When in Canada — Have the Requirements to Drive Legally
A young driver was stopped just over the border in BC without her yellow card. She had the right coverage but nearly had her car impounded and faced a $5,000 CDN fine. Here is what every Washington driver needs to know before crossing into Canada.
Back some time ago, Canada passed a law that if you are an American driving in almost all provinces, you would need to show you have $200,000 or more in liability coverage if stopped by law enforcement when visiting Canada.
The Yellow Card
A few months back, a young driver who had just purchased a new vehicle was traveling in Canada and was stopped. The law enforcement officer asked for her driver's license, registration, proof of insurance from her US carrier — and then the "yellow card."
The yellow card is the paper that you must have sent to you by your US insurance carrier. It verifies that at the time the card was issued, you had the correct amount of insurance to drive in the province.
Most Washington Drivers Fall Short
Please keep in mind that many Washington drivers with insurance carry the state minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury protection for another driver. Some may carry $50,000, and others $100,000. I would not be wrong in stating the majority of Washington drivers do not carry at least $200,000 as required by the Province of British Columbia. In fact, it is all but Ontario where that level is required.
What Happened to Our Insured
The young insured driver had just gotten a new policy and decided to drive just over the border to meet a family member, as she had done many times before without incident. She actually had the $200,000 in coverage — but not the yellow card yet.
Unfortunately, on this trip she was stopped and told her car could be impounded because she was not able to produce the documents needed to drive in BC. Additionally, she could be fined up to $5,000 CDN for not having the Interprovincial Proof of Insurance card.
Luckily, she was able to provide documentation that was texted to her to avoid such mayhem.
One More Thing to Know
Please note that Canada is a No-Fault jurisdiction as well, which may change your opinion on the benefit of Collision coverage and why it may be important to add to your policy.
For the full rules from a Canadian source, see: RNC Pro — Interprovincial Insurance Requirements
Written by
Dennis Kaiser
Content creator and writer sharing insights and stories.
