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I'm an American citizen, but I live in Germany and do not own a car (and thus do not own a car insurance policy). I'm going back to the US over Christmas and want to rent a car, but I don't want to pay the daily rate on liability insurance offered by the rental agencies. Do I have any options for a short-term (1 or 2 months) policy from a big broker like Geico or Progressive?

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    I think some credit cards offer insurance for rentals if you rent using the card.
    – johndbritton
    Commented Jul 19, 2014 at 2:19
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    When I was temporarily expatriate, my overseas insurance did not cover driving in the USA or anywhere other than its country of issue. My credit card did. My former USA insurance agency said that such temporary policies exist, but are very expensive. I suggest calling Geico or Progressive, etc.
    – Andrew Lazarus
    Commented Jul 21, 2014 at 5:42
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    You might look at rental car packages offered by rental car brokers (for example SunnyCars in Germany). Their package does include all insurances, and overall, they may have better deals than you can get directly. You would, however, have to verify if you are eligible for these packages (I believe to remember that they are not available for US residents/citizens (my memory is weak here; it could be residents)).
    – Max Wyss
    Commented Aug 12, 2014 at 8:49
  • Hi, I have exactly the same question! Did you eventually get an answer? Will some company sell you liability insurance for use with rental cars?
    – nibot
    Commented Oct 22, 2014 at 19:33
  • Yes, I ended up just having my mom add me to her policy. It was about $100 for the month that I was in town.
    – EBS
    Commented Feb 12, 2015 at 14:20

2 Answers 2

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There is the concept in the US of "Non-Owner" car insurance for people just like you. You can read about the concept here.

Progressive offers coverage specifically for car rentals. Presumably most large insurance companies do, too, so you can call around and pick a price point you like.

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    I've just checked, neither Progressive nor GEICO offer this kind of coverage anymore (at least in California).
    – vartec
    Commented Oct 22, 2014 at 2:39
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I would talk to your credit card company. That is probably your best bet. Alternatively, you could have a friend rent and drive the rental car while you use their personal vehicle as many times standard auto insurance would cover you as a guest driver on the personal car and your friend in the rental car. But, that's a lot to ask of a friend.

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