Auto Insurance for Snowbirds: How Does It Work?

Last Updated on December 31, 2025

Heading south (or west) for the winter is a great escape—until you realize your car insurance was written assuming your vehicle is garaged where you live most of the year.

Snowbird auto insurance is usually straightforward if you handle two things correctly: (1) keep your policy aligned with where the car is registered, and (2) tell your insurer where the car will actually be located for an extended stay.

Below is how snowbird car insurance works, when you may need to change registration or buy a new policy, and how to save money without risking a coverage gap.

Key Takeaways

• Snowbirds usually keep insurance in the state where the vehicle is registered, but you should also update your insurer with the car’s seasonal garaging address.
• Extended stays can trigger special rules—some states treat a vehicle differently once it’s been in-state for a certain amount of time, or if you establish residency through work or school.
• If you leave a car parked back home for months, you may be able to save money by switching to storage/parked coverage (often comprehensive-only) instead of paying for full coverage.
• Avoid cancelling insurance entirely: a lapse can create DMV issues, leave the vehicle unprotected, and increase your rates by losing continuous coverage discounts.

Quick Snowbird Scenarios

You Typically Buy Car Insurance Where Your Vehicle Is Registered

Each state sets its own minimum auto insurance rules (with a few quirks—like New Hampshire). In most states, you must carry at least a minimum amount of liability insurance to legally drive.

That’s why snowbirds usually start with a simple rule: your policy should match the state where the vehicle is registered. If your car is registered in your home state, your policy is written to comply with that state’s requirements.

When you travel, your policy generally travels with you. If you drive in a state with higher required minimums, most policies include an out-of-state coverage provision that helps ensure you meet that state’s minimum requirements. (Your insurer won’t “reduce” your coverage just because another state has lower minimums.)

Why Snowbirds Need to Think Beyond “Travel Coverage”

Driving through a state is one thing. Garaging your car in a state for months is another.

Insurance pricing is heavily influenced by where the vehicle is located (theft rates, weather risk, traffic density, claim frequency, repair costs, and more). So even if your policy technically applies while you’re away, your insurer may require you to report a seasonal/secondary address and adjust your policy accordingly.

If you’re effectively relocating, follow a proper moving process—this checklist on moving to a new state with auto insurance is the right playbook.

Registration Rules for Snowbirds Vary by State

Some snowbird states have clear “time in state” rules. Others rely more on whether you’ve established residency (work, school, voter registration, etc.). Always confirm with the destination state DMV.

Florida Example: Pay Attention to the 90-Day Rule

Florida is a common destination—and it has unique insurance requirements. Under Florida law, nonresident vehicle owners may need Florida “required security” once the vehicle has been physically present in the state for more than 90 days within the preceding 365 days (see Florida Statute 627.733).

If you’re comparing options before you go, start here: best car insurance in Florida. Just note that Florida premiums can be higher than many northern states—this overview explains why car insurance is so expensive in Florida.

Arizona Example: Residency Can Trigger New Registration

Arizona is another major snowbird state. Arizona’s DMV explains that you may be considered an Arizona resident if you remain in Arizona for a total of seven months or more during a calendar year (among other factors). You can review the official residency definition here: Arizona Department of Transportation (Resident Definition).

For shopping and comparisons, see best car insurance in Arizona.

Work or Public School Can Change the Rules Fast

Even if you’re a “nonresident,” certain activities can trigger registration requirements. For example, Florida’s nonresident exemption doesn’t apply if you accept employment or enroll children in Florida public schools—those situations can require registration within a short time window (see Florida Statute 320.38).

Primary Residence vs. Secondary Residence for Insurance

Insurers commonly think in terms of:

• Primary residence: Where you live most of the year (often your driver’s license address and “main” garaging location).
• Secondary/seasonal residence: Where you live part of the year (where the vehicle may be garaged for weeks or months).

If you split time close to 50/50, the “right” answer depends on your driver’s license, voter registration, where the vehicle is primarily garaged, and state-specific residency rules. The safest approach is to tell your insurer exactly how you use and store the car and follow their underwriting guidance.

How to Set Up Snowbird Car Insurance the Right Way

1. Call your insurer before you leave. Give them the seasonal address and the dates you expect to be there. Ask if they can list a secondary garaging address or if they require rewriting the policy in the destination state.
2. Confirm where the car is “garaged.” If the vehicle will be parked overnight in your destination state for months, your insurer usually needs that on file (even if your mailing address stays the same).
3. Review your liability limits. Minimums are often not enough for serious accidents. Consider higher limits if you’ll be driving more, driving in heavier traffic, or spending time in unfamiliar areas.
4. Keep comprehensive and collision if the car is valuable (or required by a lender). Many snowbirds drive newer vehicles or keep the car parked outdoors—comprehensive can matter a lot for theft, storm damage, falling objects, and vandalism.
5. Ask about discounts that fit your seasonal lifestyle. If you drive fewer miles annually, you may qualify for low mileage discounts or usage-based programs.

Reduce Coverage for a Vehicle You Leave Back Home

If you fly south and leave a car parked at your primary home, you may be paying for coverage you can’t use (like collision or liability for a car that never moves).

Two good places to start:

• Learn when you should drop full coverage on your car.
• See whether you still need insurance while it’s parked: do you need insurance when you put your car in storage?

In many cases, “storage” coverage means keeping comprehensive (to protect against theft, fire, weather damage, vandalism, etc.) while removing or reducing coverages tied to driving. If the car is leased or financed, check your lender’s requirements before changing anything.

Should You Drop or Pause Car Insurance Entirely?

Some snowbirds try to cancel coverage for a few months to save money. That can backfire.

• In some states, cancelling insurance can create registration issues or other DMV headaches.
• A lapse can cost you discounts—especially the continuous coverage discount—and may raise your rates later.
• If your car is uninsured, it’s unprotected against non-driving losses (theft, fire, storm damage, etc.).

If you’re considering a break, read this first: can you pause car insurance temporarily? Many insurers have safer alternatives than canceling outright.

Why You Should Never Hide Your Snowbird Address

It can be tempting to keep your “home” address on file and hope nothing happens. But your insurer prices your policy based on where the car is located and how it’s used.

If you spend months in a new location and don’t tell your insurer, you risk serious consequences—especially after a claim. Depending on the situation, an insurer could adjust the claim, cancel your policy, or deny your claim if the company believes there was a material misrepresentation.

Can You Buy Temporary Car Insurance as a Snowbird?

“Temporary car insurance” is often used as a catch-all phrase, but most major insurers don’t sell true short-term policies the way people imagine.

You can buy a standard policy and cancel it later, or adjust coverages for a season—but options depend on the state, the insurer, and whether the vehicle is registered/garaged there. This guide breaks it down: temporary and short-term car insurance.

Driver’s Licenses for Snowbirds

Many snowbirds keep their home-state driver’s license while traveling seasonally. However, if you establish residency in a new state, you may be required to obtain that state’s license.

For Canadian snowbirds in Florida: Florida’s brief International Driving Permit requirement from years ago was repealed, and an IDP is not required for foreign visitors to legally drive in Florida (see Canadian Snowbird Association: Florida IDP Repealed). Even so, carrying an IDP can be helpful as a translation document in some situations.

FAQs About Auto Insurance for Snowbirds

Final Word on Auto Insurance for Snowbirds

Snowbird insurance is manageable when you focus on the basics: insure the car correctly for where it’s registered, update your insurer with your seasonal garaging address, and don’t create a coverage gap just to save a few dollars.

If you’re unsure what to do, the simplest next step is to call your insurer and explain exactly where each vehicle will be parked and driven during the year. That one conversation can prevent the biggest snowbird insurance mistakes.