Did you know that in Ontario, you will no longer get a notice in the mail about your driver’s licence expiry?  The government announced that they will no longer send a paper notice for any licences that expire on or after March 1, 2022.

This was around the time that they also scrapped the renewal fees for licence plates, as we talked about here.

What does this have to do with auto insurance? Well, since many folks did not have their licence expiry on their radar, probably expected to get that notification in the mail, they did not notice that their licence was no longer valid. And this can have some repercussions for auto insurance coverage:

– You could receive a notice of non-renewal for your policy. You need a valid driver’s licence for coverage. Usually this is a quick fix once you have gone to get your licence reinstated (which also should be pretty straightforward).

– If you have waited too long before renewing your licence (three years), you might have to start all over again with the licencing process as per the graduated system in Ontario, including the G1 and G2 steps. Even if you don’t have a car to insure, it’s important to not let yourself get into this situation, as this would make you a new driver in the eyes of the system put you in the high risk category for coverage, something that has a major (negative effect) on your auto insurance rates.

– What is more problematic is what can happen if you’re driving without realizing your licence is no longer valid. You can of course get a ticket if pulled over. This could increase your rates depending on your provider.

– Even worse is if you get in an accident and unbeknownst to you, you don’t have insurance coverage in place. Not having a valid licence voids your auto insurance policy. We don’t need to get into what the fallout of that could be.

Avoid all of this hassle and sign up for digital reminders of your licence expiry here.

There are still some groups that will get their licence renewal information by mail. Click here to go to the Government of Ontario website to learn more.

Have any further questions? Want to find the best auto insurance rates possible? Contact us today at 1-855-237-2905 or get an online quote for auto insurance in Ontario today!