Help buying used car in B.C.
 

I am looking into buying a RHD car that is located in B.C. I live in Toronto so I am unfamiliar with the process of buying a used car in B.C.

What I would like to know, if I buy a car from a private party in B.C. , what is the process of getting it plated and insured if I wanted to drive from B.C. to Toronto? Does B.C. issue temporary license/transit plates? The other issue is that insurance for RHD cars is really difficult in Ontario and the only place that will do it requires an aproasial on on it. Can anyone recommend anything?
With the pandemic raging on, I could always leave it at a friend's place in Richmond but I would prefer to bring it here and do a road trip out of it(and bring my own food/things I need and just cannonball it back).

Yes - ICBC can issue what I recall is called a Binder's permit/insurance for you to drive to your final destination.

What make/model/year is the car you are getting? There is a fellow in Toronto that had an R34 (i think?) who had Ontario plates. You may want to ask him how / where he got it insured. You can find him on Instagram as yyzcurator.

I know of one appraiser if that is of any help. He's on the Rennlist forums and is well known and reputable.

Would it still need to have Ontario plates? Also, would I have to pay the full HST(13% in Ontario) in B.C.?

Thanks for the help!

If I understand your question correctly, when ICBC issues you the binder insurance, it's just a piece of paper you tape onto the front and back of your car while you drive from BC to Ontario.

If you plan on insuring the car in Ontario, then yes, it will need to have Ontario plates, and that is the chicken or the egg situation, which means you'll need to bring the car through a provincial safety test at any licensed shop and have it registered through Service Ontario once you pass.

I believe the HST would need to be paid eventually, either in BC or Ontario. Pretty sure you'll need to pay it when you register the car through Service Ontario. ICBC won't charge you for it.

FYi I live in Toronto too (sadly.)

You pay HST once you register in ON.

However, would depend how knowledgeable the autoplan broker is as you might get pushback on not paying BC taxes when you go to get the binder/temporary operators permit.

+1 on Autoplan broker being super important in this process.

If you find someone who isn't familiar, it's going to be an uphill battle for you. I don't know of anymore good Autoplan brokers, so hopefully someone here can help you on that.

If you are not a BC resident, you can buy a “Temporary Operations Permit (TOP)”. It is issued on an APV16 policy. You can purchase up to 15 days to drive it home to Toronto. You need to make sure all the provinces are okay when driving through them.

The BC insurance agent will need a signed registration, a transfer form (APV9t) and a bill of sale. The agent does not need to transfer into your name or you will pay taxes in BC.

If someone named Anthony offers to help, say no.

Thanks everyone for the help!

I thought the Binder from ICBC was for importing cars.

Wouldn't you expect someone from Ontario would need to issue him insurance to transport/drive it in that direction?

You're probably right about the binder; I've only ever used it to import a car from the US to Canada, but that was many, many years ago. Admittedly, I am not super familiar with moving a car from one side of the country to another, other than having it shipped by train/truck on active BC plates and insurance.

Because the vehicle is already BC-registered, I think only ICBC would be the one to issue insurance for him to drive back to Ontario. No insurance company in Ontario will sell him insurance seeing as the vehicle hasn't even been registered in Ontario yet.