The short answer
High-risk auto insurance is ordinary mandatory cover arranged for a driver whose record makes many insurers hesitate: several tickets, at-fault claims, a suspension, an impaired conviction, a gap in cover or a cancellation for non-payment. Some insurers focus on these drivers, and an industry residual market exists for those no one else will take. A licensed broker can approach them with an accurate, dated account of your record.
- Drivers with several speeding or other moving-violation convictions
- Anyone with one or more at-fault claims in recent years
- Drivers returning after a licence suspension or an impaired-driving conviction
- People who let a policy lapse or had one cancelled for missed payments
- Drivers who received a non-renewal letter and have little time left
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for high-risk 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
The same required parts
A high-risk policy is not a lesser product. In Alberta it still includes the mandatory liability and accident benefits, and you can usually ask about collision, comprehensive and higher limits as well.
Insurers that accept wider records
Some insurers write drivers that standard ones decline, often with different terms, payment rules or deductibles. A broker with access to them can compare what each would ask of you.
The residual market
Canada has an industry-run arrangement, shared among insurers, that makes basic cover available to drivers who cannot find it in the regular market. It is meant as a last resort, and its terms reflect that.
Payment terms
After a cancellation for non-payment, an insurer may want a larger deposit or a different payment schedule. Ask what is required up front and what happens if a payment fails.
Reinstatement conditions
After a suspension, the province sets what you must complete before driving again, such as a course or an ignition interlock where it applies. Insurers usually want the licence reinstated before cover starts.
Moving back over time
As older convictions and claims age past the period an insurer looks at, the record may qualify for standard terms again. Ask each insurer how far back it looks and when a review makes sense.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Your driver abstract from a registry agent, showing convictions and suspensions with dates
- A claims-history letter from each insurer you have had in recent years
- Dates and short descriptions of each at-fault claim, including who was hurt or what was damaged
- Any cancellation or non-renewal letters, with the reason each one gave
- The dates of any gap in cover, and why the earlier policy ended
- Proof of licence reinstatement and of any completed course or interlock requirement
- Vehicle details and how the vehicle will be used day to day
- Every other driver in the household, with their own records
A broker will ask
- What convictions are on your abstract, and when did each one happen?
- How many claims have you had, and which were judged at fault?
- Has a licence ever been suspended, and has it been fully reinstated?
- Has any insurer cancelled or declined to renew you, and what reason did it give?
- Have you gone without insurance at any point, and for how long?
- Who else will drive the vehicle, and what is on their record?
- Would you consider a higher deductible or fewer optional extras while the record ages?
- Could you pay a larger first instalment, or is a monthly plan necessary?
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 sales rep with three speeding tickets
A driver who spends long days on the highway between client visits collected three speeding convictions in two years. His insurer raised the renewal sharply and attached a warning about further convictions, though he has never made a claim.
First steps. Order a driver abstract and list each conviction with its date. Ask the broker which insurers weigh minor convictions differently, how long each ticket is likely to count, and whether any of them recognise a defensive-driving course.
A driver returning after an impaired conviction
A woman in Red Deer has completed her suspension, the required course and an ignition interlock period after an impaired-driving conviction. Her old insurer will not take her back, and she needs a vehicle to reach a new job.
First steps. Gather the reinstatement letter, proof the course and interlock conditions are complete, and the conviction date. Ask the broker which insurers will consider the record now, whether the residual market is the realistic starting point, and when to revisit the policy.
A father whose policy was cancelled for missed payments
After losing hours at work, a young father missed two monthly payments and his insurer cancelled the policy. He kept driving for nine days before he found the cancellation notice in his email.
First steps. Driving without insurance is an offence in Alberta, so the vehicle stays parked until new cover starts. Keep the notice with its date, and ask the broker how a non-payment cancellation is viewed, what first payment an insurer would expect, and how payments would be collected.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Driver abstract
- An official record of your licence history from the province, listing convictions, suspensions and demerits with dates. In Alberta you can order one from a registry agent.
- Residual market
- An industry arrangement that makes required auto cover available to drivers who cannot find it in the regular market. Insurers share the cost, and terms reflect the risk.
- Demerit points
- Points added to your licence record for traffic convictions. Too many within a set period can lead to a suspension; insurers look at the convictions behind them.
- Look-back period
- How far back an insurer reviews claims and convictions when it rates a driver. Items older than that window generally stop counting against you.
- Ignition interlock
- A breath-testing device fitted to a vehicle that stops it starting if alcohol is detected. Provinces can require one as a condition of driving after an impaired conviction.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Leaving a conviction or claim off the application in the hope it will not surface; insurers routinely check driving and claims records.
- Letting a policy lapse while shopping, which adds a gap in cover to a record that is already difficult.
- Accepting the first offer without asking how long the terms last or when they will be reviewed.
- Driving before a suspended licence has been formally reinstated, even after the suspension period has ended.
- Forgetting that another household driver with a poor record can affect the whole policy.
- Never asking for a review once older tickets and claims have aged past the period an insurer considers.
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 high-risk auto insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
What makes a driver high-risk for insurance?
Insurers look at the pattern on a record. Several moving-violation convictions, at-fault claims close together, a licence suspension, an impaired-driving conviction, a gap in cover or a cancellation for non-payment can each move a driver out of the standard market. Each insurer draws its own lines, so a driver turned away by one may still be accepted by another.
What happens if no insurer will cover me?
Canada has a residual market, an arrangement funded and shared by insurers, which makes at least the required cover available to drivers the regular market turns away. It is reached through a broker or agent, and its terms reflect the higher risk. It is intended as a bridge until the record improves enough to return to the regular market.
How long do tickets and claims affect my insurance?
It depends on the insurer and the item. Insurers commonly look back several years for at-fault claims and a few years for most minor convictions, while serious convictions such as impaired driving can count for longer. Ask each insurer for its look-back period, write down when each item should drop out, and have the policy reviewed at those points.
Can I get insurance after an impaired-driving conviction?
It is harder, but it does not usually make cover impossible. Insurers will ask for the conviction date, proof of licence reinstatement and whether any interlock or course conditions are complete. Some will consider the record after a period of time; until then, the residual market may be where cover is available. A broker can explain the options for your dates.
Does a lapse in coverage count against me?
Often, yes. Insurers like to see continuous cover, and a gap can raise questions even with a clean record, because it may mean uninsured driving or lost experience. Keep proof of why the gap happened, such as time living abroad or a period without a vehicle, since some insurers treat an explained gap differently from an unexplained one.
Can a broker help after a cancellation for non-payment?
Usually. A broker can explain the cancellation to insurers that accept it and ask what each requires, such as a larger first payment or paying for the full term. Bring the cancellation notice and be ready to say what has changed since. Ask how payments will be collected, so a single failed payment does not repeat the problem.
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.