Can you switch auto insurance companies before you pay the total premium due?

Definately! Remember, premiums are NOT a loan. If you don't pay the insurance company will in most cases not sue you, send your unpaid balance to collections or anything of the sort. Total premium due is the total amount you have to pay during your term, typically 6 to 12 months. However you pay, is up to you. If you pay all at once, most of the time the insurance company will send you a refund check of your unused premium, but CHECK your policy and the company's terms before confirming that. If you pay by the month, then simply call your insurance company with a request to cancel or don't pay the bill when you get it and usually they will cancel within a few days of nonpayment of premium. If you have a lienholder (you have one if you have a car payment) make absolutely sure you don't incur a lapse in coverage because say you canceled your policy on a Monday and can't get a new one until Wednesday and you had a wreck on Tuesday, YOU will have to cover any and all damages to your car if you have an At Fault crash or an uninsured driver hits you. This is why most insurance companies and brokers take pictures of your car in the parking lot so any damage you attempt to claim after the start of the policy will be denied as the photos will serve as evidence and you could be convicted of insurance fraud, so be careful.