Im going without a car for half a year or so, what are my auto insurance options?
I had to do this once, and my insurance agent offered to put the policy on hold (there was a word for the status, maybe ‘suspended’ or ‘inactive’ or something, I forget) rather than cancel it. It meant that they didn’t refund my money (which if you pay every six months can be a fair chunk of change) but at the same time the policy remained on the books, so it could be restarted instantly with no gap in coverage (and at that time the already-paid money could be credited to the new policy). I don’t know if all insurance companies do this or only some, but it worked out really well for me at that time. So my suggestion is to go in person and talk to the agent — I went in to cancel the policy and they suggested the other option instead. If they are helpful, they will know lots of options that you may not.
According to this you can get a non-owner car insurance policy that would cover you when driving a borrowed or rented car. Don’t know what the rates are like; you should consult with your insurance agent to figure that out.
From Ms. Vegetable: Could you be a named driver on your girlfriend’s policy? I’d assume that’s the car you’d be driving most often, and then if/when you apply for your own insurance, you’d have previous insurance without a lapse to use. You do NOT want a lapse in coverage in most states. One exception is New Hampshire, where insurers have very narrow restrictions on using prior insurance when rating for new policies. I don’t know if that applies to NY or not. If an insurance agent is not helpful, try the Department of Insurance.
