How to Get One-Day Car Insurance

You may only need car insurance for just one day or a couple days at a time if you drive infrequently. However, most major car insurance companies only offer car insurance plans for periods of six or 12 months. As such, some questionable companies may advertise one-day car insurance. Use caution to avoid falling victim to a scam.

Luckily, one reputable company founded in 2021 offers short-term car insurance for as little as three days.^[1] With Hugo, you can turn your coverage on and off so you only pay for the days you drive. Comparing car insurance quotes from Hugo and other companies can help you find affordable car insurance.

One-day car insurance explained

Also called temporary car insurance, one-day car insurance is a type of policy that covers you for a single day or other short term. Most large insurers only sell policies that cover a minimum of six or 12 months and require monthly premium payments.

However, a few companies may allow you to buy coverage for a single day, a couple days, or another short-term period. To purchase just one day of coverage, you likely need to have previously set up coverage with the company.

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Where to buy one-day auto insurance

While several insurers advertise one-day car insurance, many of them aren’t legitimate. If you do need to find reputable one-day auto coverage, Hugo sells pay-as-you-drive liability car insurance.

Hugo is a newer insurance company that currently only offers auto coverage in 13 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The insurer plans to expand into more states in the coming years.

What one-day car insurance covers

Hugo has a few different car insurance coverage options:^[2]

• Flex: With Hugo’s flex plan, drivers can buy liability car insurance for a short amount of time. The shortest coverage time frame is three days, but Hugo also offers insurance plans for seven, 14, or 30 days of coverage. With this plan, you can elect to turn off your coverage on the days you don’t drive and turn it back on as needed. This policy type isn't available in all states. And it won't work for drivers with finance or leased vehicles, since they have to maintain full coverage at all times.

• Unlimited basic: You can purchase insurance in the same short intervals as the flex plan, as well as a policy for up to six months. However, with the basic plan, you can’t turn coverage on and off. In addition to liability insurance, you can get medical and accidental death coverage with the basic plan.

• Unlimited full: Hugo’s full plan is similar to the full-coverage insurance offered by many other insurers. Full-coverage insurance includes liability, collision, medical payments, and accidental death coverage. You can purchase this plan in the same short periods of up to six months, but you can’t turn coverage on and off.

How much one-day car insurance costs

Hugo doesn’t charge a down payment or hidden fees when you purchase short-term coverage, which cuts down on typical car insurance costs. Plus, you can save money on costs if you don’t drive often, by only paying for car insurance on the days you need it.

Compared to the cost of traditional car insurance plans, Hugo provides affordable monthly costs. Like most insurance plans, the cost of your plan will depend on your personal insurance needs, your driving history, the state you live in, and more.

See how costs from Hugo compare to average premiums in several U.S. states. The monthly costs for Hugo below depict average costs for 30 days of coverage.

When you might need one-day car insurance

You might need one-day car insurance in a number of different situations. Many people don’t realize that you might be liable and need insurance if you store a vehicle, borrow a friend’s car, or rent a car.

• You don’t drive much. If you drive infrequently because you live in an urban area or work from home, you could save by purchasing a short-term insurance plan that allows you to pay for insurance only on the days you use it.

• You’re borrowing someone else’s car. A friend or family member’s car insurance policy might not fully cover you if you drive their car. You can purchase short-term car insurance to cover you for the time you plan to borrow their vehicle if you don’t think their insurance covers you.

• You want to insure a rental car. You can often purchase rental car insurance through your rental car company. However, you can compare prices and see if purchasing temporary coverage from Hugo costs less.

• You’re putting a vehicle in storage. If you put a car in storage, speak with your insurance agent to see whether you need to insure it. After all, if something unexpected happens to your vehicle in storage, you’ll want coverage for any damages.

• You need proof of insurance. You’ll likely need proof of insurance in a few different situations, like when buying a car, getting pulled over, or registering your vehicle at the DMV. Purchasing a flexible short-term policy can help you get insurance documentation quickly.

• You only plan to own the car for a short time. For example, you may inherit a car that you plan to sell within a few days or weeks.

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Alternatives to one-day car insurance

If you don’t think one-day car insurance works for your situation, you have few alternatives to consider, whether you’re renting a car or want to regularly drive a borrowed car:

• Standard insurance with early cancellation: You always have the option to purchase a traditional insurance policy and cancel it early. Make sure to check for early cancellation penalties prior to purchasing a policy.

• Nonowner insurance: Many insurers offer nonowner insurance, which protects licensed drivers who don’t own a car when they borrow a vehicle.

• Pay-per-mile insurance: This type of insurance only charges you for the miles you drive.

• Rental car insurance: You can purchase a short-term policy through Hugo or your car rental company.

One-day car insurance FAQs