Am I covered if someone else drives my car in Ontario?

The short answer

Lending a car lends the insurance with it. The owner's policy responds, the owner's deductible applies, and an at-fault claim attaches to the owner's record rather than the driver's.

Who has to be listed on the policy?

Insurers require the drivers of a vehicle to be disclosed, and a person who drives it regularly is listed on the policy. An occasional borrower is different from someone using the car several times a week, and the second is expected to appear on the policy.

Not disclosing a regular driver is a misrepresentation, and it is the kind that surfaces at claim time rather than at renewal.

Permission is what matters for coverage. Someone driving without the owner's consent is in a different position entirely, and so is a driver who is not licensed.

What does this mean for the owner?

The consequences of a borrowed-car collision land on the owner's policy: the deductible, the claim record and the effect at renewal. The driver's own policy is not what responds.

That is worth knowing before handing over keys, particularly where the driver is a new or returning licence holder.

A broker can confirm who is listed on a policy and what the wording says about occasional drivers.

Related questions

• Do I have to add my G1 driver to my insurance?
• How does an at-fault accident affect my rate in Ontario?