The Uninsured Vehicle project was launched by MTO in 2010. The goal of the project is to reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on our roads. In order to renewal the license plate sticker there needs to be insurance coverage in place. MTO, Service Ontario and IBC are working together on the project verify insurance by cross referencing Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to the IBC database. It is great to see everyone working together and there is no question, eliminating the uninsured drivers from the road, will be of great benefit for everyone.

Granted there are some circumstances where the validation of insurance has not gone smoothly and some of our clients have had a frustrating time obtaining a plate renewal. This can happen when:

• when road coverage has recently been added to a vehicle
• if there is an error in the VIN number in the data base
• if the vehicle is insured on a auto fleet or garage policy

The good news is that they will now accept a faxed or copied valid pink slip as proof of insurance. The pink slip must show the name of the insurance company, may not be hand written and may not be ‘expired.’ The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the pink card must match the VIN that is on the Licensing and Control System (LCS). The name on the pink card should match the name on the plate portion of the permit, or at a minimum, include the name that is on the permit.

For example, the pink card may be in the names of John and Jane Doe and the permit in the name of John Doe.

There are cases where the names on the pink card and permit may be similar, but do not match exactly and this is acceptable. These scenarios include vehicles that are insured under a fleet/garage policy.

For example, it is acceptable if the name on the pink card is ‘Smith Trading Inc., owned/operated by J. Smith’ and the name on the permit is ‘John Smith.’