Can I extend my car insurance for a month?
Few reputable insurance companies will extend car insurance for a single month. However, most insurers provide short-term insurance coverage and allow you to add a vehicle to an existing policy.
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Brandon Frady
Licensed Insurance Agent
Brandon Frady has been a licensed insurance agent and insurance office manager since 2018. He has experience in ventures from retail to finance, working positions from cashier to management, but it wasn’t until Brandon started working in the insurance industry that he truly felt at home in his career. In his day-to-day interactions, he aims to live out his business philosophy in how he treats hi...
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UPDATED: Sep 19, 2024
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Sep 19, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from top car companies please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
Most reputable car insurance companies will not extend an auto insurance policy by one month. Though you may pay your premiums monthly, your policy likely covers a term of six or 12 months. The insurance company splits the payments into six or 12 monthly installments to make the cost of insurance more affordable.
If you want to extend your car insurance policy for one month beyond the typical term length — such as seven or 13 months — you must get creative in how you go about doing so.
- Reputable car insurance companies will not typically extend your policy for only one month
- Be wary of companies that do claim to offer short-term coverage, as the offers are likely scams and/or for insufficient coverage
- One of the best ways to obtain short-term car insurance is to take advantage of insurers’ lenient early cancellation policies
Major Car Insurance Companies Won’t Extend Car Insurance for a Month
By asking your car insurance company to extend your policy by one month, you are essentially asking it to provide a month-to-month option. While month-to-month contracts are standard in several industries nowadays, they are almost unheard of in the car insurance industry.
Car Insurance Policies Typically Come in 6- or 12-Month Terms
Though you may make your auto insurance payments every month, your policy itself is usually between 6 and 12 months long. There are a few reasons why most auto insurance companies only write 6-month policies:
- Studies show that people who seek short-term insurance have higher risks of filing claims than drivers who invest in long-term coverage.
- People tend to abuse short-term policies.
- Short-term policies offer little financial benefit to insurers.
Insurance companies need the cost of premiums collected to outweigh the amount paid in claims. This balance would be harder to achieve if companies made short-term coverage a standard offering, especially if many short-term policyholders filed claims during their month of coverage.
Longer policies also give insurers more time to assess drivers’ risks to help make an informed decision regarding renewal.
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Why might you need to extend car insurance for one month?
There are a few situations in which you may need car insurance for a single extra month. These are examples of circumstances in which you may find yourself shopping for a month-to-month policy:
- You plan to sell your vehicle in the coming month and do not plan to replace it with a new one.
- You sold your vehicle last month and need a single month of coverage to protect you while you drive a rental car.
- Your new policy will not begin until a month after your old policy’s cancellation date.
- You plan to move in the next month to another state and do not want to renew your current policy in your current state.
Unfortunately, you may struggle to extend your policy for a month, even in these situations. However, you do have other options, such as the State Farm Add a Vehicle policy, which allows you to add and remove vehicles from your policy at your discretion.
Read more: What to Know About Renewing Car Insurance Automatically
How To Get Short-Term Coverage
Though you cannot simply buy a one-month auto insurance policy from most companies, you have a few options for obtaining short-term coverage.
Shopping Around
Though most reputable insurers will not offer policies with terms of any less than six months, a scattering of companies do. Some of these companies dabble in one-week or even daily insurance. With enough research on your part, you may find a company that will issue a short-term policy to you.
Usage-Based Insurance
Some insurance companies offer a “pay-per-mile” type of coverage. With this type of insurance, you pay for coverage based on the number of miles you drive, your driving habits, or both. You can cancel this type of policy at any time and/or when you no longer possess the vehicle you insured.
Rental Car Coverage
If you recently sold your covered vehicle and plan to drive a rental car for the next month or so, you do not need to purchase a new policy to protect the rental vehicle. Most rental car companies offer insurance for the duration of the rental agreement.
Early Cancellation Is the Best Path to Short-Term Coverage
Early cancellation is the best way to “extend” your insurance policy for a single month in the absence of a month-to-month option. Though most insurance companies will not tell customers this, many do not charge cancellation fees. This means you can sign a contract for a six- or 12-month policy and have the freedom to cancel it after just one month.
If you plan to cancel your insurance policy only a month after the renewal date, there are a few considerations to make beforehand:
- First, make sure your company allows you to cancel early without incurring fees.
- Second, turn off auto-pay, since this will enable you to better control how much you pay and when.
- Third and finally, elect to pay in monthly installments. This ensures you do not have to wait for your insurance company to issue you a refund for the five to 11 months for which you did not need coverage.
If you suddenly need to cancel your insurance when you are just one month into your policy term, you can still do so. However, know that you may incur a fee. If you already paid the policy in full, you will have to wait for your insurance company to prorate your usage and issue a refund.
How To Request a Car Insurance Refund
Requesting a car insurance refund is simple. Contact your insurance company and ask to speak to someone about canceling. A representative should help you start the cancellation process and send a cancellation letter. You must verify this letter before the company can initiate your refund. You should receive a refund for the total amount you paid, less the rate for the month of coverage you used. Note that receiving a refund may take as long as 30 days.
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Case Studies: Extending Car Insurance for a Month
Case Study 1: Needing Coverage for a Short-Term Vehicle
Sarah is planning a month-long road trip with a rented RV. She wants to ensure that she has insurance coverage for the duration of her trip. However, when she contacts her car insurance company to extend her policy for a month, she learns that they do not offer month-to-month extensions.
After some research, Sarah discovers that some insurance companies offer short-term coverage options, including policies specifically designed for rental vehicles. She finds a company that provides coverage for the duration of her road trip and purchases a policy that meets her needs.
Case Study 2: Selling a Vehicle and Driving a Rental Car
John recently sold his car and does not plan on purchasing a new one for another month. However, he needs to have insurance coverage during this gap period because he will be driving a rental car for his daily commute. John contacts his insurance company to inquire about extending his policy for a month, but they inform him that it’s not possible.
Instead, they suggest that he check with the rental car company for insurance options. John finds out that the rental car company offers insurance coverage for the duration of his rental agreement, allowing him to drive the rental car with peace of mind.
Case Study 3: Adding a Short-Term Vehicle to an Existing Policy
Emily needs to borrow her friend’s car for a month while her own car is in the shop for repairs. She wants to make sure that she is covered by insurance while driving her friend’s car. Emily contacts her insurance company to ask if she can extend her policy for a month to include her friend’s car.
The insurance company explains that they do not offer month-to-month extensions, but they suggest adding her friend’s car to her existing policy as a temporary vehicle. Emily follows their advice and adds her friend’s car to her policy for the duration of the month.
Shop for Coverage With Flexibility When You Want a Month-Long Extension
Most insurance companies will not consider extending a car insurance policy for only one month. However, flexible coverage options do exist if you need a short-term policy on a vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extend my car insurance for a month?
Most reputable car insurance companies do not offer the option to extend car insurance for a single month. Typically, car insurance policies have fixed terms of either six or 12 months. However, some insurers allow you to add a vehicle to an existing policy for short-term coverage.
Why won’t major car insurance companies extend car insurance for a month?
Car insurance companies generally do not offer month-to-month policies due to various reasons. They need to maintain a balance between collected premiums and claim payments. Offering short-term coverage as a standard option could disrupt this balance. Additionally, longer policy terms allow insurers to assess risks and make informed decisions about renewals.
In what situations might I need to extend car insurance for one month?
There are situations where you may require car insurance for a single extra month. Examples include selling your vehicle and planning to drive a rental car or needing coverage for a short-term vehicle. However, extending your policy for just one month can be challenging.
How can I get short-term car insurance coverage?
While most insurers do not offer one-month policies, there are a few options for obtaining short-term coverage:
- Shop around: Some companies specialize in short-term policies, such as one-week or daily insurance.
- Usage-based insurance: Certain insurers offer pay-per-mile or usage-based coverage, allowing you to cancel the policy at any time.
- Rental car coverage: If you’re driving a rental car, most rental companies provide insurance for the duration of the rental agreement.
- Early cancellation: In the absence of month-to-month options, you can sign up for a longer policy term and cancel it after one month. Note that cancellation fees may apply, and you may need to wait for a prorated refund.
How do I request a car insurance refund if I cancel early?
To request a car insurance refund, contact your insurance company and ask to start the cancellation process. The company will provide a cancellation letter, and you’ll need to verify it before they initiate the refund. The refund typically includes the total amount paid minus the rate for the month of coverage used. Keep in mind that receiving the refund may take up to 30 days.
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Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap car insurance rates.
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Brandon Frady
Licensed Insurance Agent
Brandon Frady has been a licensed insurance agent and insurance office manager since 2018. He has experience in ventures from retail to finance, working positions from cashier to management, but it wasn’t until Brandon started working in the insurance industry that he truly felt at home in his career. In his day-to-day interactions, he aims to live out his business philosophy in how he treats hi...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.