What is the minimum auto insurance required in Ontario?

The short answer

Four coverages are compulsory on every Ontario auto policy: third-party liability of at least $200,000, statutory accident benefits, direct compensation property damage, and uninsured automobile coverage. Driving without them is an offence under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.

What does each compulsory coverage do?

Third-party liability responds when the insured is legally responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property. Statutory accident benefits pay the insured's own medical, rehabilitation and attendant care costs regardless of fault. Direct compensation property damage covers damage to the insured's own vehicle where another driver is at fault. Uninsured automobile coverage responds when the at-fault driver has no insurance or cannot be identified.

The $200,000 figure is a floor rather than a typical limit. Higher limits are available, and a claim that exceeds the limit purchased is the policyholder's responsibility beyond it.

Collision and comprehensive are not compulsory. Neither is any amount of liability above $200,000. A policy carrying only the legal minimum insures other people and the insured's injuries, and does not pay to repair the insured's own vehicle where the insured is at fault.

From July 1st, 2026, most Ontario accident benefits moved from standard to optional. Medical, rehabilitation and attendant care remain mandatory at their existing limits, while nine benefits including income replacement became optional at an amount the policyholder selects.

What does the legal minimum mean for an Ontario driver?

The minimum describes what makes a vehicle legal to drive, not what a household would recover after a serious loss. The gap between the two is filled by optional coverages and higher liability limits, each of which is priced separately.

A licensed broker sets out what each option covers and what it costs, and the decision rests with the policyholder. Nothing on this page is a recommendation about a particular limit or coverage.

Proof of insurance must be carried in the vehicle. Ontario penalties for driving uninsured include fines, licence suspension and vehicle impoundment under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act.

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