s rental car insurance coverage option, make sure to read the fine print. Take time to understand what the provided coverage offers and doesn’t offer. If you have questions about the coverage, reach out to your credit card company for an explanation in writing.

Best car insurance companies for short-term car insurance in Arizona

A six-month car insurance policy might make sense for your auto coverage needs.

Car insurance rates can vary widely across insurers because companies determine insurance rates based on factors like your driving history, ZIP code, and more. If you decide to purchase a six-month policy, take the time to compare multiple car insurance quotes to lock in the best rate for your unique situation.

The table below shows the average monthly quotes for six-month liability auto insurance policies from insurance companies in Arizona.

Insurance CompanyAverage Monthly QuoteIQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
Auto-Owners$464.0
Mile Auto$473.5
State Farm$564.5
GEICO$584.2
Root$613.9
USAA$634.5
Safeco$703.8
State Auto$724.0
Clearcover$743.2
Metromile$753.3
Sun Coast$79NR
Midvale Home & Auto$87NR
Allstate$944.2
Mercury$963.6
Travelers$974.3
Progressive$993.9
Direct Auto$1013.3
Nationwide$1044.3
Hallmark$107NR
Dairyland$1073.3
American Family$1104.3
COUNTRY Financial$1104.2
GAINSCO$1123.3
The Hartford$113NR
Farmers$1143.8
Liberty Mutual$1163.8
AssuranceAmerica$1202.2
The General$1243.3
Infinity$137NR
Bristol West$1462.2
Commonwealth Casualty$1632.7
Foremost$1973.5
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Our editorial team spent 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. Criteria are weighted by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.

    We rate each company on a 1 to 5 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. We update ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.

    • Third-party financial ratings: We use data from AM Best, S&P, Moody's, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
    • Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 20,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also considered third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
    • Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the United States, as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
    • Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
    • Availability and reach: Insurify identified the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share to score availability and reach.

Car insurance for students in Arizona

Students who move at least 100 miles from home to attend college might qualify for a discount if they leave their vehicle at home. Many insurance companies offer significantly lower rates to students who don’t bring their vehicles to campus.[5]

If you’re a university student who decides to bring your vehicle to campus in Arizona, you’ll need to make sure that your auto insurance policy meets the state’s minimum requirements. Arizona drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $15,000 per accident in property damage liability.

If your current auto insurance policy meets those requirements, you may not need to change the policy, but you should let your insurance company know about your new address. Moving to a new state is a major adjustment to your situation, which means your auto insurance company may change your rate to compensate for the new level of risk.

If your current car insurance policy doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for Arizona drivers, then you’ll need to make a change. Consider shopping around for quotes from multiple companies to find the lowest rates for your situation.

Also, students who drive infrequently might choose to pursue an alternative coverage option through usage-based car insurance. Drivers pay a per-mile rate on top of a relatively low base rate with this type of coverage, which can keep your insurance costs low if you don’t drive much.

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Temporary car insurance in Arizona FAQs

You have a few options to consider if you need temporary car insurance in Arizona. Learn more about temporary auto coverage below.

  • Can you get temporary insurance in Arizona?

    Most car insurance companies in Arizona offer drivers policies that last for six or 12 months. If you need car insurance for a shorter period of time, Hugo is a car insurance company offering policies as short as three days. You can also purchase a six-month policy and cancel it when you no longer need the coverage.

  • Is temporary car insurance legit?

    Most reputable insurance companies only offer car insurance with a minimum term of six months. Some offers of temporary car insurance may be a scam. However, Hugo Insurance is one legitimate temporary insurance option for Arizona drivers. Hugo offers temporary insurance for as little as three days at a time.

  • Can you drive a car without insurance if you just bought it in Arizona?

    If you buy a vehicle in Arizona, you’ll need car insurance to drive it off the lot. However, some insurance companies have a short grace period to let you add the vehicle to your existing insurance policy.

  • How long can you be without car insurance in Arizona?

    It’s illegal to drive without a minimum amount of car insurance in Arizona. Drivers caught without insurance in Arizona can face fines of at least $500 and a suspended driver’s license.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

  • Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
  • Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
  • No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

  1. Insurance Information Institute. "Auto Insurance Basics."
  2. Hugo. "How does Hugo work?."
  3. Arizona State Legislature. "28-4135. Motor vehicle financial responsibility requirement; civil penalties; restricted driving privilege; evidence at hearing."
  4. Insurance Information Institute. "Rental car insurance."
  5. Insurance Information Institute. "Students."
Sarah Sharkey
Sarah SharkeyInsurance Writer

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys helping people make savvy financial decisions. She covered insurance and personal finance topics. You can find her work on Business Insider, Money Under 30, Rocket Mortgage, Bankrate, and more. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Katie Powers
Edited byKatie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
Photo of an Insurify author
Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

Featured in

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