How to Switch from Ontario to Alberta Insurance

Overview

Note: Like Ontario, Alberta car insurance companies compete on the basis of price, coverage, and service. It is recommended that you contact a licensed Alberta insurance broker who can check rates for you from several Alberta insurance companies.

If you are moving with your vehicle from Ontario to Alberta, you must obtain Alberta vehicle insurance and registration within a maximum of 90 days; thus, you should make every effort to change over your insurance and registration as soon as possible.

To insure and register your vehicle in Alberta after you've moved from Ontario, you will need to do the following:

What kind of documents should I bring if I'm moving from Ontario to Alberta?

If you are moving to Alberta from Ontario, you should contact your previous insurance company for a Claims Experience Letter. While some Alberta brokers may be able to pull up your insurance information with your Ontario driver's license, this is not always the case (especially if you were an occasional driver at some time), and the information is not always accurate. You will also need to obtain a Driving Record from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. These documents will help lower your rate of insurance in Alberta, and are typically a requirement of Alberta insurance companies.

To order a Claims Experience Letter, you need to contact your previous insurance company. You will need to provide at at least 6 years of insurance history (if you have been driving for that long). So, if you have switched insurance companies in the last 6 years, you should get a claims experience letter from each company that you have been insured with during that time.

To get your Ontario Driving Record, you can:

How do I get insurance in Alberta when moving from Ontario?

Once you have your Ontario claim experience letter and driving record(see above), the next step is to get insurance with an Alberta Insurance company.

Alberta car insurance is similar to Ontario car insurance in that companies are privatized and competitive. As such, it is highly recommended that you contact a licensed, experienced insurance broker to help you transfer your insurance from Ontario and check multiple insurance companies for the cheapest insurance rate for you.

How do I register my vehicle in Alberta?

After getting Alberta car insurance, you then have to register your vehicle at an Alberta registry. Before going to the registry, you will need the following:

  • Proof of valid Alberta auto insurance (commonly referred to as a "pink card").
  • Bill of sale or current Ontario registration of vehicle.
  • If the vehicle is from out of province, an out-of-province inspection report must be provided.

Once you have completed all the above, bring your proof of insurance, your bill of sale (or current Ontario vehicle registration) and your out-of-province inspection to an Alberta registry agent. The registry agent will process your information and give you an Alberta license plate as well as registration documents for your vehicle.