What OPCF 16 does
OPCF 16 is an Ontario Policy Change Form that suspends specified coverages on a vehicle you are temporarily not using, while keeping the policy itself in force. The vehicle remains insured for limited perils (typically the comprehensive perils that can happen to a parked car — fire, theft, vandalism) while collision and other use-based coverages are paused.
The policy stays active, the vehicle stays on the carrier’s books, and your continuous-coverage history continues to accrue. When you bring the vehicle back into use, OPCF 17 reinstates the suspended coverages and you resume normal premiums.
When to use it
The classic Ontario use case is winter storage: a convertible, classic car, or recreational vehicle parked from October to April. Suspending the coverages you do not need (collision, road-use perils) while leaving fire and theft in place protects the vehicle from the things that can still happen to a parked car without paying for protection on things that can not.
Other common scenarios: snowbird trips of three months or more, extended medical leave during which a driver cannot operate the vehicle, military or work deployment, or holding a vehicle off the road while repairs or restoration are completed.
Why this is better than cancelling
Cancelling an auto policy entirely creates a coverage lapse. Lapses of even a few weeks are visible to every carrier that quotes you afterward and almost always result in higher premiums at the next renewal — sometimes for years. Ontario carriers price drivers with continuous coverage as a distinct, materially lower-risk group.
OPCF 16 lets you stop paying for the coverages you do not need during the storage period without losing your continuous-coverage status. It is the difference between a $30/month "off-the-road" cost and a several-year premium penalty at every future renewal.
What stays in force, what gets suspended
Exactly which coverages stay in force and which get suspended depends on the specific endorsement wording your carrier uses and what you elect. Typically: comprehensive (or its fire-and-theft-only subset) stays in force, collision is suspended, road-use coverages (third-party liability, accident benefits, DCPD, uninsured automobile) are suspended because they only apply when the vehicle is being operated.
During the suspension period the vehicle must not be operated. Driving a vehicle with OPCF 16 in force exposes you to operating without coverage — a much worse outcome than the storage saving.
How to reinstate
When you are ready to bring the vehicle back into use, your broker or carrier files OPCF 17 — the companion endorsement that reinstates the previously-suspended coverages. The vehicle returns to normal premium pricing from the reinstatement date forward.
Reinstatement typically takes effect on the date the endorsement is processed, not retroactively. Plan ahead: do not drive the vehicle until you have confirmation that OPCF 17 is in force.
Plates, registration, and OPCF 16
OPCF 16 is an insurance endorsement, not a plate or registration change. Whether you also deregister the plates with ServiceOntario depends on how long the vehicle will be off the road and whether you want to recover the plate-portion of registration fees.
Most short-to-medium storage periods do not warrant deregistering plates; for longer periods, deregistration may make sense. Talk to your broker — and confirm with ServiceOntario directly on the registration side, since they are separate processes.
Frequently asked
How long can I keep OPCF 16 in place?
There is no universal time limit — carriers handle it differently. Winter storage (5–6 months) is well within standard practice everywhere. Longer suspensions (a year or more) may prompt the carrier to review the policy or convert it to a different structure. Ask your broker before relying on OPCF 16 for an extended period.
Can I drive the vehicle just once during the suspension?
No. While OPCF 16 is in force the road-use coverages are suspended, which means you are uninsured for any operation of the vehicle. Even a short drive exposes you to driving without coverage. If you need to move the vehicle, file OPCF 17 first to reinstate the suspended coverages.
Will my premium go up when I reinstate with OPCF 17?
Your premium returns to the normal level for the reinstated coverages on the reinstatement date. The suspension period itself does not surcharge you, and because the policy stayed in force throughout, your continuous-coverage history is preserved — which is what protects you from the much larger premium hit a coverage lapse would have caused.
Is OPCF 16 the same as cancelling my insurance?
No, and the difference matters. Cancelling ends the policy and creates a coverage lapse on your record. OPCF 16 keeps the policy in force, suspends only the coverages you do not need during storage, and preserves your continuous-coverage history. The premium savings during the suspension are smaller than full cancellation, but you avoid the multi-year premium penalty that a lapse triggers.