Important Update on Changes to Ontario Auto Insurance
Ontario has changed which Statutory Accident Benefits are mandatory and which are now optional. It applies to new and existing customers.
— A notice from ONEST Insurance Group
You don’t need to do anything
If your policy renews on or after July 1, 2026, your current Accident Benefits and limits carry over unchanged — unless you and your insurer agree in writing to change them.
This continues the coverage already on your policy at renewal. It is not a guarantee that the entire policy renews.
What changed
From July 1, 2026, Statutory Accident Benefits (SABS) split into one mandatory category and everything else, which you can now choose or decline.
Stays mandatory
Required on every Ontario auto policy:
- Medical, Rehabilitation and Attendant Care Benefits
Now optional
Yours to keep or decline:
- Income Replacement Benefit
- Non-Earner Benefit
- Caregiver Benefit
- Lost Educational Expenses
- Expenses of Visitors
- Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Expenses
- Damage to Personal Items
- Death Benefit
- Funeral Benefit
- Supplementary Medical, Rehabilitation and Attendant Care Benefits
- Dependant Care Benefit
- Indexation Benefit
“Optional” means you choose — not that a benefit is minor. What you need depends on your income, health coverage and household.
Questions about your coverage?
Review it with an ONEST broker
A broker can walk you through the options against your own situation.
What to do
- Review your renewal package — the Certificate of Automobile Insurance and OPCF 47R.
- Check which benefits and limits are included, and which are marked declined.
- Before changing anything, talk to your broker about your income, health coverage and household.
OPCF 47R
The endorsement that records which optional benefits you kept or declined, and sets Accident Benefits priority of payment.
Who it covers
- The named insured
- The spouse of the named insured
- Dependants of the named insured and their spouse
- Listed drivers of the insured automobile
Official sources
FSRA and Ontario e-Laws are authoritative. The rest provide broker guidance, forms and context.
Optional and extra coverage — consumer information
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) · Primary regulatory source
Changes in Statutory Accident Benefits coverage on July 1, 2026
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) · Primary regulatory source
OPCF 47R — Optional Accident Benefits Coverage & Priority of Payment
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) · Official form
Ontario Regulation 34/10 — Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule
Ontario e-Laws · Primary legal source
Ontario Regulation 383/24
Ontario e-Laws · Primary legal source
Optional Accident Benefits in Auto Insurance
Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) · Broker regulator guidance
Auto Insurance Reforms Communications Toolkit
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) · Official communications
Ontario Auto Reform forms and standards
Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO) · Industry standards resource
Disclaimer
This page is general information about Ontario’s July 1, 2026 Accident Benefits changes — a summary of Ontario Regulation 34/10. It does not replace the regulation, your Certificate of Automobile Insurance, OPCF 47R, your full policy, or a broker’s advice.
Coverage, eligibility, limits, exclusions and claim outcomes depend on the governing documents. Where this differs from an official document, the official document governs. This is not legal advice or a guarantee of coverage.