Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
Official sources for car insurance in Canada: regulators, public insurers and complaint bodies by province
A directory of the official bodies for car insurance in each Canadian province and territory: regulators, public insurers, rate boards, licensing councils, tribunals and complaint services.
The official sources for Canadian car insurance are provincial: each province has its own insurance regulator, and in BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec a public insurer handles basic or injury coverage. Use this directory to find who sets the rules, who reviews rates, who licenses brokers and agents, and where to take a complaint. The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR) links to every provincial and territorial regulator, which makes it a good starting point if your province is not listed below.
Industry bodies such as the Insurance Bureau of Canada publish useful explanations but are not regulators. When a figure matters (a minimum limit, a benefit amount, a rate cap, a deadline), confirm it with the official body.
Public insurers
| Province | Public insurer | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | ICBC | Basic Autoplan (liability, Enhanced Care injury benefits, other basic coverage); optional coverage |
| Saskatchewan | SGI (Saskatchewan Auto Fund; SGI CANADA for packages) | Plate insurance with injury and damage coverage; extension packages |
| Manitoba | Manitoba Public Insurance | Basic Autopac, PIPP injury benefits, extension coverage, driver licensing |
| Quebec | SAAQ | Bodily injury compensation for automobile accidents; licensing and registration |
Regulators and rate bodies
| Province or territory | Insurance regulator | Rate review |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) | FSRA |
| Quebec | Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) | Market-based, supervised by the AMF |
| British Columbia | BC Financial Services Authority (private insurers) | BC Utilities Commission (ICBC Basic) |
| Alberta | Superintendent of Insurance (Treasury Board and Finance) | Automobile Insurance Rate Board |
| Saskatchewan | Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority | Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel (SGI Auto Fund rates) |
| Manitoba | Manitoba's Financial Institutions Regulation Branch | Public Utilities Board (MPI Basic) |
| New Brunswick | Financial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB) | New Brunswick Insurance Board |
| Nova Scotia | Office of the Superintendent of Insurance | Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board |
| Prince Edward Island | Superintendent of Insurance | Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Superintendent of Insurance | Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities |
| Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | Territorial superintendents of insurance | Territorial rules |
Licensing of brokers and agents
| Province | Licensing body |
|---|---|
| Ontario | RIBO (brokers), FSRA (agents and adjusters) |
| Quebec | AMF |
| British Columbia | Insurance Council of British Columbia |
| Alberta | Alberta Insurance Council |
| Saskatchewan | Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba | Insurance Council of Manitoba |
| Atlantic provinces, territories | Provincial or territorial superintendent |
Complaints, tribunals and appeals
| Body | What it handles |
|---|---|
| General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) | Complaints against member private insurers outside Quebec, after the insurer's final position |
| AMF | Complaints and dispute resolution in Quebec |
| Licence Appeal Tribunal (Tribunals Ontario) | Ontario accident benefit disputes |
| Civil Resolution Tribunal (BC) | ICBC accident benefit disputes and certain vehicle injury claims |
| Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission (Manitoba) | Appeals of MPI injury benefit decisions |
| Automobile Injury Appeal Commission (Saskatchewan) | Appeals of SGI injury benefit decisions |
| Tribunal administratif du Québec | Appeals of SAAQ review decisions |
| Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre | Reports of insurance fraud and fake policies |
Industry bodies (useful, but not regulators)
- Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC): consumer guides and AutoPlus claims history reports outside Quebec.
- Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA): Quebec's direct compensation agreement, fault rules, the claims file and the risk-sharing plan.
- Facility Association: residual market for drivers no insurer will cover in Ontario, Alberta, the Atlantic provinces and the territories.
Worked example: verifying a figure before you rely on it
You read that Nova Scotia's minimum third-party liability is $500,000 and want to check it before a renewal call.
- Go to the CCIR site and follow the link to Nova Scotia's Office of the Superintendent of Insurance.
- Find the consumer page on auto insurance requirements and confirm the minimum and any recent amendment.
- Write down the source and the date you checked.
- Ask your broker to confirm your policy's limit (most drivers carry $1 million or $2 million).
The same three-step check (CCIR, regulator, your policy) works for any province and any figure in this site's guides.
How to use this directory with the guides
- Province rules: start with the overview by province and the comparison table.
- Complaints: follow the complaints and disputes guide.
- Mistakes and risks: see the common mistakes guide and misrepresentation and fronting.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Insurance Bureau of Canada a government agency?
No. IBC is the national industry association of private property and casualty insurers. It publishes consumer information but does not regulate insurers.
Who regulates ICBC?
ICBC's Basic insurance rates are reviewed by the BC Utilities Commission. ICBC is a provincial Crown corporation accountable to the BC government.
Where do I find the law itself?
Provincial statutes and regulations are published on each government's official laws site, such as Ontario e-Laws and CanLII for many jurisdictions. The regulator's consumer pages explain them in plain language.
What if my province is not in a table here?
Use the CCIR's list of member regulators to find the right body.
Sources
- Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators — links to all provincial and territorial regulators
- FSRA — Ontario
- Autorité des marchés financiers — Quebec
- BC Financial Services Authority — British Columbia
- Government of Alberta — Alberta Superintendent of Insurance
- ICBC, SGI, MPI, SAAQ — public insurers
- General Insurance OmbudService — independent complaints
- CanLII — free access to Canadian laws and decisions
