Is Weekly Car Insurance Legitimate?

Find out whether weekly car insurance is a good choice.

Apr 04, 2020 at 11:08pm ET

If you’re wondering about weekly car insurance, you’re not alone. A weekly car insurance policy might sound like a good idea for a lot of reasons.

Maybe you can’t meet regular car insurance payments, so you just want a weekly car insurance plan to protect you when you do drive. Maybe your car is in the shop, and you want to be sure you have coverage while you borrow a friend’s car. But in today’s world, weekly car insurance no longer exists. And even if it did, we wouldn’t recommend purchasing a policy.

But don’t worry – there are plenty of alternatives to getting weekly car insurance, and we’ll walk through them in this article.

If you’d like to go ahead and check out some of the nation’s best car insurance companies with longer coverage terms, we have a few recommendations. You can also use our tool below or call (844) 246-8209 to start comparing auto insurance quotes in your area.

In this article:

What Is Weekly Car Insurance?
Why Weekly Car Insurance Sounds Like A Good Idea
Why Weekly Car Insurance Is A Bad Idea
Alternatives To Weekly Car Insurance
Our Recommendations For Auto Insurance

What Is Weekly Car Insurance?

Weekly car insurance is a type of short-term car insurance that used to be available for drivers in Michigan who only needed temporary coverage for a maximum of seven days. This type of insurance was offered by L.A. Insurance, which had over 100 locations in major cities.

When the coverage was available, the cost of a weekly car insurance policy was between $200 and $300 per week on average. The offering ended a few years ago after uninsured motorists began abusing it. These motorists used weekly car insurance as proof of insurance when registering a vehicle, then let the policy expire and began to drive uninsured again.

Weekly Car Insurance Vs Short-Term Car Insurance

Most car insurance companies write policies that last for six months to one year, but there are ways to get car insurance that could protect your car and assets for a shorter period of time.

Weekly car insurance, also known as seven-day car insurance, no longer exists because of misuse of the coverage. But you can still get short-term car insurance, which is a type of temporary car insurance that is good for up to 30 days. Short-term car insurance can come in the form of non-owners liability auto insurance.

Why Weekly Car Insurance Sounds Like A Good Idea

There are many situations where buying weekly car insurance could sound like a good idea. You might be searching for a weekly car insurance policy for these reasons:

Meeting state minimum car insurance requirements: Every state except for New Hampshire requires car insurance for motorists to drive legally. If you’re involved in an accident without insurance, you could face serious legal penalties like the loss of your driver’s license and registration community service, or even jail time.
Avoiding a lapse in coverage: A lapse in car insurance of more than 30 days could make it harder for you to find cheap auto insurance in the future, even on a basic liability coverage plan. If your current policy is about to end and you have yet to set up new coverage, weekly car insurance sounds like an easy fix.
Renting a car: Drivers that are renting cars for short periods of time want to be covered in the event of an accident.

Why Weekly Car Insurance Is A Bad Idea

Weekly car insurance policies no longer exist for a reason. But even if they did exist, we wouldn’t recommend them.

The biggest reason is that seven-day car insurance was expensive. The average cost of a seven-day car insurance policy with L.A. Insurance in Michigan was $200 to $300 per week. In some states today, that money could get you a six-month liability policy with a reputable auto insurance provider.

If you see advertisements for weekly car insurance now, you’re probably being scammed. These deals often sound too good to be true, because they are. If you need to check on an insurer’s reliability, we recommend looking to industry ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), AM Best, and J.D. Power.

Alternatives To Weekly Car Insurance

There are many situations you could find yourself in that could make you wonder: Can I insure my car for one week? But for every situation where you might find yourself tempted by short-term car insurance, there is probably an alternative.

Problem	Solution
You have a car in the shop and need to borrow a friend’s vehicle, but you want to make sure you’re covered on the road.	If you’re borrowing a friend’s car with their permission and already have car insurance, coverage for the vehicle will most likely fall under “permissive coverage,” which extends your car insurance to the vehicle you are using on a temporary basis.
You want to be covered while driving a friend’s car, but you don’t have your own car insurance policy.	Consider non-owner car insurance, which provides liability auto insurance but doesn’t cover damages done to the vehicle you’re borrowing or your own injuries. Some companies, like Progressive car insurance, only offer this type of insurance to current customers. Others offer non-owner liability insurance to anyone.
You can’t make your regularly scheduled car insurance payments, because the policy is too expensive.	There are many ways to make your auto insurance coverage more affordable without cancelling your policy or falling for a scam like weekly car insurance. Ask your provider about discounts you may qualify for. Many car insurance companies offer usage-based insurance programs that can come with low rates or make you eligible for discounts.
You’re not sure how long you will have your car or need insurance, like if you’re planning on selling your vehicle.	Buy an auto insurance policy from a provider that doesn’t have a cancellation policy. This way you can cancel when your need for car insurance has expired without any penalty. Your policy will effectively be month-to-month car insurance.

Some auto insurance companies with no cancellation fees include:

Overall, we're pleased that weekly car insurance is a thing of the past. You can find better coverage and low six-month premiums with top insurers like USAA and Geico.

While shopping for car insurance, it’s smart to get quotes from multiple providers so you can compare coverage and make sure you’re paying the right price. Follow the link below to get started. You can also simply call (844) 246-8209 for free quotes.

If you’re a Michigan motorist that’s missing weekly car insurance, take a look at our review of Michigan car insurance to get some inspiration. We also reviewed some best practices for drivers looking for car insurance quotes in Michigan.

USAA: Best For Military

USAA car insurance is available to members of the military and their immediate family, and we think it’s some of the best on the market. USAA was the only provider that earned five stars in our review of the nation’s most popular insurers. The insurance company has an A++ financial strength rating from AM Best and has been at the top of numerous J.D. Power studies for customer satisfaction.

In our USAA auto insurance review, we found that USAA customers enjoy various discounts that are tailored to the needs of military members, like a discount of up to 20 percent if you park your car on a military base. Customers can also purchase roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and rental car reimbursement in addition to standard coverage.

Geico: Best Overall

USAA was the top performer in our research, but because it’s not available to everyone, we named Geico auto insurance the best choice overall in our Geico auto insurance review. Geico customers can get standard car insurance coverage plus extra types of coverage like:

Mechanical breakdown insurance
Rental car reimbursement
Roadside assistance

With Geico, there are a number of discounts including good student discounts, safe driver discounts, and savings for certain safety features in your vehicle like airbags, anti-lock brakes, and anti-theft devices.

To learn more about these two providers, read our review of Geico vs USAA.

Methodology

In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of auto insurance providers to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.

Industry Standing: Insurers with strong financial ratings and customer-first business practices receive the highest scores in this category.
Availability: We consider availability by state as well as exclusions for specific groups of drivers.
Coverage: This rating is based on types of insurance available, maximum coverage limits, and add-on policies.
Cost and Discounts: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of drivers in every state. Companies with lower prices and many car insurance discount opportunities receive the best scores.
Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and consumer feedback studies from experts like J.D. Power.
Technology: Auto insurers with mobile apps, advanced online services and telematics are more likely to meet consumer needs.

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