Temporary Car Insurance can be purchased for several reasons. If an individual buys a car and only needs insurance to get it home and find other insurance, they can purchase a temporary car insurance policy. If a group of friends are going on vacation together and will trade off driving responsibilities, temporary car insurance can be purchased to cover all of the drivers for the length of the vacation. If an individual does not have an established relationship with the insurer, temporary car insurance can be very expensive. And, in some states there are no provisions for temporary auto insurance.

If you live in a state that does not allow temporary car insurance, have a vehicle that you only want to insure for an extremely short time and you have an established policy with an insurer for another vehicle, you can add the new car onto your established policy and then cancel the coverage when you don't need it any more. If you do not have insurance with an insurance company, your options become more limited. You will need to purchase a term policy, usually a 6 month minimum then cancel when you no longer need the coverage. This solution for temporary auto insurance can be very expensive since most insurance companies charge a cancellation fee when a person who has not history with the company cancels early.

When traveling by car to another country, such as Mexico, it is important to know that American liability insurance will not cover accidents that you may have in Mexico. You will need to get Mexican Liability Insurance. Most insurance in Mexico is issued as a standard policy and costs around $150 for six months of coverage. You can get temporary auto insurance for driving through Mexico on the internet or at road-side stations when you enter Mexico. It is also important to know that if you rent a car in Mexico you will still need to purchase Mexican Liability Insurance for that car. Your credit card will only pay for the rental and not for the insurance you will need while you are there.

Temporary car insurance is very important if you are traveling with friends, making a new vehicle purchase and don't have your established insurance policy information with you, or if you are traveling to another country. Your temporary car insurance will provide you with the assurance you need to drive worry-free.