So, I’ll returning to school in Kingston in the fall, and I’ll be bringing my car (affectionately known as “The Silver Streak”)* with me. I’d like to register/insure the car in Ontario, because it should be cheaper than the rates I’m paying now (on the edge of Boston).
A few questions:
[ol][li]Should I be talking to my current insurance agent about all this instead?[/li]
[li]Do you recommend any particular company? (I was on State Farm’s website today, and they had several agents near where I’ll be living, but they didn’t give me a quote or tell me anyting else I wanted to know.)[/li]
[li]Will I need an Ontario license, or will my current Massachusetts license be sufficient? [list=a]And will I have to go through the whole graduated process, if I do, or will they automatically switch me over to the highest rating? (G2, I think?)[/ol][/li][li]Is there anything else I should know, before getting insurance in Ontario? Some things they’ll assume I’ll know, but I won’t because I’m a furriner?[/li][/list]
Thanks!
For those of you wondering, my car is a 1993 Dodge Spirit, with about 120,000 miles on it. (That’s, um, 192,000 kilometers.) I’ve had my license for 2.5 years now, with one minor accident and one minor speeding ticket 2 years ago (both on the same day, in different cars. What a day that was…), but other than that my record is good. I’ll probably have to insure my younger sister (who’ll’ve had her license for 1.3 years, with a clean record), unfortunately, for the periods when I’ll be at home. I think that’s everything relevant to my coverage … am I missing anything?
[sub]*My friend’s father called it that one day, and I kind of like it. He’s never even seen me drive, though, so I’m not sure why he calles it that…[/sub]
I think the first thing to do is make sure you can bring the car up here… In order to register a car in Canada, it needs to pass Canadian safty standards. This includes (but is not limited to) daytime running lights, odometer and spedometer that reads in km/h, proper safty harness for childs seat in the back seat…
You get a list of permitted vehicles, and what is required to allow them to pass here. I think this is your bigger concern. You will probably be better off leaving the registration and insurance back in Boston (provided you are covered for being “out of territory” for so long).
My odometer definitely isn’t metric, and I don’t have daytime running lights … it looks like it probably won’t be worth it to import the car, especialy for only two years. (I’ll leave it registered in Massachusetts; I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem with the insurance company.)
In Ontario in order to register a car, it needs to pass a safety inspection, as well as several other hoops. Not to mention the fact that you will have to pay duty to import your car. Speak to your current broker. Some insurance companies will charge you according to the territory that you are driving your vehicle in; others will not charge if it’s a higher price than what you pay now.
Ontario has no-fault insurance. It sucks. Try not to switch if at all possible. If you are in an accident and the other person is at fault, your insurance company pays for your damage, his pays for his vehicle’s damage, and you both come out looking like shmucks
I lived in Kingston for a year. It’s beautiful there. I can suggest to you a broker, DLK Insurance, which is right off of Ontario street, on the lake. I worked there.
Or, there’s a fantastically nice State Farm Agent - can’t remember his name, unfortunately - that has his offices in West Kingston. That’s handy if you’re going to St Lawrence but not so much if you’re at Queens.
While you’re there, you wanna pack my stuff and send it to me? It’s at the ex’s house…
Hmm, Ginger, thanks for the info. (And the specifics – I’m impressed!) I like Ontario St, I don’t like west Kingston (the township?), but I will have a car for a change, so it’s not quite so bad …
I think I’ll stick with my current insurance; it seems to make the most sense.
Now, if you do need some stuff retrieved/packed up, just let me know…
Kingston is the most beautiful city in Canada, and certainly one of the best on the continent. You are lucky to be going to school there. Raise a few pints in the Brew Pub for me, willya?
I have dealt with Allstate in Kingston for my auto insurance and they treated me like a king. I simply cannot say enough for the service I recieved. Not a paid plug, just a satisfied customer.
As for your driver’s license, your Massachusetts license will be legally sufficient - the key is whether or not Massachusetts has a problem with you haveing it (and they shouldn’t, since your’re not really residing permanently in Canada.) However, a Canadian insurance broker will not insure you unless you go to the trouble of switching. Stick to your old policy unless you want to do that.
