Car insurance for Alberta drivers
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Get customized car insurance coverage for Alberta drivers
Do you spend your weekdays navigating rush hour traffic in Edmonton? Driving often from Airdrie to Calgary to visit friends and family? Love cruising the mountain roads to enjoy the beauty of Jasper and Banff? No matter where you drive in Alberta, protect you and your car with the best auto insurance. Sonnet has you covered. Get customized coverage written in plain language at a competitive price. Plus it’s easy to get an auto insurance quote and buy completely online. We’ve made car insurance in Alberta better, so your drive is worry-free.
Why do you need car insurance?
In Alberta, if you own a vehicle, by law you must have auto insurance. But this isn’t the only reason. Think of it as a future investment. The average cost of a car repair claim in Alberta is $5,549. Save yourself from the cost of having to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged or in an accident. Plus, you can limit how much you’ll have to pay if you cause damage or injuries to other people while driving. We all know that accidents can happen, even to the best drivers. Make sure you have the financial help you’ll need, with the best car insurance in Alberta.
What does car insurance in Alberta cover?
Mandatory car insurance coverage
In Alberta, you must have liability coverage in order to drive. This will protect you and other drivers financially in case of an accident where you’re at fault. Liability covers any damages, injuries or losses experienced by another driver or individual.
If you sustain any injuries or damages from an accident, the standard benefits in Alberta will cover your costs for medical, rehabilitation, and income replacement – whether you’re at fault or not.
This covers loss or damage to your vehicle and its contents in an accident with another vehicle to the extent that you’re not at fault. In the event of a claim, you’ll always work directly with us – not the other person’s insurer. We’ll also set you up with a rental car if you need it!
This covers loss or damage to your vehicle and its contents caused by specific events. These events include an accident with another vehicle where you’re at fault, an accident with an object (like a guardrail or a tree), or if your car rolls over.
Although it’s optional, this coverage is considered essential. Without it, you’ll have to pay out of pocket to repair or replace your vehicle if these events happen. If you lease or finance your car, this coverage is usually required by your lessor or lender.
It’s not just when you’re driving that your vehicle could be damaged. Comprehensive insurance in Alberta has your vehicle covered for damage from things like falling objects, hail, vandalism, fire, theft, lightning, windstorm and earthquake. This coverage is usually mandatory if you’re leasing or financing your vehicle.
Heads up! Want protection in case of a parking lot hit and run? Be sure to add this coverage to your policy.
Optional car insurance coverage
Clean record for the last 6 years? We won’t increase your rate due to your first at-fault accident and we automatically apply this protection again if after another 6 years you’ve got a clean record.
Heads up!
- Rental Costs. We’ll take care of your rental car after an at-fault collision or during a comprehensive claim (that’s not theft). Even better – there’s no arbitrary limit, so you’ll get a rental car comparable to your own.
- Non-Owned Vehicle Coverage. We’ll cover you for the loss or damage to any borrowed or rented vehicle.
- Roadside Assistance. We’ll reimburse you for up to $50 for related emergency expenses.
- New/Used Vehicle Replacement. We’ll replace your vehicle without any adjustment for depreciation.
- Hit-and-Run Deductible Waiver. We’ll waive your deductible up to $1,000 in the event of a hit-and-run, as long as it’s reported within a reasonable time (like a day).
Heads up! This bundle is not available in Ontario. OurEnhanced Protection Bundle offers the best comparable coverage for Ontario drivers.
How much does car insurance cost in Alberta?
Car insurance rates in Alberta are unique to each driver. We’ll consider things like your driving record, claims history, and how you use your car. Insurance companies also look at the type of vehicle you drive and what part of Alberta you live in. Want to see some numbers? Here’s a look at the average cost for auto insurance with Sonnet throughout Alberta. It’s quick and easy to find out how much car insurance will cost you. Just get a free quote online.
$162/month avg.
$187/month avg.
A
$242/month avg.
The average cost of bundling home and auto insurance in Alberta is about as much as your typical monthly online shopping bill.
Engineering & accounting graduates in Alberta
Whether you crunch numbers or design solutions, we have savings for you. Get an exclusive discount for
Alberta Teachers
We want to educate teachers on how they can save more on auto insurance.
Canadian University Alumni
Calling all university grads –
Questions about car insurance in Alberta? We’ve got answers
Getting an auto insurance quote with Sonnet is quick and easy – with plenty of help along the way. Read through our current blogs or most frequently asked questions about car insurance to get started.
We give you our best price that’s specifically tailored for you. We’ve come up with a number of ways to help make sure you get the best price on your insurance.
There are a number of ways you could save on your auto insurance:
- Exclusive Sonnet Savings. Self-service has its benefits! You’ll save just for purchasing your insurance online. How easy is that?
- Claims Free. If you’re lucky enough to have been claims-free for six years, you could save.
- Convictions Free. Good driving behaviour deserves to be rewarded!
- Multi-Vehicle. Insuring more than one vehicle with us? Awesome! You may qualify for a multi-vehicle saving.
- Multi-Policy (home and auto). You could save when you insure both your home and your vehicle with us.
- Winter Tires (only in Ontario). They’ll keep you safe and help you save on your auto insurance.
Canadian University Alumni andCanadian College Alumni . You could save when you are a Canadian University or College alumni or student.
Once you've purchased your car insurance, we’ll send you an email with a link to activate your Sonnet account. Your pink slip and proof of insurance will be accessible directly through your account dashboard. Here you can also get the steps to add your eSlip right to your phone’s digital wallet.
If you would like to download an eSlip, here are the steps to add it to your phone:
- Download the
Sonnet Insurance app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play store app (Android). - Log in to your account in the app using the same email and password you set up for your Sonnet account.
- For first-time users, tap the ‘Get your eSlip’ banner over the ‘More’ tab. Agree to the terms and conditions for eSlips. Choose your vehicle (for single policies) or choose your policy then vehicle (for multiple polices).
- eSlips will automatically update in your digital wallet app after a policy change or renewal. If you notice that it hasn’t automatically updated, tap on the ‘More’ tab, then tap ‘Pink Slip’. Choose your vehicle (for single policies) or choose your policy then vehicle (for multiple polices).
- Your eSlip will automatically be added to your phone’s digital wallet.
Heads up! If you are an iOS (iPhone) user, the Background app refresh setting must always be turned ON. This setting allows eSlips to
Follow these steps to turn this setting ON:
- Go to your iPhone Settings and scroll down until you see the Sonnet Insurance App.
- Simply tap the Background App Refresh toggle, so it is ON (green).
Want to view your physical pink slip in your account? Follow these steps:
- Log in to your account and click on the ‘Easily access your digital pink slip’ card.
- For single policies click ’Download’. For multiple policies, choose your policy number and then click ‘Download’.
We’ll also send you a hard copy of your pink slip through the mail (which takes about 5 business days).
Haven’t received your liability slip in the mail? First, double check the mailing address listed on your account. You can do this by signing into your account and selecting Settings. If your mailing address is incorrect or you would like to request a new pink slip be mailed,
Yes. In order to legally drive a vehicle in Alberta, you must have at minimum third-party liability and accident benefits coverage. Collision and comprehensive coverages aren’t required. But, many drivers opt to add them to their policy. Without them, damage to your car won’t be covered and you’ll have to pay out of pocket if something happens.
If you have any questions about what you might or might not need,
Yes, with most insurance companies you usually can. But, timing matters. Depending on where you are in your policy term, you could be charged a cancellation fee. This is also known as a short rate fee. To avoid paying a hefty penalty out of pocket, the best time to switch insurance providers is typically right before or at renewal. But, you might just find that you could save more by switching now, despite a cancellation fee.
Heads up! If you do switch insurance companies, always secure coverage for a new policy before cancelling your current policy.
There are a couple of things you need to consider:
Liability limits. We'll cover you and the people on your policy for valid claims, and the cost of settling those claims, if you're held liable for injuries or damage to someone else's property as a result of an auto accident. Tip: Minimize how much you could be financially liable for in the case of a major accident by increasing this limit.
In Quebec, we cover the damages to your vehicle as well as those to someone else’s property. However, injuries are covered under the Quebec public insurance plan, SAAQ.
Extra coverages. If your vehicle would cost more than the deductible amount to repair it, you might consider adding Collision: Your Fault and/or Comprehensive coverage. (In Quebec, Collision coverage is called “Collision and Upset”, and Comprehensive is known as “All Perils Other than Collision and Upset”.) If your vehicle is involved in a collision with another object or tips over, Collision coverage will help cover the damage. Comprehensive covers your vehicle against loss or damage other than what's covered by Collision. This includes falling or flying objects, missiles and vandalism, and all the things listed under Specified Perils.
Review our guide on what coverages you should choose when
The cost of car insurance for new drivers in Alberta is generally higher than what more experienced drivers pay, no matter who you’re insured with.
As a new driver, taking a driver’s ed course could help you save on your insurance. And, as long as you keep a clean driving record while you gain more driving experience, you’ll likely see your premium go down over time. So, keep driving safely!
The provincial government in Alberta decides which coverages drivers are required to have by law. It’s also in charge of approving rates and pricing for car insurance, which is sold through private insurers.
Our advice? Get in touch with several different companies to
Average monthly premiums for auto insurance in Alberta are based on current Sonnet policies as of October 2020, with assumptions made to determine demographic groups.
The average cost of an auto claim in Alberta is based on 2019 claims data from Sonnet and Economical Insurance.