How to insure your car in Quebec?

How to insure your car in Quebec?

If you expatriate or already live in Quebec and you plan to buy a vehicle, the question of insurance will come very quickly, just like in France. The rules are not quite the same as in France, and contracts are not constructed the same. Let's take stock of what you need to know when you want to insure your car in La Belle Province.

Summary

    Auto insurance in Quebec: is it compulsory?
    What are the auto insurance formulas in Quebec?
    Public and private auto insurance in Quebec: how does it work?
    How to find the best auto insurance in Quebec: our advice
    Cheap auto insurance in Quebec: who to buy from?
    What is the cost of auto insurance in Quebec?

Auto insurance in Quebec: is it compulsory?

For the French as for the Quebecois, auto insurance is compulsory in Quebec, regardless of the license: international license, French license ...

Private insurance, which complements the public insurance which we will discuss later, must therefore be taken out by all drivers in order to operate within the rules.

As in France, the compulsory guarantee is Civil Liability (RC). In Quebec, you must be covered up to at least $ 50,000 in liability. This is "Chapter A" insurance.

For Quebec citizens, public insurance, that is to say that of the SAAQ (Société d’assurance automobile du Québec) is also compulsory. This is what we refer to when we talk about "accident benefits".

If you have to travel to Quebec as a tourist or for a short time and you rent a car there, insurance is of course compulsory, at least for Civil Liability. This will often be included in the rental contract and the coverage may be extended if you purchase a higher level of guarantees.

Finally, it should be noted that there is very little chance that your French auto insurance contract will cover you in the event of a car rental in Canada. Always consider insurance if you are renting a car locally. It will be offered to you anyway, whether through agencies in Montreal or elsewhere (Discount, Avis, etc.) or on online sharing sites (Turo, etc.).
What are the auto insurance formulas in Quebec?

As we have said, the legal minimum is to take out Civil Liability coverage (chapter A) with a ceiling of at least $ 50,000. However, in reality, largely insufficient, almost all basic formulas include a liability guarantee of at least $ 1 million.

Like French auto contracts, Quebec insurance is "multi-risk" contracts. The insured can therefore choose a tailor-made level of coverage. Many guarantees can be included automatically or purchased as an option.

In Quebec, there are 3 main levels of coverage:

    Collision and installment insurance (chapter B2),
    Insurance without collision or installment (chapter B3)
    All-risk insurance (chapter B1).

Collision and installment insurance provides (up to the coverage limit of course) coverage of repairs to be made on the insured's vehicle following a collision with an object, or the vehicle overturning. . Chapter B3 is more covering, since it provides for compensation for material damage suffered without collision, namely, according to the conditions of the guarantee, in the event of theft, vandalism, hail, fire, etc.

Finally, the all-risk formula corresponds to that found in France. It combines all the guarantees seen above.

It is also possible to subscribe to a fully tailor-made formula: "designated risk insurance". For example, the insured may choose to be covered for breakage of glass and theft, but not against hail. The contribution is calculated accordingly.

There are many options available from just about any insurer. Let us quote for example:

    The replacement cost option,
    The loss of use guarantee: compensation if the vehicle is unusable,
    Amendment 27: extension of car guarantees in the event of the rental of another vehicle.

Public and private auto insurance in Quebec: how does it work?

The auto insurance system is different in Quebec than in France. In fact, there are two regimes:

    The public plan, managed by the SAAQ (the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company),
    The private plan, that is to say the auto insurance contract itself.

The public plan covers bodily injury to victims of road accidents (injuries and / or death). Compensation is therefore paid by the SAAQ. The plan is funded by contributions paid each year by holders of a driver's license (the license is subject to an annual contribution in Quebec).