Toronto drivers buy the same Ontario policy as everyone else in the province, but the city’s location-based pricing, auto theft and use of cars for rideshare and delivery shape what they pay. This page covers what is different about insuring a car in Toronto. Ontario’s mandatory coverage and accident benefits rules are on the Ontario car insurance page, the insurers and discounts that cut an Ontario premium are on cheap car insurance in Ontario, and the rest of our guides are in the car insurance hub.
How Toronto compares
The General Insurance Statistical Agency (GISA), the statistical agent for provincial insurance regulators, reports Ontario’s average earned premium per insured vehicle, all coverages combined, as $2,117 for 2025, up from $1,928 for 2024. GISA’s averages are published for the province as a whole, not for Toronto alone; what a Toronto driver pays depends on the factors below. How Ontario compares with other provinces is on average car insurance by province.
| Cost driver | Why it matters in Toronto |
|---|---|
| Where the car is kept | Insurers price by location, so the collision, theft and claims history of the area feeds into the premium |
| Auto theft | Vehicles more likely to be stolen are typically more expensive to insure |
| Fraud and repair costs | Rising theft, fraud and repair costs push premiums up across the industry |
| How the car is used | Kilometres driven and commercial use are rating factors |
How rates vary across the city
Two drivers with identical records and cars can be quoted different amounts a few kilometres apart, because insurers rate by where the car is kept. Each insurer sets its own rating areas and prices, so a neighbourhood that is expensive with one insurer may be closer to average with another. Comparing quotes for your exact address is the only reliable way to see the difference, and the same applies when weighing a move between the city and the 905 region. How Brampton, Mississauga and other Ontario cities compare is covered in the Ontario page’s section on rates in other Ontario cities.
Auto theft
Vehicle theft in Ontario has fallen for two years in a row. Équité Association, the insurance industry’s crime and fraud prevention body, counted 30,134 vehicle thefts in Ontario in 2023, 24,877 in 2024 and 19,319 in 2025, a 22% drop in the latest year. Only about 51% of vehicles stolen in Ontario in 2025 were recovered.
| Ontario vehicle thefts (Équité Association) | Count |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 30,134 |
| 2024 | 24,877 |
| 2025 | 19,319 |
Source: Équité Association 2024 and 2025 Auto Theft Trend Reports. Theft data changes quickly; confirm current figures before relying on them.
Models most often stolen
Vehicles that are more likely to be stolen are typically more expensive to insure. Équité Association’s national list for 2024, released in November 2025, put the Toyota RAV4 at the top. Its ranking by model generation for 2024 was led by the Honda CR-V (2016 to 2021 models) and the Lexus RX (2016 to 2021), followed by the Ford F-150, Honda Civic and Toyota Highlander. Newer SUVs with keyless entry are frequent targets, particularly in Ontario and Quebec.
Because comprehensive coverage is what pays for theft, owners of frequently stolen models have more reason to keep it; the difference between the two physical-damage coverages is explained in collision vs comprehensive insurance.
Theft protection
| Measure | Effect |
|---|---|
| Secure or garage parking | Harder to reach; some insurers give a discount |
| Aftermarket immobilizer or kill switch | Harder to start; some insurers give a discount |
| OBD port lock | Blocks programming a new key through the diagnostic port |
| Steering wheel lock | Visible deterrent |
| GPS tracker | Helps police recover the car |
| Signal-blocking pouch for the key fob | Blocks relay attacks on keyless entry |
Ask your insurer which devices, if any, it discounts; the list and the discount vary by company.
Commuting, rideshare and delivery
How the car is used and how far it is driven are rating factors, so a change such as working from home can lower the rate once the insurer knows about it. The standard Ontario policy also requires the named insured to notify the insurer promptly, in writing, of any change in the risk material to the contract, such as starting to use the car for paid work.
| Use | How it is treated |
|---|---|
| Driving to work | Commuting use; the distance is part of the rating |
| Working from home, occasional driving | Pleasure use and lower kilometres can lower the rate |
| Uber or Lyft | Ontario’s standard policy excludes carrying paying passengers (except for certain accident benefits), so coverage for that use must be arranged |
| Food or parcel delivery | Commercial use that must be reported to your insurer; it may need an endorsement or a commercial policy |
Without coverage arranged for the work, a claim made while working can be denied. The cost of rideshare or delivery coverage varies by insurer and by how much you drive for the platform.
Drivers who pay the most in Toronto
- New drivers: inexperience is priced heavily, and location adds to it. The licensing stages and ways to lower the cost are in car insurance for new drivers.
- Newcomers to Canada: insurers have differed on whether they recognize foreign driving experience, so a newcomer could be rated as a new driver; FSRA expects Ontario insurers to use foreign driving experience verified by the Ministry of Transportation before January 1, 2027. A letter from the previous insurer showing the claims history can help, and a broker can find insurers that consider foreign experience. Our Sonnet Insurance review covers one online insurer’s approach.
- Drivers with convictions: in Ontario a ticket stays on your driving record, and can affect your premium, for three years from the date you paid it or were convicted. Red light camera tickets are issued to the vehicle’s registered owner, not the driver, and do not affect insurance rates. The Ontario page covers the Facility Association for drivers standard insurers decline.
Related reading
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- caasco.com: Insurance Guidebook
- cdn.prod.website-files.com: Trend Report
- cdn.prod.website-files.com: Trend Report
- equiteassociation.com: Canada's Most Stolen Vehicles
- equiteassociation.com: Toyota RAV4 Tops Équité Association’s Annual Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles List
- gisa.ca: Toronto, Ontario
- Internet Archive: Effective date: December 11, 2025