Car insurance in other states

Reader question:

I’m going to be moving to another state, but just for a short period of time. Do I have to get car insurance coverage in that state while I’m there?

Noah

Good question.

It really depends on how long you’ll be there. If you’re only going to be living there for a very short period of time, then it might not be necessary to actually get your car insurance policy in that state. However,just because you don’t have your policy in tha state doesn’t mean that you don’t need to be insured, because you do. Regardless of where you are at, so long as you’re driving, you’ll need to have car insurance on you,and preferably car insurance that fits that required by law in the state that you’re in. This applies when moving and even just traveling around the country.

If you’re going to be there for over six months, though, it is suggested that you go ahead and get your policy in the state you’re temporarily living in. Most policies expire after six months, anyway, so you can just wait until your insurance in your old state expires and then renew it in the new one. To avoid having to have insurance from the temporary state when you get back to your old state, you can just pay for your insurance over there month by month instead of signing up for a six month policy. This might cost you a little extra in installment plan fees, but it could be worth it to avoid any problems.

If you are going to be out of state for a long period of time, you should talk with your insurance agent to make sure that it will not cause any problems with your policy. It’s true that you are covered all over the United States, but if you aren’t going to be on your normal schedule for a large period of time then that might change your mileage, as well as your ‘drive to work’ normal use of your car. This could cause your prices to go up, so always check with your agent first to make sure.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.