Photo: Jd.101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Saskatchewan, basic auto insurance comes with the licence plate. SGI provides it, it is compulsory, and you pay for it when you register the vehicle. It covers damage to the vehicle (minus a deductible), injury benefits through Personal Auto Injury Insurance, and up to $200,000 in liability. This explainer covers how plate insurance works, the deductible (rising from $700 to $950 for most vehicles on 1 January 2027), No Fault and Tort injury coverage, extended coverage, and how Safe Driver Recognition discounts and penalties affect new drivers. It is for Saskatchewan learners, novices and parents buying or sharing a car.
Key facts
- Basic plate insurance is compulsory, provided by SGI, and bought with your plates and registration.
- It has three parts: collision and comprehensive (vehicle damage), personal injury benefits, and liability up to $200,000.
- Deductible: the typical $700 deductible rises to $950 from 1 January 2027. Most other vehicle deductibles rise about 20%.
- Injury coverage: No Fault Coverage by default, or Tort Coverage if you file a declaration. Both cost the same.
- Extended (additional) insurance is optional and sold by private insurers, brokers and agents.
- Safe Driver Recognition: everyone starts at 0. Each incident-free year earns a point worth 2% off basic insurance, up to 25%. Below zero, you pay $50 per point, up to $1,000 for most incidents.
How does auto insurance work in Saskatchewan?
SGI’s Driver’s Handbook splits Saskatchewan auto insurance into two parts:
| Basic minimum coverage (plate insurance) | Additional coverage (extended) | |
|---|---|---|
| Required? | Yes, by law | No, optional |
| Who provides it | SGI | The insurance company, broker or agent you choose |
| When you buy it | With your licence plates and vehicle registration | As a separate policy (also called a package policy or Auto Pak) |
| What it does | Minimum vehicle damage, injury and liability cover | Tops up the basics: lower deductible, higher liability, replacement cost, rental car and more |
The cover is attached to the plate and the vehicle, so a learner practising in a parent’s registered car is normally driving a vehicle that already carries basic plate insurance. Owners should still check that their extended policy, if they have one, covers a new driver in the household.
New residents have up to 90 days to register their vehicle in Saskatchewan, and basic insurance is required.
What does SGI plate insurance cover?
1. Collision and comprehensive
Also called physical damage coverage. It pays for damage to your vehicle from a collision, upset, fire, theft, windstorm or hail, after your deductible. Most vehicles are covered to their actual cash value: the market value compared with similar vehicles of the same equipment, mileage and condition. That may be less than you paid.
2. Personal injury: Personal Auto Injury Insurance
Saskatchewan residents injured in a collision anywhere in Canada or the United States get injury and death benefits. You choose one of two equally priced products. See the comparison below.
3. Liability
Liability protects you as owner and driver if you or your vehicle injure others or damage their property. “Others” can be another driver, a pedestrian, a cyclist, your own passenger or a property owner. It pays to defend you and pays damages if you are found responsible. Basic plate insurance provides up to $200,000.
SGI gives examples where liability claims are likely: damage to buildings or fences, cargo in the vehicle you hit, or trains, cargo and tracks at a level crossing; injuring someone whose earnings exceed the injury benefit; or injuring anyone out of province. For a collision in another province or the US, $200,000 can be used up quickly.
The SGI deductible: what new drivers pay
The deductible is the amount you pay before plate insurance covers the rest of a vehicle damage claim.
| When the loss happens | Typical deductible |
|---|---|
| Before 1 January 2027 | $700 |
| On or after 1 January 2027 | $950 (most other vehicle deductibles up about 20%) |
The Government of Saskatchewan says the increase supports the long-term sustainability of the Auto Fund, which faces inflation and rising repair costs. Check the deductible for your vehicle type on sgi.sk.ca.
Worked example from SGI’s handbook
Your deductible is $950 and you cause a collision with $3,000 of damage to your car. You pay the first $950; SGI pays the remaining $2,050.
Who pays the deductible?
| Situation | Deductible |
|---|---|
| You are not at fault in a multi-vehicle collision | Usually you pay nothing. The at-fault party covers your damage, including your deductible |
| You are at fault | You pay your full deductible. Your plate insurance also pays the other driver’s damage and deductible |
| Shared fault | You pay your share, for example 25% of your deductible if you are 25% responsible |
| Single-vehicle collision | Usually you pay it, unless there is a responsible party to pursue |
| Hail, storm or a falling tree | You pay it: there is no one to pursue |
| Hitting an animal | You pay it with basic cover only. Extended cover may waive it |
| Hit and run, theft or vandalism | You pay it unless the responsible person is identified. Extended cover may waive it for theft of the whole vehicle |
For a new driver in a rural area, a deer or moose strike is a real possibility, which is one reason families consider extended cover. See avoiding wildlife collisions.
No Fault or Tort: choosing your injury coverage
| No Fault Coverage | Tort Coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Automatic for every Saskatchewan resident | Only if you choose it and file a declaration form |
| Benefits | A fuller package whatever caused the collision: income loss, medical and rehabilitation, permanent impairment and death benefits | A basic package of the same types of benefit, whatever caused the collision |
| Can you sue? | For some expenses not covered and for income loss above the benefits. Not for pain and suffering, except in very limited cases | If you are not totally at fault, for uncovered expenses and income loss, and for pain and suffering subject to a $5,000 deductible |
| Price | Same | Same |
Either way, you can still be sued if you cause a collision. That is what the liability part of your insurance is for. SGI publishes a guide to choosing Personal Auto Injury Insurance and a separate guide to Tort Coverage; read both before switching.
Extended auto insurance
SGI’s handbook says basic plate insurance lets you drive with minimal coverage, and you may need more. Extended cover from a licensed broker or agent can:
- raise your liability above the $200,000 minimum (the most important, SGI says);
- reduce your deductible;
- cover your vehicle for replacement cost;
- pay for a rental car while yours is repaired;
- top up injury coverage.
The handbook warns that a driver who lacks enough insurance after a serious at-fault collision may have to pay part of their earnings for many years.
Safe Driver Recognition: how your driving changes the price
Safe Driver Recognition (SDR) rates every driver on a scale. It affects the basic insurance price for vehicles you own or lease in the eligible classes (LV, PV and F, one-ton or smaller).
| Zone | Points | Effect on basic insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Safest Drivers | +21 to +25 | 21% to 25% discount (1% more each extra incident-free year) |
| Great Drivers | +11 to +20 | 20% discount, plus a cushion against losing it after a future incident |
| Good Drivers | +1 to +10 | 2% off per point |
| Neutral | 0 | Base premium. Everyone starts here |
| Penalty Zone | Below 0 | $50 per point you move into the zone, up to $1,000 per incident. Some Criminal Code convictions: up to $2,500 |
- You earn one safety point for each incident-free year.
- You lose points for being at fault in a collision, certain traffic convictions and roadside suspensions. A driving disqualification moves you to -20 or lower.
- Penalties are due immediately, with 90 days to pay, on top of any court fine.
- You drive out of the Penalty Zone: each incident-free year moves you one point up, with no further penalty. After three consecutive safe years you return to 0.
What this means for a new driver
You start at 0, with no discount and nothing to cushion a mistake. One at-fault collision or a speeding conviction in your first year moves you straight into the Penalty Zone and costs real money. SDR matters even if you do not own a car: building points protects you later. GDL drivers also face SGI’s separate GDL Improvement program: see SGI GDL Improvement program and Safe Driver Recognition. For how speeding and phone tickets add up, see Saskatchewan speeding, stunting and distracted driving penalties.
New fees from 1 January 2027
Alongside the deductible change, Saskatchewan is adding administrative fees from 1 January 2027: $15 for new vehicle registrations and new or renewed driver’s licences, $5 for registration renewals and $2 for driver’s licence payment transactions. Budget for them if you plan to register a first car or get your licence in 2027.
If you have a collision
- Give your name, address, licence number and plate number to everyone involved, however minor the collision. Record their plate numbers.
- If a non-Saskatchewan vehicle is involved, or the collision is outside Saskatchewan, also exchange insurance company details.
- Have your licence, registration and any extension policy number ready when you make your SGI claim, online, through the claims centre closest to home or at 1-844-855-2744.
- Your vehicle must be appraised. Call before visiting a claims centre; your adjuster may send you to an SGI-accredited repair shop instead. If it can’t be driven, the claims centre arranges a tow. Once your coverage is confirmed, you choose the body shop.
- After hours (Monday to Friday 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and for crashes outside Saskatchewan, call 1-800-647-6448. If you are injured, contact an injury claims centre or rural branch office right away.
For reporting rules in each province, see collision reporting rules by province.
Common questions
Does a learner need their own insurance in Saskatchewan?
SGI’s handbook ties basic insurance to the vehicle’s plate and registration, not to the driver, so a learner normally practises in a vehicle that already has plate insurance. Confirm with SGI if your situation is unusual. Owners with extended policies should tell their broker about a new driver in the household.
Is SGI insurance valid in other provinces and the US?
Injury benefits apply to collisions anywhere in Canada or the US. Out of province, liability claims are more likely, and the $200,000 basic limit may not be enough. Ask a broker about extended liability before a road trip. See driving in the US on a Canadian novice licence.
How much is the SGI deductible in 2027?
The typical deductible rises from $700 to $950 for losses on or after 1 January 2027. Most other vehicle deductibles go up about 20%.
Can I lower my deductible?
Yes, with extended (additional) insurance from a broker or agent.
Do I lose Safe Driver Recognition points if I am not at fault?
SGI says you lose points for being at fault in a collision, certain convictions and roadside suspensions. If you are unsure how a collision was rated, ask SGI.
What is the difference between No Fault and Tort in one line?
No Fault gives fuller benefits but limits suing for pain and suffering. Tort gives basic benefits and keeps the right to sue for pain and suffering (subject to a $5,000 deductible) if you are not totally at fault.
Related: learning to drive in Saskatchewan (full guide), SGI GDL Improvement program, car insurance for learner and new drivers in Canada, buying your first car in Canada.
Sources
- SGI, “Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook 2026-27”, section 2.2 Vehicle registration (auto insurance, plate coverage, deductible, Personal Auto Injury Insurance, extended insurance), the collision section and section 8.5 Safe Driver Recognition (sgi.sk.ca)
- SGI, “Safe Driver Recognition”, online Driver’s Handbook (sgi.sk.ca)
- SGI, “Deductible Changes 2027” (sgi.sk.ca)
- Government of Saskatchewan, “Summary of 2026-27 Changes to Fees and Charges”, backgrounder, March 2026 (saskatchewan.ca)