Using a different address for car insurance in Canada

Getting your car insurance address right might seem like a small detail, but in Canada, it can make a big difference, both for your wallet and your coverage. Insurance companies rely on your postal code to assess risks around where you live, and the severity of these risks helps determine your car insurance premiums.

But using the wrong address, whether intentionally or unintentionally, doesn’t just affect your rates. It could invalidate your policy, leaving you uninsured after a crash. It could even lead to fraud allegations. According to TransUnion Canada, “rate evasion”, which is when someone intentionally provides false information to score a lower insurance rate, is a form of insurance fraud. And one of the most common ways people do this is by misreporting their address. In this blog, you’ll learn why your car insurance address needs to match, when (and if) it can differ legitimately, and the next steps to take if you’ve moved or have realized that your address is wrong.

Can my car insurance address be different from my home address?

Yes. While lying about your address on your car insurance is illegal, your car insurance address can still be different from your home address. No law or regulation requires the two to always match. In fact, there are multiple scenarios where it’s perfectly acceptable for the address on your car insurance policy to differ from your home address. Here are some examples:

In these situations, it’s always best to check with your insurance broker or provider about which address you should list on your policy. By being upfront, you’ll avoid any accusations of misrepresentation down the road. Plus, brokers and agents have a duty to provide you with accurate advice, so being clear about your circumstances will help prevent any expensive misunderstandings later on.

When is it actually fraud (or invalid) to use a different address on your insurance policy?

It's fraud when you're using someone else’s address to try and cheat the system by getting lower premiums, such as using a friend’s or family member’s lower‑risk postal code. As we mentioned earlier, this is one of the most common scams in auto insurance. Insurance companies view this as misrepresentation, which is a form of insurance fraud.

In fact, studies have shown that address misrepresentation is on the rise. According to the Canadian Underwriter, one Canadian insurance company saw a nearly 7% increase from 2019 to 2021 for address misrepresentation. In Ontario, it reached 9.1%. Further, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reports that insurance fraud drives up premiums by more than $1 billion every year, and these are costs that ultimately get passed down to all of us policyholders.

Every province in Canada has its own Insurance Act (or similar), and they all include their own variation of laws that make it illegal to lie or leave out important information when applying for insurance. For example, in Ontario’s Insurance Act (section 148(2)), it states that if you:

• Lie

• Leave out important details

• Misrepresent anything that would affect how the insurer assesses your risk

Your entire contract can be considered void for anything related to that misrepresentation. In other words, if your address is wrong on purpose, your coverage could be wiped out. In fact, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FRSA) in Ontario requires all insurance providers to report all relevant information about policy misrepresentation to the Fraud Reporting Service.

What could happen if I lie about my address on my car insurance policy?

While it might seem harmless to use a different or fake address just to get a lower premium, the consequences can be both serious and costly:

You could miss something important

So far, we've only mentioned premiums and claims. But here's another risk: using the wrong address means you might miss out on critical mail from your insurance company. Important documents like your pink slip (proof of insurance), renewal notices, policy changes, or even payment reminders all get sent to the address they have on file.

If you don’t receive them, you could end up driving without valid proof of insurance, which could be a huge problem if you get into a car accident or if you're pulled over by police and you cannot provide proof of valid insurance. You could also accidentally let your policy lapse, or even miss a required payment and lose your coverage altogether.

Your future claim(s) could be denied

If you get into a car accident and, during the claim process, your insurance provider discovers that you lied about where your car actually lives, they can deny your claim outright. That means you'll be left on the hook to pay for any repairs, medical costs, and legal fees all out of your own pocket.

Your policy could be cancelled

Not only could your car insurance claim be denied, but your policy could also be cancelled outright. Lying on your application is a breach of contract, which means your insurance provider can cancel your policy mid-term or refuse to renew it. This cancellation will then show up on your insurance history, meaning most providers will now label you as a “high risk.”

You could face higher premiums

Once you’ve had a policy cancelled for misrepresentation, and you've been labelled "high risk," good luck finding affordable coverage again. Chances are good that you'll end up paying much higher insurance premiums on your next policy; sometimes as much as double or triple the standard rate. You may also face a more difficult time finding coverage, as not all insurance companies will insure high-risk drivers. You may need to look for companies that specialize in high-risk car insurance.

You could even face criminal charges

While simply lying about your address on your car insurance policy generally won’t land you in criminal court right away, it can be treated as fraud, especially in serious cases. And when fraud involves more than $5,000, Canada’s Criminal Code allows for penalties of up to 14 years in prison.

Not every situation goes as far as criminal charges, but insurance companies and regulators are cracking down harder than ever on these kinds of misrepresentations. In fact, Ontario’s 2025 budget mentions plans to introduce amendments that would let the province’s superintendent of financial services hand out administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) within the insurance sector. This could give regulators the power to issue fines to policyholders committing fraud that match the seriousness of the violation.

When can I use another person’s address for auto insurance?

Generally, you cannot use another person’s address for auto insurance. Doing so would mean lying about where you live, which insurance companies view as material misrepresentation. But there’s one valid exception:

Owner vs. primary driver

The only situation in which you can use another person’s address for auto insurance is if that person is the owner of the vehicle and you are the primary driver. In this situation:

• The owner’s address (on the registration and policy) should match the vehicle’s registered address.

• The owner must give their express consent to the insurance company for the primary driver to use their address.

For example, say a young adult with a G2 licence uses their parent's car but lives off-campus while attending university in a different city. The parent owns the car and lists their address, while the teen is disclosed as the primary driver living elsewhere. This is allowed because all parties are being honest: the young adult's address has been properly disclosed, and the parent has given express consent to their insurance company. To find out if you qualify to use another person's address for insurance, contact BrokerLink.

How would an insurance provider find out if I'm using a fake car insurance address?

The reality is, your car insurance policy only gets voided for lying about your address if your insurer finds out. But don’t kid yourself into thinking they won’t. Insurance companies have plenty of ways to uncover the truth about where you really live.

They can look at your driver’s abstract or driver's licence, check your credit report, or dig into the details during a claim investigation. For example, insurance providers commonly ask for a policyholder’s credit information when reviewing their policy application. This gives an insurer access to whatever information a consumer reporting agency gathers.

In other words, it doesn’t take much for them to figure out you’ve lied about your address. So while it might seem like a clever way to save money, it’s really just a risky gamble that could leave you without coverage when you need it most.

Do I need to notify my insurance company of my new address if I move?

Yes, you must notify your insurance provider of your new home address following a move. Actually, moving to a new home means you must update your new address on your:

• Driver's licence

• Vehicle registration

• Car insurance

Updating your driver’s licence and vehicle registration

In most provinces, you need to update your address on your driver's licence and vehicle registration or permit within 14 days of moving. However, each province has their own deadline. Here are some examples:

• Ontario: 6 days

• British Columbia: 10 days

• Alberta: 14 days

Updating your car insurance

When updating your address with your car insurance company, it's best to let them know as soon as possible. Ideally, you should let them know either before or on your moving date. This way, your auto insurance provider or broker can update your file right away so that your policy remains valid.

Informing your insurance company about the move is especially important since your location is used to calculate your premium. Insurance companies use your postal code to look at local data like accident rates, vehicle thefts, weather risks, and even crime statistics to determine your risk level.

If your new address is located in an area known for high crime rates or severe weather events, you may face higher insurance premiums. On the other hand, if your new address is located in an area known for low accident and/or crime rates, you might see your premiums decrease. Basically, depending on your new postal code, your premium could go up or down.

Does my driver’s licence address have to match my vehicle registration address?

No, a driver’s licence address does not have to match their vehicle registration address. This is due to the fact that many people have more than one house. For example, a policyholder might leave one car at their summer cottage and another car at their primary home. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for your driver’s licence and vehicle registration addresses not to match.

Does it matter if someone else is using my address for their auto insurance?

Yes, it matters. Beyond the fact that someone is committing fraud, it can have negative consequences for you down the road. When insurance companies run history reports to find out a driver’s claims history, they often check to see who else in your household has reported claims. So if someone is using your address and they have filed several car insurance claims, it could actually lead to higher insurance rates for you. If you suspect that someone is using your address for their car insurance, here's what to do:

1. Contact your insurance provider immediately

First things first: if you suspect someone’s using your address, report it. Even if it’s a mistake, early notice helps protect your insurance record and premiums.

2. Dispute any unfamiliar claims

Next, you'll want to go through your annual claims report or credit check and challenge anything you didn’t authorize.

3. Talk to a broker or adjust your policy

Finally, talk to your provider or broker about who's listed on your policy. You'll want to make sure that everyone listed on your policy actually lives with you or has your express permission to use your address.

How to legally save money on car insurance

If you're looking to cut down your car insurance costs without using a fake address, there are plenty of legitimate ways to save that won’t land you in hot water with your insurance company. BrokerLink’s insurance advisors have put together the following list of tips for saving money on auto insurance in Canada:

• Bundle multiple insurance policies (home insurance + car insurance, motorcycle insurance + car insurance, etc.) with the same insurance company for a big discount

• Purchase car insurance for multiple vehicles together for a multi-vehicle discount

• Increase your deductible

• Enrol in driving school (for young or new drivers)

• Sign up for a telematics program (save up to 10% just for signing up!)

• Ask about usage-based insurance if you don't drive often

• Pay auto insurance annually rather than monthly

• Install winter tires on your vehicle

• Buy an eco-friendly vehicle, such as a hybrid or electric vehicle

• Maintain a clean driving record (no tickets, accidents, claims, etc.)

Contact BrokerLink to learn more

If you still have questions about your address in relation to car insurance, contact BrokerLink. Any one of our insurance advisors will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. We can explain the process of notifying your car insurance company about a move. Even better, we can help you find a quality auto insurance policy at a great rate. If you want to save money on car insurance, BrokerLink can help. With our resources and expertise at your disposal, our insurance advisors will shop around, compare car insurance quotes, and unlock even more discounts on your behalf.

Get started now by giving us a call, sending us an email, or visiting us in person at one of BrokerLink’s many locations throughout Canada. You can also request a free auto insurance quote using our free online quote tool. Just answer a few basic questions about yourself, and you can receive an accurate, no-obligation quote in minutes.

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