Stephanie is a DC-based freelance writer specializing in personal finance. Her work covers insurance, loans, real estate investing, retirement, and more.
Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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Whether you’re traveling long term, deploying abroad, or simply have a car that you won’t need for an extended period of time, you may want to consider car storage options. You may even consider dropping your auto insurance coverage while your car is in storage to save on monthly premiums.
But while canceling your policy can mean cost savings, it isn’t always necessary or even the best financial option. Rather than potentially setting yourself up for a financial headache, consider whether keeping your policy is the better choice. Here’s what you should know about car storage insurance.
Quick Facts
Car storage insurance covers cars stored for 30 days or longer.
Comprehensive insurance protects cars in storage against damage and theft.
If your car is financed, your lender may require you to keep a full-coverage policy even while you store your car.
How to insure a car in storage
It’s easy to understand why you need insurance when driving your vehicle on public roads. It may be harder to justify the expense if you plan to park your car for a long time.
While homeowners or renters policies offer some protection for belongings in storage, cars are typically excluded.
A comprehensive-only policy pays to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged while in storage. For example, if a tree falls on your storage unit’s roof or if a fire or flood damages your car, comprehensive coverage can help cover the costs.
It also protects your stored car against vandalism and theft.
What is car storage insurance?
There isn’t really a dedicated “car storage insurance” product for when you’ve decided you won’t be driving your vehicle for an extended period. Instead, when people speak of car storage policies, they’re typically referring to a comprehensive-only policy that’s activated temporarily while a car is being stored.
Some insurers offer specific storage policies for active-duty military members and their families who need to store vehicles while deployed. For example, GEICO offers a Military Storage Protection policy. If your deployment is for 30 days or more, GEICO will modify or suspend your coverage to save you money, even if you want to keep your vehicle protected.[1]
Aside from GEICO, though, your most common option for protecting your vehicle in storage is a modified comprehensive-only policy.
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What car storage insurance covers
Since car storage insurance is essentially just a comprehensive coverage policy, it typically covers damages that result from anything other than a collision. This means that car storage insurance will likely step in to cover the damages or losses incurred from hail, flooding, falling objects, fire, vandalism, or theft.
Every policy will have its own limitations and exclusions, so it’s important to read your coverage documents carefully and ask questions if you’re unsure. You should review the policy deductible to ensure it’s a rate you can afford should you need to file a claim.
Since there won’t be another liable party, you’ll be responsible for paying your deductible up front before repairs or a total loss payout. If you can’t afford to pay your deductible, you won’t receive the benefits of the policy.
What car storage insurance doesn’t cover
Car storage insurance has limitations. It won’t provide coverage for the following scenarios if you have only comprehensive insurance:
Personal liability
If you switch your coverage to a storage policy and then decide to drive your car, you won’t be protected if you cause an accident that hurts someone or damages their property.
Collisions
Your car isn’t protected if it’s involved in a crash while you’re driving it to or from the storage facility.
Roadside assistance
If your car runs out of gas, requires a jump-start, or needs to be towed, a comprehensive-only policy won’t cover these expenses.
General wear and tear
If your battery dies while your car is in storage, your transmission goes out, or your car needs new tires, these are all out-of-pocket expenses.
Why you should keep a stored car insured
Dropping all car insurance coverage is rarely a good idea, as it leaves you financially responsible for any losses to your car. Stored cars can be vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and other types of damage, and comprehensive coverage is an affordable way to protect your vehicle.
Additionally, if you’ve financed your car through a loan, your lender might require you to maintain certain coverage limits. Banks and financial institutions typically require both comprehensive and collision coverage to protect the car while you repay the loan.[2]
Car storage insurance cost
The cost of your auto insurance policy depends on many factors.[3] The same is true for your car storage coverage. Some of the most important factors that determine your premiums include:
Location
Level of coverage
Deductible chosen
Vehicle(s) covered
Claims history
Driving record
Here’s a look at the average monthly and annual premiums for a car storage policy from some of the best car insurance companies.
Insurance Company
Average Monthly Cost
Average Annual Cost
Allstate
$15
$180
GEICO
$13
$152
Progressive
$18
$217
State Farm
$12
$146
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How to get car storage insurance
Since car storage insurance isn ’t a marketed product for most companies, you’ll find it difficult to shop around online or buy a policy through an app. Each company handles these types of policies differently, so your best bet is to call and speak to your auto insurance company directly. An agent can tell you exactly what sort of coverage options are available, what qualifies for a comprehensive-only policy, and how much you can expect to pay for coverage.
Whether you’ll need liability or full coverage for any other vehicles at the same time
What you want your deductible to be
Important Information
It’s important not to end your existing coverage until the stored vehicle is safely and securely parked in the storage facility. You’ll also want to be sure that you convert coverage back to a standard policy (to include liability coverage and, if desired, collision or comprehensive coverage) before moving the vehicle back out of storage.
Places to store your car
Even with storage insurance, you’ll still want to ensure your vehicle’s protection and limit potential damage as best you can. Where you plan to store your car can even affect the type of insurance (and amount of coverage) you choose.
People can choose to store their cars in a few different ways, depending on budget and location. Some common options include:
Special vehicle storage units
Standard units
In a home garage
In a driveway
On a public road
Cars parked on a public road rather than in a dedicated automobile storage facility are also more susceptible to damage or theft. As such, you may opt for a different level of coverage or even a higher deductible depending on where you’ll store the vehicle.
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How to prepare your vehicle for storage
Everyone prepares a vehicle for storage differently, and your process will depend on its storage location and the length of time it’ll be there. For example, if you’re leaving the vehicle in someone’s driveway for a year, you may want to prep it differently than if you’re storing it in a full-service facility for three months.
Some general prep tips include:
Remove all valuables from the vehicle, regardless of where it’s being stored.
Change the oil and top off all fluids (antifreeze, wiper fluid, brake fluid).
Fill the gas tank (check with your storage facility about rules regarding how much fuel can be stored) and add a fuel stabilizer to the tank according to its instructions.
Connect the battery to a trickle charger/tender, or remove it entirely.
Plug entry points into the vehicle (such as tailpipes) to deter pests.
Protect the vehicle with a weatherproof cover, especially if it’s being stored outdoors or in winter conditions.
Activate the vehicle’s parking brake and lock all doors.
Remove the car’s tires or add additional air to each one to prevent damage.
Car storage insurance FAQs
These answers to frequently asked questions can provide additional information about car storage insurance.
Is car storage insurance worth it?
Yes. Car storage insurance is worth it. Whether you plan to store your vehicle for a month or even several years, this affordable coverage protects it against theft, vandalism, fire, and other perils.
Can you stop and start your car insurance when you don’t need it?
In most states, insurers don’t allow you to simply cancel your auto insurance coverage. Even if you can, it’s usually not a good idea, as you open yourself up to financial loss in the event of damage or theft.
Instead, ask your insurer if you can adjust your policy to comprehensive-only coverage while your vehicle is in storage, which reduces your coverage options and can lower your premiums while you aren’t driving.
What is the cheapest insurance for a parked car?
The cheapest insurance for a parked car is a comprehensive-only policy. This protects it from non-collision damage and theft while it’s parked or stored for more than 30 days.
Does GEICO have vehicle storage insurance?
Yes. GEICO has vehicle storage insurance. Military members can request this coverage through GEICO’s Storage Protection plan. Non-military customers can use GEICO’s app or call the customer service number to activate the coverage.
Does State Farm offer car storage insurance?
Yes. State Farm offers car storage insurance for vehicles in storage for 30 days or more. Customers can call their agent or request the change online or through State Farm’s app.
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 500+ 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.
Stephanie is a DC-based freelance writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI). She primarily covers personal finance topics such as insurance, loans, real estate investing, and retirement. Her work can be found on CBS, FOX Business, MSN, Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider, and more. When she isn't helping people plan for their financial futures, she is traveling, hiking with her kids, or writing for her own website, TomorrowsDollar.com. She can be reached on X @stephcolestock.
Stephanie has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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