Student car insurance

Student car insurance is a policy drivers get while enrolled in high school, college or university as full-time students. Most student drivers are also young drivers, though not always.

By ‘young,’ we mean drivers between 16 and 25. People who also likely have a beginner’s driver’s license (such as class G1 or G2 in Ontario). That said, some are fully licensed too, especially those who are closer to 25.

While the definition of student insurance varies from insurer to insurer, what separates it from insurance for young drivers is the that as a student, you may be entitled to discounts. You also, technically, don’t have to be young to qualify for some of these discounts.

Is car insurance mandatory for student drivers in Canada?

Yes. All drivers in Canada, whether they are students or not, are legally required to carry valid car insurance. In Ontario, the fine for not carrying car insurance ranges from $5,000 to $50,000, while in Alberta, the range is $2,500 to $10,000. There’s also the danger of your driver’s license getting suspended, and your car impounded. Worse yet, insurers may label you a ‘high-risk driver’ and charge a more expensive premium.

Different provinces have their own requirements for basic car insurance coverage, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them before purchasing your insurance.

When do student drivers have to get insured?

The moment you get behind the wheel – regardless of which driver’s license class you have. In Ontario, for example, G1 drivers can only be covered by someone else’s insurance (belonging to a parent or guardian), while G2 drivers can carry their own. In either case, you’re required to be insured. Similar rules apply in other provinces.

Is student car insurance more expensive or cheaper than average car insurance?

Whether your student car insurance is more expensive or cheaper than average car insurance will depend on your age, license class and other factors unique to you and your vehicle. For instance, young G2 drivers in Ontario can end up paying as much as $6,200 per year for their car insurance, while G drivers in the same age category may have to pay only half that amount.

According to our recent student car insurance data [anchor link to the table below], 18-year-old students in Toronto, who have a G class license, may get charged over $3,000 per year, while 40-year-old students may only get charged slightly over $1,000 per year.

The 2023 RATESDOTCA Insuramap data indicates that the average rate in Ontario is $1,744 per year, with the average annual rate in Toronto being $2,325. This means that if you’re young, you’ll probably have to pay higher-than-average premiums – regardless of whether you are a student or not. That said, you can utilize student discounts to make things a little easier for yourself.

If you’d like to learn more the data, check out our methodology for calculating these numbers.

Student car insurance rates

Being a student driver does not equal ‘young driver,’ and this is reflected in the kind of car insurance rates student drivers can expect. As you can see in the table below, an 18-year-old full-time student will, on average, have the same car insurance rate as someone who is not a student and is either employed or unemployed.

Being an older student driver yields the same price drop as being a regular older driver, as long as you have been driving regularly enough to build your driving record.

Young student drivers have higher rates, but they are also entitled to certain discounts, such as the ‘away from home discount.’

Overall, however, being a young student driver has few real advantages. That’s why we recommend checking out InsuranceHotline.com to secure the cheapest student rate available.

Note: This data is based on a profile of a male driver in Toronto (postal code starting with M6G), who has a G class driver’s license, basic mandatory auto insurance coverage, a clean record and drives a 2023 Honda Civic DX, 10,000 km per year.