Short-Term Car Insurance in Arizona

The first thing you should know is that when it comes to temporary car insurance in Arizona and beyond, short-term policies under six months only include liability coverage. That means they’ll only apply to property damages and medical expenses you cause to people outside of your car.

Aside from the high cost, we don’t recommend temporary car insurance because most reputable auto insurance companies don’t offer it. It’s best to go with an alternative solution.

Permissive Use

If you’re borrowing someone else’s car on an irregular basis, most likely their auto insurance policy already covers you as a permissive user — in other words, someone using the vehicle with permission. If that’s the case, it’s not necessary to duplicate coverage by getting your own as insurance follows the car, not the driver.

Nonowner Insurance

But if you do borrow someone else’s car regularly, it may make sense to get nonowner car insurance. This is insurance on a car that you don’t own. Of course, the owner’s car insurance policy will still cover their vehicle, but nonowner car insurance can act as secondary coverage to pay for any damages you cause.

How much does nonowner insurance cost? Typically, it’s cheaper than regular car insurance and, like temporary car insurance, only includes liability coverage. Essentially, it offers the same coverage as a normal policy but for a much lower price.

Rental Car Insurance

If you’re renting a car and wondering how to insure it, you should know that the rental car company has already insured the vehicle to the state’s requirements at a minimum. However, the salesperson at the rental car counter may offer you more insurance. Should you buy it?

If you already have collision, comprehensive or medical payments coverage, also known as personal injury protection (PIP) for another car, health insurance, and/or renters or homeowners insurance, the answer is likely no as those policies may apply to your rental vehicle. One of your credit cards may offer insurance for a rental car as well. However, if you lack these other forms of insurance, you might want to consider the following types of coverage when renting a car:

• Collision/loss damage waiver: The damage waiver could help cover the cost of repairs if you damage the car.
• Personal effects coverage: If some of your personal possessions are stolen from the car, personal effects coverage would reimburse you up to a percentage of their value. In  2020, the last time the Arizona Department of Public Safety published a report on this, there were 15,806 reported auto thefts in Arizona, amounting to a dollar loss of nearly $79 million.¹
• Personal accident insurance: Personal accident insurance would cover your and your passengers’ medical bills if injured in a rental car accident. However, it’s unnecessary to get if you have other health coverage, either from your personal car insurance policy or from a separate health insurance policy.
• Supplemental liability protection: Supplemental liability protection acts as umbrella insurance, raising your combined liability limit to $300,000 for third-party claims.
• Roadside assistance: You can add roadside assistance if your existing program doesn’t cover the area you’re driving in Arizona. Roadside assistance offers fuel deliveries, locksmith services and other life-savers if you’re stuck on the side of the road.

Why would someone need car insurance for such a short period of time? Great question. Here are some common reasons:

• You are a college student leaving your car at home while you attend school.
• Your car is in storage.
• You borrow or rent a car frequently.

If you can avoid it, don’t buy car insurance in Arizona with a term that’s less than six months. Rather, use the alternatives highlighted above. Whatever you do, keep your insurance policy active. Driving without insurance is not only illegal, but if you cause an accident, it could also cost you thousands.

To find the best short-term or temporary car insurance coverage, get auto insurance quotes from multiple providers with the same coverage options selected. Sure, you won’t see auto insurance rates as low as you would with standard car insurance but, for some, one- or three-month car insurance could be a viable option.