In British Columbia if you are a resident and motorist, you must buy your basic auto insurance through the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) but can purchase optional insurance coverage through other Canadian insurers.

The ICBC is a provincial Crown Corporation established in the early 1970s to provide universal car insurance to BC motorists. The ICBC is supposed to ensure that auto insurance is affordable and available to all B.C. residents with vehicles, even those in rural or remote areas.

All BC motorists are required by law to buy a basic auto insurance package called the ICBC Autoplan. The Autoplan insurance provides coverage for third party legal liability protection, accident benefits, underinsured motorist protection, hit and run and uninsured motorists protection and inverse liability.

The ICBC also competes with other car insurance companies by offering extended third party legal liability and other optional insurance coverages such as collision and comprehensive coverages.

Basic and Optional Autoplan insurance polices are available through Autoplan brokers throughout B.C. Autoplan brokers are insurance brokers who have been authorized by the ICBC to sell the Autoplan coverage.

So, yes you are correct that basic coverage in British Columbia must be purchased through the ICBC, but if you want optional insurance coverages, you may shop around with other (private) insurance providers.

For more provincial car insurance information read our article, The Basics of Canadian Car Insurance.