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Quick answer
Every province and territory requires car insurance, but what you must buy differs. Third party liability is required everywhere except Quebec, at $200,000 in most places, $500,000 in Nova Scotia and up to $500,000 in Manitoba. Quebec splits it between the SAAQ and a private insurer. Next step: find your province below, then compare your own quotes in the car insurance calculator.
Official sources checked November 2, 2026. Not insurance advice.
These lists repeat what the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) names as mandatory for each province or territory. Optional coverage and your own limits are on top of this.
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,903 a year, 2025 (Automobile Insurance Rate Board (AIRB), driver site, page dated September 2, 2026).
Who sells basic cover: ICBC (government) sells Basic Autoplan.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,408 a year, 2025/26 (ICBC Annual Report 2025/26).
British Columbia official guide and ICBC insurance costs page
Who sells basic cover: Manitoba Public Insurance (government) sells Autopac Basic.
Minimum: Up to $500,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,208 a year, 2024 (Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (PEI), Atlantic Canada average premiums, 2024 edition (page updated October 28, 2025)).
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,359 a year, 2024 (Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (PEI), Atlantic Canada average premiums, 2024 edition (page updated October 28, 2025)).
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $500,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,302 a year, 2024 (Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (PEI), Atlantic Canada average premiums, 2024 edition (page updated October 28, 2025)).
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $2,218 a year, June 2026 (FSRA, Your average premium). By region: Greater Toronto Area $2,868, Other urban areas $2,131, Rural areas $1,791.
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: $1,018 a year, 2024 (Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (PEI), Atlantic Canada average premiums, 2024 edition (page updated October 28, 2025)).
Who sells basic cover: SAAQ (government) covers injuries through your licence cost; a private insurer covers civil liability.
Minimum: $50,000 civil liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
Who sells basic cover: SGI (government) sells basic auto insurance with your registration.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
Saskatchewan official guide and SGI basic plate rate calculator
Who sells basic cover: Private insurers.
Minimum: $200,000 third party liability.
Required coverages (IBC)
Official average premium: none found that we can cite.
If a coverage is not listed for your province, that does not mean it is unavailable. It means IBC does not name it as mandatory. Ask your insurer.
Names differ by province. Manitoba lists all perils and British Columbia lists basic vehicle damage as part of its government plan. Ask your insurer exactly what your policy includes.
Seven provinces publish an average we can cite. Ontario's is $2,218 a year as of June 2026, from FSRA, Ontario's insurance regulator. The Atlantic provinces' 2024 averages for private passenger vehicles are New Brunswick $1,208, Nova Scotia $1,302, Prince Edward Island $1,018, Newfoundland and Labrador $1,359. Alberta's rate board reports $1,903 for 2025, for full coverage only. ICBC reports $1,408 per Autoplan policy in British Columbia for 2025/26, which leaves out Optional coverage. We do not fill in the other provinces with numbers from comparison sites, because they do not show how they got them. See car insurance cost by province for the latest rate decisions and a check of your own quote against the official average.
Yes. Every province and territory requires liability coverage, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. In Quebec it is civil liability. The amount and the other required coverages differ, so check your province above.
British Columbia (ICBC), Manitoba (Manitoba Public Insurance) and Saskatchewan (SGI) sell basic coverage. In Quebec the SAAQ pays for injuries and private insurers cover the rest.
$200,000 in most provinces and territories, $500,000 in Nova Scotia, up to $500,000 in Manitoba's Autopac Basic, and $50,000 of civil liability in Quebec, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
No. The official averages we can cite are Ontario's $2,218 a year as of June 2026, the Atlantic provinces in 2024 (New Brunswick $1,208, Nova Scotia $1,302, Prince Edward Island $1,018, Newfoundland and Labrador $1,359) Alberta's $1,903 for 2025 (full coverage) and British Columbia's ICBC figure of $1,408 per Autoplan policy for 2025/26 (without Optional coverage). For other provinces we did not find one, so we link the official guide.
Often yes. A serious crash can cost more than a $200,000 limit, and anything above your limit is yours to pay. Ask your insurer what a higher limit costs, then compare your quotes in our car insurance calculator.
Official sources checked November 2, 2026. General information, not insurance, legal or financial advice. We do not sell insurance and take no payment from insurers.