Depending on where you live in Canada, you can get auto insurance at different ages. There are different rules and regulations for each province in Canada and to be able to get your auto insurance, there are a variety of things that you need to go through. Driving is a lot different in certain provinces, which is why there is an age difference depending on where you live in the country. If you are young and thinking about getting auto insurance, or are just interested in the minimum ages around the country, we will break them down for you in the table below.
| Canadian Provinces | Minimum age to get learner’s license |
|---|---|
| Alberta | 16 |
| British Columbia | 16 |
| Manitoba | 16 |
| New Brunswick | 16 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 16 |
| Northwest Territories | 17 |
| Nova Scotia | 16 |
| Nunavut | 15 |
| Ontario | 16 |
| Prince Edward Island | 16 |
| Quebec | 16 |
| Saskatchewan | 16 |
| Yukon | 16 |
How old do you have to be to have a car in your name?
If you are a minor, you are legally allowed to have a car in your name. You might have a hard time getting one, however. Minors are not legally allowed to be held accountable if there is a dispute that is risen in a contract that they have signed. A buyer who is under the age of 18 can demand a refund and simply walk away from a signed contract. It is for this reason, it is highly unlikely that you are going to be able to find someone to sell you a car if you are under the age of 18. People who are looking to buy a car from a minor also run into a problem. An underage seller can enter into a legal selling contract and can later revoke the deal and attempt to get the car back from you.
When can I get my full license?
In every province other than Nunavut, you must enter a graduate license program. In Nunavut, you simply must wait until you are 16 years of age before you can get your full license. Therefore, there is a graduated licensing program in place. This graduated licensing program forces you to drive with another fully licensed driver for a period that lasts anywhere from eight months to a year. After you have done this, you can take a road test and either receive your full license or a G2 license, depending on where you live. If you get your G2 license, you must wait one more year before you can take your last road test and receive your full license.
What happens if I move?
If you move to a new location in Canada but have only just passed your learner’s driving test, you’ll be forced to retake that learner’s test. This may be unfortunate, but a learner’s permit does not transfer over to a new province. If you are a fully licensed driver or a driver that has two years of experience on the road, you should easily be able to transfer your license to another province. Simply get in touch with the local driver’s test office. They should easily be able to transfer your driver’s license over to your new province.
Will my driving record follow me when I get a new license?
Anything that you do on the road, even with a learner’s permit, will move with you when you go for a new license. Any traffic violations that you make can actually have an impact on how long it takes you to be able to qualify for a full license. Demerit points can not only affect your insurance rates, they can actually prevent you from being able to get a license altogether.
How old do you have to be to own a car?
Due to the reasons above, almost all car owners are 18 and up. Although a car dealership might allow a parent signature on a car that was sold to a minor, technically, the minor could make the contract void if they wanted to. You will likely find that there are quite a lot of kids who own cars because of things like inheritance, gifts, etc. however, it is extremely rare to be able to find someone under the age of 18 that actually has the car entirely under their own name that they purchased.
Minimum age for car insurance
One thing that might surprise you by looking at the above chart is that Nunavut allows drivers to be able to get their learner’s permits at the age of 15. This is the lowest age that anyone in Canada can get their learner’s permit at. However, it is extremely important to keep in mind that Nunavut also has a policy that prevents 15-year-olds from taking road tests. Nunavut only allows drivers who are 16 years of age to be able to take road tests, which is very close to the same age as the rest of Canada.
How old do you have to be to get health insurance?
If you’re thinking about driving, you might be interested in finding out if you have proper health insurance coverage. Since you are looking online for the age at which you can get auto insurance, you are likely under the age of 26. If you are under this age, this means that you can join a parent’s plan. You are eligible to stay on your parent’s plan whether you live with your parents or not. After this timeframe, on a person’s 26th birthday, they qualify for an enrolment period. This period lets them enroll in a health plan of their own. If you are over the age of 26, you should make sure you enroll.
To Conclude:
Getting auto insurance is certainly something to look forward to. However, it is important to make sure that you are ready. All provinces have graduated licensing programs in place. This means that you need to pass the appropriate tests to be able to get your license. You are going to need to know all the rules of the road before you can take the test. your safety is at risk if you don’t, which is why it is of the utmost importance. Once you have studied up, you may even want to consider finding a local driver’s education course as these can help to reduce your insurance costs.
About the Author: Ashley Miller
