Milvionne Chery Copeland, Writer
@milvionne_copeland
Insurance will pay for a rental car for up to 30 days after a total loss, unless you accept a settlement sooner. You’ll need rental car reimbursement coverage to get a rental through your own insurance company, or if you're not at fault for the damage, you could get a rental from the at-fault driver's insurance.
The at-fault party’s insurance company should pay for the rental for a reasonable amount of time, which could be just a few days, so you can look for a replacement vehicle. If the other driver’s insurance company refuses to pay for the rental car, you can still get a rental from your insurance company as long as you have rental reimbursement coverage.
How Long Major Insurance Companies Pay for a Rental Car After a Total Loss
| Company | Maximum Rental Period | Partner Rental Company |
| 7 days after payout | Enterprise or Hertz | |
| 3 days after payout | Enterprise or Hertz | |
| 5 days after payout | Enterprise | |
| 30 days | Enterprise | |
| 30 days | Enterprise | |
| 30 days | Enterprise |
Note: You may be able to extend the time for your rental car in certain circumstances by contacting the adjuster assigned to your claim.
Typically, you will have a daily coverage limit and an overall coverage limit for rental car reimbursement. For example, an insurance company might have a limit of $30 per day, up to $900 overall.
You may have to pay for the rental car up front, and then your insurance company will reimburse you. But if your insurance company has a partnership with a particular rental company, that company can bill your insurance directly.
To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide on rental reimbursement coverage.
David Sm, Member
@theschmed
As of Feb 2025, in MD, GEICO is only offering 3 days after completion of inspection. (My direct experience after a total loss due to animal.)
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