Car insurance for temporary move from Canada to US
July 30, 2015 12:43 PM   Subscribe

I live in Montreal and am taking a 1-year sabbatical in the United States (North Carolina). My car will be coming with me. Can I insure the car in NC without importing it into the US?

The car was originally bought in the US, so it is compliant with US standards (e.g. odometer and speedometer in miles and MPH). It was imported into Canada a couple years ago and currently has Quebec plates. I will be moving to NC for 1 year and bringing my car with me, and want to make sure that it is properly insured. As far as I can see I have 3 options:

1) Import the car back into the US, register in NC and get insurance for 1 year (paying high rates because I technically don't have continuous coverage), then import it back into Canada in a year, paying fees both ways.

2) Keep it registered in Canada and insure with a Canadian company. This apparently is very complicated due to confusing Canadian insurance regulations.

3) Keep it registered in Canada and insure with a US company. I assume this is impossible.

I would really like to avoid #1 as it is complicated and expensive. Are 2 or 3 possible? Is there an alternative that I have overlooked? Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks in advance!
posted by googly to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)
 
Best answer: Canadian auto insurance coverage extends to the vehicle's use within Canada and the United States. If you want to stay on the legit side of your insurance coverage, you can only get coverage for up to 6 months of being outside Quebec on your auto insurance (see page 3). And that's for the SAAQ - I'm not sure who your Property Damage insurer is. Take a look at your policy.

So, for at least the SAAQ, are you maintaining a "primary" residence in QC and planning to return there with any frequency during the year? I would talk to your insurance providers to see if this can be worked with. If they agree to cover you, please note you will also probably need additional liability insurance coverage for your time in the States, they like to sue.
posted by lizbunny at 1:25 PM on July 30, 2015


Are you considered a Canadian resident (I'd assume so, you're planning to return)? I used my Quebec insurance for two years in the US while I was a student there. You're not getting new plates or a new license, so it's mostly a question of having a permanent Quebec address.

I used Desjardins, fwiw.
posted by jeather at 2:05 PM on July 30, 2015


I am not an insurance agent.

I'd say Option #2 would be your best bet. You may have to have an emissions inspection in NC depending on where in the state you will be living, and you may or may not have to pay NC property taxes on the vehicle.

Ask your insurance agent.

Some other options:

Might it be possible to do a very long-term car rental, leaving your car in Canada (or selling it before you leave and buying another when you get back)?

How often will you actually need a car whilst in NC? Is Zipcar an option? They may have cars in the Raleigh/Durham area, but I don't know about elsewhere in the state.
posted by tckma at 2:09 PM on July 30, 2015


I'd also look into snowbird insurance -- it isn't exactly what you are doing, but it's close and they probably have more detailed knowledge about how cross-border insurance plays out.
posted by jeather at 2:30 PM on July 30, 2015


Why, your policy won't let you use it in the US?
posted by kschang at 3:25 PM on July 30, 2015


I did this in the opposite direction, bringing my motorcycle from Maine to Montreal for a year. I called my insurance (Progressive) and asked if a) I was covered and, b) if I had to pay more because I would be in an urban environment compared to the much smaller Portland.. and they said no extra fee required.

I did end up having to make a claim and it was not a problem whatsoever.
posted by mbatch at 5:41 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


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