Compare car insurance rates in Quebec for free. There's a better rate for you.

The average price of car insurance in Quebec is $717 according to a 2020 report from the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

But the average price isn’t always indicative of what you’ll actually end up getting charged. A lot of drivers who wind up on our site are looking for a car insurance calculator tailored to Quebec to instantly tell them how much they can expect to pay — but a calculator won’t give you an accurate estimate for Quebec car insurance.

We recommend taking three minutes to complete a proper car insurance quote. Car insurance is a personalized product. A thorough questionnaire will deliver a reliable result.

In Quebec, individual insurers set auto insurance rates for the property damage portion of your policy. A government agency called the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec sets rates for the personal injury portion of your auto insurance coverage.

All auto insurers doing business in Quebec are members of the Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA). The GAA ensures that Quebec drivers have access to fair rates by using two important tools: the Automobile Statistical Plan and the Fichier central des sinistres automobiles.

Auto insurance rates in Quebec are determined by a number of factors, including:

• Your age and gender. Young drivers in Quebec pay more for insurance coverage, though less than what their peers pay in Ontario for comparable coverage. Men aged 25 and under also pay higher rates than women.
• Your everyday mileage. Driving more than roughly 30 kilometers per day will increase your auto insurance rate.
• Your driving record. Have previous driving convictions? In Quebec, that will bump up your car insurance premium. Conversely, having a clean driving record will help you secure a cheaper premium.
• How long you've held a driver's licence. Being an experienced driver (approximately 10 years or more) works to your advantage and will bring your rate down.
• Whether you use your vehicle for business, commuting, or pleasure. For some occupations, holding a commercial car insurance policy is mandatory, and it’s usually more costly than a personal insurance policy. However, if you commute for work on a daily basis, you should be covered by a personal car insurance policy. If you have a summer car that you take out for leisurely drives a few times a year, you likely won’t have to pay very much.
• Whether you've taken a driver's education course. Taking one is always a good idea, especially for new drivers in Quebec. A certificate of completion will lower your car insurance rate.

It depends who you ask. Quebec uses a lighter touch when it comes to regulating car insurance prices. Insurance companies believe this helps make the car insurance market more competitive, which translates into lower prices for the consumer. Another explanation for why rates for Quebec drivers could be that the auto insurance companies aren’t responsible for providing accident benefits. The public insurer, Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), handles bodily injury claims. The funds derived from licence renewal in Quebec (about $300 annually) go towards SAAQ bodily injury claims. The total amount payable for a bodily injury claim is also lower than in other provinces. 

The average annual cost of auto insurance in the province is $717, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. According to LowestRates.ca’s user base, these are the three cities in Quebec that pay the most for car insurance as of early 2020. 

1. La Salle 
2. Saint-Laurent 
3. Verdun 

According to LowestRates.ca data, these are the locations where drivers receive the lowest quotes for auto insurance

1. Vaudreuil-Dorion
2. Pointe-Claire
3. Cote Saint-Luc

Keep in mind that many of our users opt to add extra coverages (collision, for example), which increases the price of their quote, hence why these quotes are slightly higher than the aggregate provincial average.

There is no one auto insurance company that offers cheap insurance to everyone who applies for a policy. Insurance companies don’t really compete on price to win more customers. They need to make sure that they’re charging customers enough to pay future claims. In the insurance business, it’s better to be safe and to charge higher rates than to be sorry down the line (i.e., not being able to meet obligations to policyholders).

On the surface, insurance companies seem interchangeable, but they’re actually not. Different insurance companies take different approaches to risk. One insurance company may have experienced more losses in the previous year than its competitors. All of these factor into the premium that they choose to give you.

One might be willing to take on a driver with your risk profile, while another may not want your business as much. Generally, a cheaper quote is an indicator that this insurance company is able and willing to offer you their services.

That’s why we encourage drivers to compare car insurance quotes. Just because one auto insurance company offers you one rate, it isn’t always reflective of what another one can offer you.

If you have a clean driving record, there’s a strong likelihood that another company will offer you a cheaper quote.

Seeing the spread between the most expensive and the cheapest quotes can be eye-opening.

Yes. The law requires you to carry insurance on your vehicle. Since you can’t legally operate a vehicle in Canada without purchasing car insurance you may as well get the cheapest quote.

Public car insurance in Quebec

The public car insurance plan covers personal injuries in Quebec. This plan is provided by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), known as the Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation in English.

Third-party liability insurance in Quebec

In Quebec, private insurers provide coverage against property damage, which is insured with third-party liability coverage. Holding third-party liability insurance in Quebec is compulsory.

Quebec drivers must carry at least $50,000 in third-party liability insurance, which can be purchased from a private insurance company. This covers damage that you cause to another person’s property, excluding their vehicle (Direct Compensation Property Damage will pay for that — more on DCPD below). 

Having this coverage also protects you when you travel outside of Quebec, as it covers bodily injuries caused to another person as well as any damage to their property. 

Direct Compensation Property Damage in Quebec

In Quebec, Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD) coverage is mandatory. DCPD insurance covers physical damage to your vehicle (bodily injuries are excluded).

DCPD coverage only applies to accidents that happen in Quebec between at least two Quebec-registered vehicles. DCPD coverage means that you only have to deal with your insurance company, regardless if you are at fault.

However, if the insurance company determines that you did cause the accident, you will have to pay the deductible before receiving compensation from your insurer. If you are not at fault, you don’t have to pay the deductible.   

Uninsured motorist coverage in Quebec

Under Quebec’s no-fault auto insurance system, the SAAQ provides coverage to drivers who are involved in collisions with uninsured motorists.

Quebec has a no-fault insurance system. That means drivers deal with their own insurance companies, regardless of who's at fault in an accident. No-fault insurance describes the regulatory regime in which the Quebec auto insurance industry operates. When you purchase a car insurance policy in Quebec, it is automatically a no-fault policy.

As a driver in Quebec, your accident benefits are covered by a provincial body, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ). This means if you get into an accident in Quebec, the province will pay for your medical costs.

The SAAQ’s accident benefit is available to motorists in a range of scenarios: ATV or snowmobile accidents, for example. 

The SAAQ covers bodily injury to any other Quebec drivers involved who are also Quebec residents. Provided they are from Quebec, the other driver can’t sue you for damages related to lost income or pain and suffering. This policy is credited with keeping insurance costs low for consumers in Quebec. However, if a Quebec driver gets into an accident with an Ontario driver (a province that allows lawsuits for pain and suffering), the Ontario resident can sue you.

The SAAQ’s coverage doesn’t include property damage. That’s where private insurance comes in. You need to buy extra coverages that pay for the replacement or repair of your car through private insurers.

Here are the different types of insurance policies that will protect your property:

• Third-party-liability coverage: This coverage will help pay for property damage sustained by a third party. Holding a benefit of at least $50,000 is mandatory in Quebec. 
• Collision coverage: This coverage will pay to repair or replace your car if it has been involved in a collision. Collision coverage in Quebec is optional. 
• Comprehensive: Will pay to repair or replace your car if it has been stolen, damaged by vandalism or by falling objects. Comprehensive coverage in Quebec is optional. 
• Specified perils: An à la carte option for insurance coverage; you can pick and choose which insurance perils you want coverage from. Be warned: if it’s not in your policy, you don’t have coverage for it. Specified perils is optional in Quebec.
• All perils: A combination of collision and comprehensive. All perils is an optional coverage.

In Quebec, drivers that sustain injuries from an accident are covered by the province. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) pays for medical care for all parties involved, regardless of who was at fault. However, no one involved in the accident can sue for damages. Quebec’s low insurance rates (the lowest in the country) has been credited to this system.

No matter where an accident happens, in Quebec or in another province, all residents receive SAAQ benefits, which includes the following:

• Medical payments.
• Funeral expenses: up to $4,913.
• Disability income: 90% of net annual income, up to $67,500/year.
• Impairment benefits: up to $229,887.

Don't take the risk. Carry the minimum amount of insurance required. If you're convicted of driving without insurance in Quebec, you'll have to pay a minimum fine of $325.

And if you're in an accident that causes more than $500 in third-party damages and you're not covered, your licence, or right to get a licence, will be automatically suspended.

Quebec boasts the cheapest car insurance rates in the country. It’s not worth skimping on coverage.

You can begin the licensing process at 16. However, if you're under 18, you must submit written consent from a parent or guardian.

Then there are several steps you have to take to get a Class 5 driver's licence in Quebec. First, you have to register for, and complete, a mandatory driving course at a driving school recognized by the Association Québécoise du transport et des routes. This driving course includes theoretical and practical components.

After you've registered for the mandatory driving course, you can begin the process of obtaining your learner's licence. This requires that you pass Phase 1 of the driving course, which includes five theoretical modules. The learner's licence gives you limited access to the road. Drivers with this licence level must have a Blood Alcohol Level of 0, and must drive with a supervising, fully licensed driver. The supervising driver must sit in the passenger seat next to you and have a BAC that's no higher than 0.08.

After holding a learner's licence for 10 months, you may take a driver's knowledge test. If you fail, you have to wait a mandatory period of 28 days before retaking it.

Once you pass the knowledge test, hold the learner's licence for 12 months, and successfully complete the driving course, you can take the road test to earn your probationary licence. Once again, if you fail and must retake the test, you have to wait 28 days.

Upon successful completion of the road test, you'll be granted a probationary licence. Drivers with this licence still have to maintain a BAC of 0.

To get your full Class 5 Quebec driver's licence, you have to hold your probationary licence for 24 months and pass a final road test.

Young people pay, on average, the highest insurance premiums of any demographic (adults with driving convictions notwithstanding). For drivers who’ve been insured since the age of 16, rates start declining by their mid-twenties.

There are, however, strategies that can help new drivers in Quebec find (relatively) cheap car insurance rates. Here are some ways to trim the price of your car insurance if you’re still working on building your driving and insurance history:

• Buy a used “beater” car and get your own insurance policy. This will make you the primary driver. The longer you’re listed as a primary driver, the cheaper your rates will be.
• Don’t want to buy a car? Opt to get listed as the secondary driver of your parents’ car. Insurance for secondary drivers costs less than it does for the primary driver. However, as a secondary driver, you can’t use the car as often as the primary driver. If you do this without switching your coverage, you’re committing insurance fraud. 
• If you’re in school (high school or post-secondary), insurance companies offer discounts to students who maintain a certain GPA. 
• Compare quotes from multiple car insurance companies. Find affordable car insurance for new drivers in Quebec on LowestRates.ca.   

A segment of older adults pays, on average, the lowest car insurance premiums. These are people between 50 and 65 years old.

This cohort has long insurance and driving histories, they are more likely to have been with the same car insurance company for a number of years, and are also more likely to have multiple insurance policies with one company (bundling home insurance, for instance).

However, insurance prices can start to creep up in your70s and 80s. Insurance companies consider people in this age range to be at a higher risk for accidents. They also need more time to recover from injuries.

At that point, breaking ties with your old insurance company might help you find savings. Compare auto insurance quotes to find a more favourable car insurance company.

If you’ve recently immigrated to Quebec, you cannot drive without proper licencing and insurance. Ask your old insurance company to provide a reference to your new Quebec insurer. This will go a long way to nab you a lower car insurance rate.

If you're convicted for a driving offence or driving without the minimum auto insurance coverage required by law, you'll be identified as a high-risk driver. Beyond short-term consequences, like having your vehicle impounded, you'll also face higher auto insurance rates in the future. However, you cannot be denied the minimum car insurance requirements, which is $50,000 in liability. There are still auto insurance companies that will provide you coverage. LowestRates.ca has partnered with the leading high-risk car insurance companies in Canada to provide insurance quotes, like Jevco, Intact, and more. 

Yes. While usage-based insurance hasn't seen the same uptake in Quebec as it has in neighbouring Ontario, Quebecers have lots of usage-based insurance plans to choose from. If you're a careful driver, you can enjoy dramatically lower premiums with a usage-based plan.

Learn more about usage-based car insurance here.