Guide: changing your address for insurance

Keeping your home insurance address current with your car insurance company is essential to maintaining accurate coverage and avoiding potential legal consequences. Failing to update your insurance address on your car insurance can lead to heavy penalties like insurance fraud charges, insurance claim denials, policy cancellations, and increases to your insurance premiums.

If you're moving to a different province, remember that certain provinces have higher crime rates, increased traffic congestion, and more severe weather conditions - all of which can increase your likelihood of filing an insurance claim, and you may not receive coverage for them. At the same time, as insurance companies use numerous factors to determine insurance rates (one of which is location), you could be losing out on lower premiums by failing to make your address change.

How address changes affect multiple insurance policies

There are numerous insurance policies that can be impacted by your current address, including the following:

Car insurance

Many people are surprised to learn that their car insurance premiums can change, even if they only move a few postcodes away. Specific details relating to your location that can influence your car insurance policy rates include crime and traffic. If you are moving to a neighbourhood with a higher crime rate, the chances of your car being stolenor your home being broken into might increase, which may affect your insurance rate. For example, Vancouver, British Columbia, has a Crime Rate Index of 88.6, while Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has a Crime Rate Index of 116.31, which could lead to higher insurance rates when you move.

Similarly, if you are moving to a busier urban neighbourhood with more traffic, your odds of getting into a collision increase, which may also affect your car insurance rates or plan. For example, the average annual premiums for auto insurance polices in British Columbia are $1,832 and car insurance in Toronto is $2,325 per year, while in Prince Edward Island, they are $816 annually, reflecting a lower population density and fewer accident claims.

Home insurance

Home insurance costs vary according to regional risks. For example, moving to a region prone to flooding, wildfires, or other severe weather events may result in higher premiums. On the other hand, moving to a low-risk neighbourhood, with low crime rates and average weather conditions, can help you save money.

Business insurance

Similar to home insurance, if you choose to move your business from one location to another, your insurance rates may also fluctuate. Again, this is largely based on the type of property you move to, local weather conditions, and crime rates — all of which can affect your rates.

How to update your address with your insurance providers

When you move, here's what you need to do to change your insurance address with your insurance companies:

Who you need to call

When moving to a different address, you'll need to contact the following businesses and organizations:

• Your car insurance company needs to change your car insurance address: If you're moving within the province, contact your insurance provider immediately before moving and inform them that you need to change the address on your car insurance. This will ensure that the new home address is noted on your auto insurance policy file before you move, preventing a lapse in your car insurance coverage. You'll also need to change your vehicle registration address on your car registration and change your driver's licence address to ensure they match your new address.
• Utility companies: Before moving to your new address, make sure to notify your phone company, utility company, and internet company. This will ensure that your services are transferred over before your move, so you don't go without these services when you're finally moved in. It will also ensure that all future bills are forwarded to a valid address, so you can avoid a lapse in payments.
• Financial documents: All baking and credit card information should be transferred to your new home address. Again, this will ensure your monthly bills are delivered to the right home address, preventing late payments and other penalties.

How to notify your insurer of a home address change

1. Contact your insurance provider: Contact your insurance company and inform them that your primary home address is changing.
2. Review new premium and document conditions: Review your car insurance policy, home insurance, and other coverage documents before confirming the change. Don't forget to request a vehicle registration address change and driver's licence address change from your provincial services office.
3. Get your updated coverage: Print off your new insurance policy documents.

What is the charge for insurance fraud?

In Canada, using a fake car insurance address or a false address on other insurance documents is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code. If you are caught committing fraud by your insurance provider, you can be charged up to $50,000 and face up to two years in jail. Additionally, because insurance fraud is a criminal offence, you will have a criminal record for the remainder of your life, which can lead to consequences like insurance companies refusing to cover you, higher premiums, and more.

Do I need a new car insurance policy if I move out of province?

If you are permanently moving to a new province, you will be given a certain grace period before you are required to change your insurance plan. For example, if you move from Alberta to British Columbia, you have 30 days to register your vehicle and purchase the mandatory auto insurance coverage. You also have 90 days to switch to a new driver’s licence.

If your current provider does not operate in your new province, ensure that you request a claims experience letter from your insurance company, as you will need to show this to your new insurance provider when purchasing an updated car insurance policy.

Tips to save on your auto insurance policy when moving

To save on your car insurance policy when moving to a new home address, consider doing the following:

• Bundle your policies: Bundle your auto insurance, home insurance, and other coverages to get a discount from your insurance provider.
• Shop around: If you're moving to a province with a private insurance system like Alberta or Ontario, shop around and compare car insurance premiums from different insurance providers to find the best available rates.
• Adjust your coverage: Before you move and change the address on your car insurance policy, review your driving habits and determine whether your current policies still reflect your needs. Even small changes to a car insurance policy can influence your rates.

Contact BrokerLink for affordable car insurance

Do you want to learn more about registering your new address with your insurance company? Contact BrokerLink today! Plus, no matter where you’re moving, we can help you find the right insurance for your needs. With access to numerous policies from some of Canada's top providers, our brokers can help you shop around, compare quotes, and unlock discounts to help you save money. Policies we can help you acquire include:

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Third-party liability car insurance

Uninsured motorist coverage

Direct compensation-property damage (DCPD)

Comprehensive coverage

Collision coverage

Accident forgiveness

To work with BrokerLink, give us a call on the phone or reach out via email to speak with a broker directly. You can also get a free quote using our online quote tool before renewing your car insurance!

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