Compare Ottawa Car Insurance Quotes for 2024
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Looking for car insurance in Ottawa? You've come to the right place. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about Ottawa car insurance: mandatory coverage, optional add-ons, costs, and more.
We also tell you how to get the cheapest Ottawa car insurance plan, tips to save, and discounts. You can use our free tool to compare quotes from Canada's best providers and get the best deals on your premiums.
How does car insurance work in Ottawa, Ontario?
In Ottawa, from the moment you own a vehicle, you must insure it through a private insurer. Your insurer will give you a certificate of automobile insurance, which must be renewed each year. This insurance certificate indicates the level of protection you have chosen, the optional guarantees chosen, and the period of coverage.
Watch out!
Driving without auto insurance is punishable by fines ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. Your driver’s license may be suspended and your vehicle may be seized.
Ottawa works with a no-fault system, which means that you have to deal first with your insurance company for your claims, regardless of whether or not you’re at fault. Two examples of this:
- You’re at fault: Your insurance company won’t pay anything unless you took the optional coverages: collision, comprehensive depending on the claim.
- You’re not at fault: Your insurance will pay under the DCPD coverage.
How much is car insurance in Ottawa?
The average Ottawa car insurance premium is typically $1,100 per year. This is much lower than the provincial average of $1,528 in Ontario. The cost of car insurance in Ottawa is also much lower than in Ontario where residents typically pay over $1,800 per year.
However, these prices do not apply to everyone as premiums are based on individual factors and prices change from one person to another. Car insurance premiums are typically based on the following:
- Your age and sex.
- Your driving record, i.e. your driving history.
- The place where you live: it won’t be the same thing if you live in a city or the countryside!
- The type of vehicle you drive: Depending on the vehicle you drive, your premium will increase or not. If it is a model that can be easily stolen, your premium will get higher. If you drive one of the most stolen cars, it is quite certain that your premium will tend to be higher.
- The use you make of your vehicle: are your journeys to and from work daily, for example? Do you use your vehicle for business purposes?
- The number of people insured on your car insurance and their driving level.
- The date you obtained your driver’s license.
- Third-party liability: did you choose a $1,000,000 third-party liability? More? Less? This changes your premium a lot!
- The optional coverage: did you add accident forgiveness for example? roadside assistance? Same, this impacts your premium.
How to compare car insurance quotes in Ottawa?
You can use our free comparator tool below or at the top of this page to get personalized quotes from Canada's best car insurance providers. You can compare multiple quotes by answering a few basic questions on your profile, your vehicle, and the desired coverage.
Compare Canada's best car insurance plans
When you speak with an auto insurer or car insurance broker or use online tools, they will want to know:
- Where you drive: You'll pay more in a bigger city than if you're in a small town away from urban centres.
- How much you drive: You'll feel the price difference if you drive 100km round trip to work every day versus 10km.
- Your age and experience: If you've had your license and driven incident-free for a while you'll pay more than a 20-year-old who just purchased their first car.
- Your driving record: At-fault accidents, previous claims and demerit points will drive up your car insurance rates.
- About secondary drivers: Do you have a teenager at home who borrows a car a lot?
- What vehicle you are insuring: if your vehicle is statistically more likely to be in an accident or expensive to repair, your premiums will reflect that.
- What optional coverages and amounts you chose: weigh coverage amounts and endorsements against premiums.
Good to know
As an alternative to using a comparison tool, you can get a quote by visiting the websites of multiple car insurance companies and filling out a request for each. This can be very time-consuming if you’re shopping a lot of providers. Alternatively, an insurance broker can help you over the phone or online. They are knowledgeable and often have access to competitive prices, but don't usually represent all brands.
What car insurance coverage is mandatory in Ottawa?
- Third-party liability. This insurance is compulsory and covers you for material damage and bodily injury caused to others by your fault and its minimum mandatory amount is $200,000.
- Statutory accident benefits coverage. This insurance protects bodily injury and:
- Covers you if you are injured in an accident regardless of who is at fault
- Covers the medical staff involved in the accident: medical care, rehabilitation and auxiliary care services
- Covers income replacement.
Good to know
You must be insured for at least an amount of $65,000 for non-disabling injuries and $1,000,000 for critical disabling injuries. But you can decide to increase your car insurance amount to $130,000 for non-disabling injuries and $2,000,000 for critical disabling injuries.
- Direct Compensation-Property Damage (DC-PD). This car insurance covers you for damage to your vehicle and the contents of said vehicle. There are a few conditions:
- You must not be responsible for the accident
- It must have taken place in Ottawa
- Another vehicle must be involved
- The other vehicle must be insured by a licenced insurer
- Your insurance provider pays to repair your car
- Uninsured automobile insurance. This insurance applies if you or someone in your vehicle is either injured or killed by an uninsured driver, or by a hit-and-run driver.
Here's a quick look at the coverage mandated in a table format.
| Ottawa car insurance | Mandatory or not |
|---|---|
| Public insurance | |
| Third-party liability | |
| Accident benefits | |
| Direct Compensation Property Damage | |
| Uninsured driver | |
| Collision | |
| Comprehensive |
What are the optional auto insurance coverages in Ottawa?
Here are all the main options you can add to your car insurance to be best protected:
- Collision car insurance in Ottawa: This auto insurance protects you in the event of a collision of your vehicle with an object, which can also be the rollover of your vehicle. This insurance covers property damage caused by this accident. For example, if you hit a traffic sign, you will be covered by collision insurance. This coverage is not mandatory.
- Comprehensive car insurance in Ottawa: This insurance protects you for anything that is not collision or upset, as the name suggests, therefore for anything that is vandalism, glass breakage, theft, fire. If you park your vehicle on the street and when you come back, one of the windows has been broken, you will be able to use this insurance if you have subscribed to it. It is possible to make car insurance estimates to see how much you want to be insured up to.
- Specified Perils Auto Insurance in Ottawa: It covers you for risks that you have specified in the contract. For example, you can mention glass breakage but not include vandalism, theft but not include fire.
- All-risk car insurance in Ottawa: This insurance is a combination of all other insurances: collision, payout and collision-free. The deductible is the same for all damages. You will thus be protected for all incidents beyond your control (vandalism, theft, fire) but also for incidents resulting from a road accident, collision with an object, or the overturning of your vehicle.
Most common add-ons to auto coverage
Here are some more options you could add to your car insurance in Ottawa, most of the car insurance companies propose this:
| Car insurance options in Ottawa | Explications | Availability in Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Leased vehicle | Your rental vehicle will be insured in the same manner as your insured vehicle(s). | |
| Accident Forgiveness | Your first accident won’t increase your car insurance premium | |
| Replacement value for total loss | Also known as replacement value, your insurer will compensate you based on the purchase value of the vehicle without taking depreciation into account. | |
| Alternate Transportation Benefits | Also known as loss of use of the vehicle, this covers the cost of rentals, transportation, cabs that you had to take during the period when you were unable to use your vehicle. | |
| Emergency roadside | if you are out of gas, stuck, have a cracked wheel, the road assistance is there for it. |
What is the best car insurance in Ottawa?
The best car insurance depends on your individual needs and budget. However, here are some top Canadian providers that offer the best car insurance Ottawa coverage options.
| Name of Insurance | Key Features | Best for | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Users seeking multiple quotes from top insurers | 4/5 |
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| Individuals seeking online policy management | 4/5 |
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| Policyholders with problematic driving records | 3.5/5 |
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| Quick quote comparison with minimal customization | 4/5 |
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| Drivers facing coverage challenges | 3.5/5 |
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| Individuals seeking tailored insurance options | 4/5 |
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| Customers looking for easily managed digital policies | 3.5/5 |
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| Customers seeking flexibility and various discount options | 4/5 |
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| Policyholders in need of emergency assistance services | 3.75/5 |
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| Ride-sharing service users and discount seekers | 4/5 |
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| Customers seeking distinct coverage add-ons | 4/5 |
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| Customers valuing community-driven service | 3.5/5 |
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| Customers seeking feature-rich auto insurance | 4/5 |
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| Users desiring quick, online policy services | 4.5/5 |
You can compare quotes from these top providers and get the best deals using our free comparator at the top of this page.
8 tips to get the cheapest car insurance in Ottawa
Here 8 tips to get the lowest car insurance rates in Ottawa (without compromising on your policy's quality):
- Bundle your policies: You could easily get a discount if you buy a car and home insurance from the same insurer.
- Shop and compare to get the best deal: Compare quotes from several providers to weigh your options.
- Choose the right amount of deductible: If you choose a low deductible, your car insurance premium will go high. So choose a high deductible if you want to lower your car insurance premium!
- Choose the right coverages! For example, if you drive a really old car, maybe you shouldn’t have a very complete car insurance.
- Pay annually: This will avoid paying the rate fees to pay monthly. Especially if you're a first-time car insurance buyer in Ottawa (prices will always be more expensive for new drivers).
- Get a Security Device on your vehicle: You should install safety devices on your car and in turn, enjoy discounts.
- Have a good driving record: the better you drive, the lower you’ll pay!
- Install a telematic device: this tool will register your driving behaviour and your car insurance premium will be adapted to your kind of driving. So, if you’re a safe driver, and you want to save money on your car insurance, go for it!
What are the best car insurance discounts in Ottawa?
Ottawa auto insurers offer many discounts to save money on your insurance. Here are some of the best-known offers and ways to save on your premium.
- Young Driver Discounts: Many insurers offer discounts for young drivers because the insurance premium for young people is quite high.
- Group Discount: You can benefit from a discount if you are part of a group, this can be members of an association, employees of the same company, etc.
- Discount for experienced drivers: You can get a discount if you have a good driving record and are over 50 years old.
- Discount for combined policies: You can get a discount by combining your car and home insurance for example, the discount is often between 5 and 15%.
- Discount for winter tires: It’s snowing in Ottawa! That’s why insurers often offer a discount if you add snow tires to your vehicle.
- Retiree discount: You may be eligible for a 15% discount on Accident Benefits.
- Renewal Discount: Your loyalty can be rewarded by some insurers if, for example, you have been with them for many years without having caused any accidents. You may also be eligible for other discounts depending on the auto insurers in Ottawa.
- Low mileage discount.
- Antitheft discount: Adding security to your vehicle
