Compare car insurance quotes in Nova Scotia for free. There's a better rate for you.

In Nova Scotia, car insurance companies set auto insurance rates, which are then reviewed and approved by The Office of the Superintendent of Insurance, the organization that enforces the Insurance Act.

The Nova Scotia Insurance Review Board  (NSIRB) also regulates auto insurance and monitors rates across the province. If an insurer wants to increase its rates or change its rules, it must apply to the Board. It's the NSIRB's job to protect the public's interest at all times and to ensure that auto insurance rates in the province are fair and reasonable.

Car insurance is a complex product. Nova Scotia auto insurance companies will take a number of variables into consideration when calculating your premium. Here are the major ones:

Your licence level - Not having a full licence will cause your premium to be higher. Conversely, having a full licence has a positive effect on your car insurance rates. New drivers looking for car insurance in Nova Scotia may see higher rates due to this factor. 

Mileage - Premiums are based on how many kilometers you drive a year. Insurance companies find your annual total by looking at the number of kilometers you drive per day. The more time you spend on the road, the more likely you are to be involved in a collision. 

Car make and model - The more expensive the model of car you drive, the more you’ll be paying to insure it. However, insurance companies also pay attention to other factors, like whether your vehicle is prone to theft. If your car’s on the “most stolen” list, even if it’s not a status symbol, you could be paying more than average to insure it. 

Driving habits - Maintaining a record that’s free of claims and convictions will keep your premiums stable. Throughout the years, you will even see your insurance costs decline. However, car insurance rates for high-risk drivers in Nova Scotia may be higher than the average rate. This is why car insurance for high risk drivers in Nova Scotia may be more expensive.

Age - Young drivers — think age 30 and under — pay the highest car insurance premiums, even if they don’t have any claims or convictions to their names. This is another reason why coverage providers might be hesitant to give new drivers in Nova Scotia a cheap rate on their car insurance. 

However, being young isn’t the only way age can impact your car insurance rates. Adults between the ages of 50 and 70 get some of the lowest car insurance rates in Nova Scotia . If you belong to this demographic, you probably have a long history of being insured and you might even have bundled your home insurance policy with the same provider of your auto insurance.  After age 70, though, you might see  your rate begin to creep up because people in your age group are more statistically more likely to need to file a claim and need longer to recover from an injury. Therefore, seniors in Nova Scotia who hold car insurance policies may pay higher rates due to a higher rate of accidents in their age group. 

Coverage amounts - Buying coverage that exceeds what the law says is mandatory to have will result in a higher premium. Buying more coverage isn’t a bad idea, especially since legal fees can exceed the mandatory minimum benefit amount for liability coverage ($500,000). . You can always ask your insurance company to downgrade your coverage later on.   

Your insurance history -  In addition to having a poor driving history, your insurance history can also play a role in determining your rates. If you’ve filed multiple claims or have a history of missing payments, you may be given a higher rate. New immigrants who need car insurance in Nova Scotia may also face challenges because they have no Canadian insurance history at all. Your income level: How much money you make can also impact your car insurance rates. A higher income may indicate to an insurance company that you’re less likely to get behind on payments. This is why students looking for car insurance in Nova Scotia may face challenges securing an affordable rate.

As of November 2014, Nova Scotia insurers stopped using age and marital status to determine drivers' risk classifications. Removing gender as a rating factor was reviewed, but ultimately denied in the 2011 reforms.

Looking for an estimate of your car insurance fees in Nova Scotia? According to LowestRates.ca’s user database, the top three cities and communities in Nova Scotia with the most expensive car insurance quotes are:

1. Armadale 
2. Halifax 
3. Beaver Bank 

In other parts of Nova Scotia, affordable car insurance is easier to find. According to LowestRates.ca's user database, the top three communities in Nova Scotia with the cheapest car insurance quotes are :

1. Billtown 
2. Auburndale 
3. Donkin 

Car insurance costs in Nova Scotia are varied and complex. Therefore, there isn’t one single car insurance company that offers cheap car insurance policies to everyone who applies for a policy. Insurance companies don’t often advertise low prices to draw in customers.

Calculating insurance premiums is a complex process that takes many variables into account, including age, gender, address, type of car, and more. Insurance companies want to ensure that they’re properly hedged for risk so they can keep their obligations to their policyholders. That’s why they tend to be pretty conservative with the prices they charge.

However, car insurance companies are not interchangeable. Companies also base their premiums on how well their business is performing. If they pay out a lot of premiums in one year, they’re going to raise rates for all customers.

If you have a strong driving record, there’s a good possibility that another insurance company can offer you a lower rate. That’s why it’s important to compare car insurance quotes from different insurers in Nova Scotia.

Auto insurance rates in Nova Scotia are among the lowest in the country, largely due to government reforms introduced in 2003. These auto insurance reforms have helped reduce rates by 27% across the province. The average policy in 2003 was $1,069, compared to an average of $891 in 2019. The reforms gave drivers a wider range of auto insurance choices and now there are more than 60 private insurance companies they can choose from.

Under the current rules, car insurance companies operating in Nova Scotia aren't prohibited from asking about credit scores when determining a premium — but only if it will help the consumer get a better rate. Drivers can’t be denied insurance because of their credit.

The use of credit scores by auto insurance companies is prohibited in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Beyond third-party liability insurance  (Nova Scotia drivers must purchase coverage with a benefit of at least $500,000), you can also purchase extended coverage that will help with costs to repair or replace your vehicle.

• Collision - Collision coverage in Nova Scotia covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle, but only if it’s damaged in a collision.
• Comprehensive - Comprehensive coverage in Nova Scotia covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle if it’s damaged by an insurable risk, minus collisions. Insurable risks that are covered by comprehensive insurance include damage from falling objects, vandalism, or theft.
• Specified perils - Covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle but only against insurable risks that you specifically ask for coverage against. If it’s not in the policy, you’re not covered.
• All perils - A hybrid of collision and comprehensive insurance.

Yes. The law requires you to carry insurance on your vehicle.

Nova Scotia residents are required to carry $500,000 in third-party liability insurance on their vehicles. Without the minimum amount of coverage, you can't register your automobile.

You also need uninsured and unidentified insurance (also known as uninsured motorist coverage outside Nova Scotia), which protects you if you're involved in an accident with an uninsured driver or a driver that can't be identified. 

Other examples of mandatory auto insurance in Nova Scotia includes accident benefits or direct compensation property damage. Nova Scotia drivers can account for these mandatory minimum coverages when they apply for quotes on LowestRates.ca. 

Nova Scotia has a no-fault system: drivers deal with their own insurance companies, regardless of who's at fault.

If you're in an automobile accident in Nova Scotia, regardless of who's at fault, your coverage provides supplementary benefits:

• Medical payments: up to $50,000/person.
• Funeral expense benefits: up to $2,500.
• Disability income benefits: 80% of gross weekly income; 104 weeks partial disability; lifetime if totally disabled; maximum $250/week; unpaid housekeeper, if completely disabled, $100/week for maximum of 52 weeks.
• Death benefits: death of head of household $25,000, plus $1,000 to each dependent survivor after first; death of spouse/partner $25,000; death of dependant $5,000.

If you're convicted of driving without insurance in Nova Scotia, you'll have to pay a $1000 fine or spend 45 days in jail. That's for your first offence. The fine increases to $2000 or 90 days in jail for a second, and $5000 or 120 days for a third.

And that's not all. Once you're convicted of driving without the minimum auto insurance coverage, you'll also be identified as high risk, and you'll likely face higher auto insurance rates in the future.

You can begin the licensing process when you turn 16.

To earn your learner's licence in Nova Scotia, you have to pass a road theory test and an eye vision test. You can then drive as long as you're accompanied by someone with a fully valid driver's licence. You must stay in this licence level for a minimum of 6 months, or 3 months if you complete a recognized driver education or training program. Drivers with this licence level must maintain a blood alcohol level of 0.

To get your newly minted driver's licence, you must pass a road test and a knowledge test. Then you have to drive with this licence for at least 2 years. And there are a couple driving restrictions: you must maintain a BAC of 0, and you can't drive between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM. If you need to drive during these hours for employment purposes, you can apply for an exemption. Also, drivers with this licence can only have one passenger in the front seat and rear passengers are limited to the number of seat belts. If you're driving between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM, you can't have any passengers.

After you hold the Class 5N licence for 24 consecutive months with no suspensions, you're eligible to take a driver training program approved by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. Once you successfully complete this program, you'll be granted your full Nova Scotia driver's licence.

Yes. Nova Scotia rolled out usage-based insurance (UBI) policies in early 2016, making it the second province in Atlantic Canada to leverage telematics technology. Now you can get a UBI quote and start lowering your car insurance with responsible driving habits.

Yes, ride-sharing insurance is available in Nova Scotia.

While Uber and Lyft provide insurance for their drivers, you may need to purchase more insurance to fill in any gaps. Learn more about ride-sharing insurance here.