How Soon After Buying A Car Does It Need To Be Insured? 
Typically , on most car insurance policies , you have up to 30 days of coverage when you purchase a vehicle and it is replacing another vehicle . The coverage matches the coverage you had on the previous car . For example , if you had $ 50,000 per person of bodily injury and $ 100,000 per accident , along with $ 250 deductibles , the new vehicle would also have those limits . Each policy may be different so do n't assume you have 30 , 10 , or even 5 days of coverage . Contact your agent when you are considering buying a vehicle and he/she can review the estimated rate along with the length of time you have to add the car to the policy . If you are purchasing a new vehicle , and your existing coverage is `` liability only , '' it 's critical to add the car to your policy before it is driven . Also , be aware of the date you will be charged for the new car coverage . It may not be as `` free '' as you believe , if the vehicle is added effective the day of purchase , and not the day of reporting ! IMPORTANT : Answer was provided by Edward Harris , one of the premier auto insurance authorities in the US . His website , Carinsurancezoom.org , provided free online quotes and the lowest car insurance rates from top-rated companies in your area . 