How to Get Same-Day Auto Insurance 

Same-day auto insurance is auto insurance you can purchase that goes into effect instantly. That means you can get a quote, pay, and access digital proof of insurance within 24 hours—often within minutes—of signing your policy agreement.

Same-day auto insurance is not the same as auto insurance which only lasts one day. No reputable auto insurance provider offers policies for a term of less than six months, so auto insurance that only lasts 24 hours is not functional.

Here are the steps to get auto insurance coverage ASAP:

Gather information

You’ll need the following documents and information handy to get an auto insurance quote:

• Personal information including date of birth, address, and marital status of named rivers on the policy
• Driver’s license number
• Vehicle information, including mileage, make, model, year, and vehicle identification number (VIN)

Determine your coverage needs

At a minimum, you need the coverages and limits required by your state. If you leased or financed your vehicle, your lender likely requires you to carry full coverage, including comprehensive and collision. You can always contact your insurer to change the coverage on your policy.

It only takes minutes for most auto insurance companies to process your payment, at which point your policy activates. Between getting a quote and making payment, it should take less than an hour for your policy to go into effect. Be sure to set and confirm the policy start date/time before you pay if you need insurance right away.

Here are the car insurance companies that offer online quotes and same-day auto insurance coverage:

• Allstate
• American Family
• Farmers
• GEICO
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• Travelers
• USAA

It might go without saying, but the benefit of same-day insurance is that it takes effect immediately. If you buy a new vehicle, or if your policy ends at midnight, same-day insurance is your best option.

The main con of same-day auto insurance is that you don’t have time to shop around with multiple carriers, so you might not get the best deal. Insurers often offer discounts for quoting a certain number of days in advance or they’ll charge you more for a quote based on less information.

Another issue you may run into if you try to purchase a policy the same day is the possibility of being denied coverage—this probably won’t happen unless you have a bad driving record or poor credit, but it may take longer for your policy to come through.

Here are the average same-day rates we found from major auto insurance carriers:

Exactly how much you pay for auto insurance depends on a number of factors specific to you, like your location, chosen coverage, age, driving record, vehicle, and more. Depending on your driver profile, you may be able to pay lower than average rates. Here are the cheapest same-day rates we found from major auto insurance carriers.

You can get same-day auto insurance by purchasing a policy online from a reputable provider. Most major carriers offer online quotes and online payment. Be sure that your policy effective date/time is the same date for which you need coverage. The cheapest rate we found for same-day insurance was from GEICO, with rates potentially as low as $840.