You will need with the drivers and vehicles licensing agency of the area of Canada in which you will be assigned to for the next 2 to 4 years but very likely you will be required to obtain a Canadian driver's license since you are going to be there for an extended period of time.

Usually the US and Canada allow visitors with foreign licenses to drive up to 12 months with their home country's driver's license however if you are working or taking up residency in the other country then the laws normally require you to change over your driver's license.

The procedures to follow differ from one area or province in Canada to another so you would need to contact the government agency in that area that does what the DMVs (Departments of Motor Vehicles) do in the United States to find out about how to obtain a Canadian license and how to register and insure a car. Some areas of Canada have insurance through government agencies while others have public insurers you can get your coverage through.

You can contact our Canadian auto insurance affiliate to find out more about car insurance coverages in Canada and to get a quote.

Here are a list of the Canadian DMV related sites that we are aware of for the different territories and provinces of Canada:

Alberta - Service Alberta gives information on both how to become licensed and how to register a car.

British Columbia - Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) - gives information on driver's licenses, registration and insurance.

Manitoba - Manitoba Public Insurance - gives information on insurance, vehicle registration and auto insurance.

New Brunswick - Service New Brunswick has information on motor vehicle registration while the NB Department of Public Safety works with driver licenses.

Newfoundland and Labrador - Government Services deals with both driver licensing and motor vehicle registration.

Northwest Territories - The Department of Transportation (DOT) gives information on both car registration and how to obtain a driver's license.

Nova Scotia - Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) does both licensing and motor vehicle registration.

Ontario - Ministry of Transportation (MTO) does both driver licensing and vehicle licensing. You can read about G1 and G2 graduated licenses here.

Prince Edward Island - Info PEI gives information on driver licensing and car registration.

Quebec - SAAQ (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec) manages the auto insurance plans in Quebec and is also responsible for issuing driver's licenses and car registration certificates.

Saskatchewan - Vehicle registrations, driver licensing and testing are handled by Saskatchewan Government Insurance. .

Yukon - The Department of Community Services gives information on registration of motor vehicles and driver's licenses.

If you need more information on the various types of insurance that Canadian provinces have in place you can contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) which is the national trade association of the property and casualty insurance industry for Canada.

For an example of how insurance requirements differ throughout Canada, Saskatchewan operates a mandatory vehicle registration and insurance program. When a vehicle owner purchases license plates, they also purchase a basic package of insurance which includes coverage for damage to their own vehicle subject to a deductible; coverage for personal injury as a result of a vehicle crash; and, liability insurance for damage their vehicle may cause to the property of others or injuries it may cause to other people. The basic liability insurance coverage is in the amount of $200,000.

Then in Quebec, Canada, vehicle and property damage claims are covered by private insurers. The Automobile Insurance Act of Quebec requires all vehicles to take out a minimum of $50,000 in coverage from a private insurer; this is termed Section A on an insurance policy.

The Basics of Canadian Car Insurance is an article in our Learning Center that can also help you understand the auto insurance requirements throughout Canada.