Can you reinstate a cancelled insurance policy after Drive No Insurance charges?

Can you reinstate a cancelled insurance policy after Drive No Insurance charges?

------ CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO -----
0:00 - Introduction
0:26 - No Insurance is a charge, not a conviction (yet)
1:21 - If I get back my insurance, does this help with my No Insurance charge?
2:02 - What happens if I don't reinstate my policy?
2:33 - So what does this all mean?
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Many clients that get ticketed with a No Insurance charge in Ontario are concerned about getting their insurance policy reinstated.  Will the insurance company allow them to continue their policy even after they have been caught driving with no insurance?  The simple answer is, yes, of course you can.  

Being charged with No Insurance is just a charge.  You have not yet been convicted.

Try to keep the fact that you  have been charged with No Insurance separate from the issue you are having with your insurance company.

For instance, many clients tell me that the insurance company tried to withdraw payments on an account that was no longer active.  After many attempts, this led to cancellation of the policy.  That next day, the client went for a drive, unaware of the cancellation, and was charged with a $5,000 No Insurance ticket.

So in this example, you were caught with No Insurance, and were subsequently charged.  However, the issue between you and your insurance company can be fixed right away.  In fact, you can get your insurance reinstated, in many cases, the very same day you were charged.

If I get back my insurance, does this help with my No Insurance charge?

Getting insurance after getting charged does not help the charge go away.  All the Province has to prove is that in the moment the officer pulled you over, you did not have insurance.  So the charge will remain, and you will have to go to court.

But the good news is that you get back your insurance that day, and can drive the entire time this case is proceeding through the courts.  In other words, the No Insurance charge does not prevent you from getting your insurance back right away.  Remember, you are fighting against the Province, not against your insurance company.

What happens if I don't reinstate my policy?

If you are no longer driving the car, then there is generally no need to reinstate the policy.  However, if you continue driving, you can be charged again the same day, week, month or year.  Only this time, a second charge has a minimum $10,000 fine.  So now you would be fighting a $5,000 first offence and a $10,000 second offence for a total of $15,000.  And you would be demonstrating a pattern of behaviour to the court.

So what does this all mean?

No Insurance charges have huge fines and are confusing at the best of times.  With all these new remote court measures, it can be even more difficult to navigate and understand the court process.  The most tried solution is to hire a legal professional to handle your case.  This way, they will follow your new date.  They will attend your appearances, regardless of whether this is by phone, in-person, or by video.  This will take the pressure off of your daily life, and give you a peace of mind to get through these changes.  And, if you reinstate your policy, you can be driving your car the entire time the case proceeds through the provincial court system.