How to Stay Protected Driving outside B.C.

September 21, 2022

Taking a road trip? Are you a snowbird heading south for the winter? Here's how we can help you to stay protected on the road.

You're covered in Canada and the U.S. on vacation

Your Autoplan insurance covers you anywhere in Canada and the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. But it’s important to check with the place you’re visiting to make sure you’re complying with its registration requirements.

You’ll need to change your insurance policy if that jurisdiction requires you to register or licence your vehicle there, even if you’re on vacation. At Western Coast we can provide you these contact numbers.

Coverage under Enhanced Care

All B.C. residents are covered under Enhanced Accident Benefits, even for injuries resulting from a crash outside B.C.

You may want to consider Extended Third-Party Liability coverage when driving outside the province. Should you be responsible for a crash, Extended Third Party Liability will cover you for the other driver’s vehicle repair costs that exceed the limit of your Basic Third Party Liability coverage. It also protects you in jurisdictions where the law permits the other driver to sue.

Talk to us about how much Third Party Liability coverage is right for you.

When to call Western Coast Insurance

If you're mixing travel with business, you may need to change your coverage. Also, if your vehicle is outside of B.C. and it won't be operated in B.C. at any point during your insurance policy period, then you will need to register, licence and insure your vehicle where you're living or visiting.

Check with us, Western Coast Insurance, for details on your specific situation.

Travel Check list:

Keep your insurance and driver's licence current
Make sure to check the expiry date on your insurance and driver's licence before you leave.
If the insurance expires and you're involved in a crash while you're out of B.C., you won't be covered. You can renew your insurance up to 44 days before your Autoplan policy expires.

Renew your insurance

If you're outside B.C., you may be able to renew your insurance by calling ICBC at 1-800-328-4484, Monday to Friday, between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
You can also renew your driver's licence up to six months (180 days) before it expires at any driver licensing office. It's illegal to drive with an expired licence so don't leave it to the last minute.

Renew your driver's licence

If you're outside B.C. when your driver's licence expires, contact ICBC at:
1-800-950-1498 (B.C., Canada and the U.S.)
250-978-8300 (Other countries)

Extra insurance and rental vehicle coverage options

Many people choose to increase their Third-Party Liability coverage if they're travelling outside of B.C.

The RoadStar and Roadside Plus packages also include great coverages for extra protection while you're travelling, including rental vehicle protection. There's also the option of purchasing just rental vehicle coverage. At Western Coast Insurance we offer exceptional Private Auto Insurance

Outside Canada and the U.S.

If you're driving to Mexico or beyond, talk to us at Western Coast Insurance about your options for coverage.

Out of the province for more than 30 days? Refunding your Autoplan premium

If you're outside of Canada and the U.S. for more than 30 continuous days, you may be able to get a refund of the Autoplan premium you paid while you were away.

To apply for a refund, you'll need to provide:

Proof of the dates your vehicle entered and exited the other country. You can use an importation document, for example a Mexican Banjercito receipt, gasoline receipts, camping receipts or hotel receipts that show your vehicle's VIN, registration number or plate number, and
Proof that your vehicle was continuously outside Canada or the U.S. for 30 days or more. You can use a photocopy of a foreign insurance policy, or the receipts listed above.

Your refund will be calculated using the entry and exit dates shown in the documentation you provide.

For travel in Mexico, you can use our Mexican travel refund request checklist to ensure you have the right documentation.

Mail your documents to:

ICBC Customer Service
151 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC V7M 3H9

Out-of-province and you need ICBC Insurance?

Customers who cannot visit our office within the allowable 45-day period may not be eligible to have their policy renewed. For example, the customer is a retired snowbird who spends five months vacationing in Arizona each winter. Their current policy expires three months after they leave for Arizona.

Can you be out-of-province and renew a policy?

Snowbirds or people who work out of province may need to renew a policy when they are out of province.

Procedure

We may process a renewal between

45 days until the expiry of the existing licence and insurance, and
more than a year after a lapse in policy.

Q: Client who drives his RV to Arizona, gets there, parks it for 5 months, he tows a vehicle. Is ICBC able to offer a storage policy and then reinsure the vehicle once client is ready to come back.

A: "Provided that the vehicle is not required to register and license the motorhome vehicle in Arizona, we can provide the BC resident a storage policy for their unlicensed vehicle.

Please note that the motorhome must be stored on private property and cannot be used as living accommodations at any time while insured under a storage policy as this would void the policy in its entirety, and no coverage would be afforded to the insured in the event of a claim.

If the BC license plates have expired, and the client wishes to bring the vehicle back to BC, the client should contact ICBC Autoplan Sales department by phone or fax and provide all the pertinent information in regards to their request. Based on the information provided you will either be able to process the renewal of the license plates and we can mail the renewal documents or issue a Binder for Owner's Interim Certificate of Insurance (APV38).

If you are issued an APV38, you will also have to purchase a licensing permit from the jurisdiction they are in to legally operate the vehicle on the highway. A TOP (Temporary Operation Permit) cannot be issued to a vehicle outside of BC."

Off Road Vehicles in Arizona:

ICBC will not extend coverage to a customer operating their ORV on public roads in Arizona.