The short answer
Auto insurance is a bundle of separate protections: what you owe if you hurt someone or damage their property, what is paid to repair or replace your own vehicle, and what is paid for injuries. Where you live decides which parts are required and who provides them. A licensed broker compares insurers for your drivers, vehicle and use. Prepare those three things and the conversation is faster and clearer.
- Drivers buying or renewing cover for a car, SUV, truck or van
- Households adding a new driver, including a teenager
- Anyone who just moved provinces, bought a vehicle or changed how they drive
- People whose insurer declined to renew or raised the price sharply
- New to Canada and unsure how a foreign driving record is treated
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for auto insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Liability
What you owe if you injure someone or damage their property while driving. Required almost everywhere, and the part where the legal minimum may not stretch to a serious loss.
Collision
Repair or replacement of your own vehicle after a crash, whoever was at fault. Usually carries a deductible you choose.
Comprehensive
Damage that is not a collision: theft, vandalism, fire, hail, a cracked windshield or hitting an animal. Also usually with a deductible.
Injury and medical benefits
Payments for injuries to you and your passengers. How this works differs a lot between provinces, from public no-fault systems to private policies, so ask what is included where you live.
Uninsured and underinsured drivers
Protection when the other driver has no insurance or too little. Worth confirming it is included rather than assuming.
Extras
Optional additions such as rental car, roadside help, loss-of-use, new-vehicle replacement or winter-tire rules. Each has its own limits, so read what is actually offered.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Driver licence numbers and issue dates for every driver in the household
- Years licensed, including time licensed in another country
- Claims and tickets for each driver over the past several years, with dates
- Vehicle details: year, make, model, trim and the vehicle identification number
- How the vehicle is used: commuting, pleasure only, or for work, and the usual one-way distance
- Roughly how many kilometres you drive a year
- Where the vehicle is kept overnight: driveway, garage, street or parkade
- Your current policy or renewal notice, with the coverage limits and deductibles
- Whether the vehicle is financed or leased, which can require particular cover
A broker will ask
- Who lives in the household and who will drive the vehicle regularly?
- Has any driver had a claim, a conviction or a cancellation, and when?
- How is the vehicle used, and how far is the daily commute?
- Where is it parked overnight, and is it ever stored for the winter?
- Has the vehicle been modified, or does it have aftermarket equipment?
- Do you want a higher liability limit than the minimum?
- What deductible would you be comfortable paying if you had to claim tomorrow?
- Is any other insurance, such as home or tenant cover, with the same insurer?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A family adding a 16-year-old driver
Two parents with two vehicles are about to put a newly licensed teenager on the policy. They have been with the same insurer for nine years and expect the price to jump.
First steps. Gather the teen's licence date and any driver-training certificate, and ask the broker which insurers rate young drivers differently and how a graduated licence affects it. Ask whether assigning the teen to the older vehicle changes anything, and what is expected of the household about who drives what.
Someone who just moved provinces
A couple moved from Ontario to Alberta for work and brought both cars. Their old policy is about to lapse and they are not sure what is different here.
First steps. Bring the old policy and a driving-history letter if the previous insurer will provide one. Ask the broker how mandatory cover and injury benefits work in the new province, and when the old policy should end so there is no gap in cover.
A driver whose insurer will not renew
After two at-fault claims within three years, a driver received a non-renewal letter with six weeks to go and is worried about finding cover at all.
First steps. Keep the letter and write down the dates and circumstances of each claim. A broker can approach insurers that take a wider range of drivers; ask what each one would require and how long before the record improves. Start early so there is no day without cover.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Deductible
- The amount you pay yourself on a claim before the insurer pays the rest. A higher deductible usually means a lower price, but a bigger bill on the day of a claim.
- Liability limit
- The most your policy will pay if you are legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property. Anything above the limit is yours to pay.
- At-fault claim
- A claim where you are judged mostly responsible for the collision. Insurers weigh these heavily, so the date and circumstances matter more than the count.
- Non-renewal
- When an insurer decides not to offer you another term at the end of the current one. You get notice, and the time to find new cover is limited.
- Endorsement
- A written change added to a policy, such as an extra driver, a modification or optional protection. It only counts once it is in writing.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Choosing only on price without comparing liability limits, deductibles and what the extras actually pay.
- Letting cover lapse for even a few days when switching insurers, which can cost more later.
- Leaving a regular driver off the policy, or listing the wrong main driver, and having a claim questioned.
- Describing the vehicle as pleasure use when it is used for commuting or for work.
- Assuming the minimum liability limit is enough if you have a home or savings to protect.
- Forgetting to tell the insurer about a modification, a move or a new driver until after a claim.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles auto insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
How do I get auto insurance?
Gather your driver licence details, your driving and claims history, and the vehicle details, then talk to a licensed broker who can compare insurers for your situation. You can also approach an insurer directly. Either way you will be asked the same questions, so preparing them first saves time and avoids mistakes.
What affects what I pay for car insurance?
Insurers look at drivers, vehicle and use. That includes age and driving record, how many years you have been licensed, what the vehicle is and what it costs to repair, where it is kept, and how far you drive. Cover choices, such as limits and deductibles, also matter. A broker can show how changing them affects the price.
Is car insurance mandatory?
In Canada some form of auto insurance is required to drive, but the parts that are required and who provides them differ by province. In some provinces a public insurer provides basic cover; in others it is private. A broker licensed where you live can explain exactly what is required and what is optional.
What is the difference between collision and comprehensive?
Collision pays to repair or replace your vehicle after a crash. Comprehensive covers damage that is not a collision, such as theft, fire, hail, vandalism or hitting an animal. They are separate, each usually has its own deductible, and a lender may require both if the vehicle is financed or leased.
Should I choose a higher deductible?
A higher deductible usually lowers the price but means you pay more yourself if you claim. A useful test is to pick an amount you could pay tomorrow without hardship. A broker can show what the difference in price would be, so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.
Can a broker help if I have been refused or cancelled?
Often, yes. A broker can approach insurers that accept a wider range of driving records. Bring the dates and details of any claims and the letter you received, and start before your current cover ends. Terms and price will reflect the record, and a broker can explain how it improves over time.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.