A Guide to OPCF Endorsements: What Are They and Do You Need Them?
TL;DR What are OPCF endorsements, and do you need them?
OPCFs, or Ontario Policy Change Forms, are standardized endorsements used to customize your car insurance coverage in Ontario. They allow you to extend, modify, or restrict your policy in specific ways to add perks or save on premiums.
Some OPCFs are optional add-ons designed to enhance your coverage, and you’re not required to purchase them. Others are intended to protect the financial interest of a leasing or financing company in your vehicle. While these endorsements are technically optional, lenders and lessors will often require them as a condition of your loan or lease.
In general, OPCF endorsements are a relatively low-cost way to tailor your policy so it better fits your needs.
OPCF 5: Extends your policy to leased vehicles
Official title: Permission to Rent or Lease Automobiles and Extending Coverage to the Specified Lessee(s)
If you lease a vehicle long-term, you may need this endorsement to extend your personal auto insurance coverage to the leased vehicle. OPCF 5 helps to clarify which parts of your insurance policy apply to you as the vehicle’s primary operator, and which apply to the leasing company that owns the vehicle.
For example, OPCF 5 establishes that your accident benefits and uninsured automobile coverage apply to you as the driver, but coverage that deals with physical damage to the vehicle may involve the leasing company as the owner.
OPCF 16: A pause button for your car insurance
Official title: Suspension of Coverage
OPCF 16 (Suspension of Coverage) allows you to temporarily suspend your coverage if you plan to put your vehicle in storage and not drive it for an extended period of time. Suspending your coverage reduces the premiums you owe while your car is in storage, and may even earn you a refund.
When you use OPCF 16, all your mandatory coverage—third-party liability, accident benefits, uninsured automobile coverage, and direct compensation property damage (DCPD)—will be suspended, along with any coverage for collision or upset. The primary coverage that remains active under OPCF 16 is comprehensive coverage, which protects your car against theft, vandalism, severe weather, fire, and other non-collision perils while it’s not being driven.
You may want to use OPCF 16 to suspend your coverage if:
- You’re planning an extended vacation
- You own a car that you don’t drive for part of the year, such as a car that stays at your summer home
- You own a vehicle that’s not driveable (e.g., currently having mechanical issues) but that you want to insure against comprehensive perils
- You’re temporarily unable to drive due to health issues, injury, or license suspension
OPCF 16 goes hand-in-hand with OPCF 17, which is used to reinstate coverage when you’re ready to drive again.
OPCF 17: Restarts your policy
Official title: Reinstatement of Coverage
If you’ve used OPCF 16 to place a temporary pause on your car insurance policy, OPCF 17 brings your coverage back into force when you’re ready. It specifies that you won’t be able to file a claim from the period when OPCF 16 was in force that would have been payable using coverage that was suspended.
OPCF 19A: A choose-your-own-value option for collector cars
Official title: Agreed Value of Automobiles
If you own a classic or antique car, you’re all too aware that its value is hard to assess. This can create conflicts with insurance companies in the event of a loss, which is why OPCF 19A exists.
OPCF 19A establishes the value of your insured vehicle as agreed upon by you and your insurer. You may hire a professional appraiser to calculate your car’s unique value and offer documentation to your insurer. If your carrier accepts this valuation, OPCF 19A guarantees that they’ll honor that value in the event of a total loss claim.
Don’t confuse OPCF 19A, which establishes agreed value, with OPCF 19, which actually limits your insurance payout to the actual cash value (ACV) of your vehicle at the time of loss. In the case of classic or collectible cars in particular, ACV may be significantly lower than the agreed value as defined by a professional appraiser.
OPCF 20: Helps you pay for a rental car during claims
Official title: Coverage for Transportation Replacement
Also known as a “loss of use” endorsement, OPCF 20 helps to pay for a rental vehicle while your insured vehicle is being repaired or replaced following a covered loss. It can also be used to pay for taxis or public transportation.
Be aware that rental car insurance coverage under OPCF 20 is subject to per-day and per-occurence limits. It also only covers the exact time period when you’re unable to drive your car.
If your car breaks down through normal use or is damaged by a peril that’s not covered by your auto insurance policy, such as intentional damage, you won’t be able to cover alternative transportation using OPCF 20.
OPCF 27: Covers you when you’re driving a rental
Official title: Liability for Damage to Non-Owned Automobile(s), and Other Coverages When Insured Persons Drive, Rent or Lease Other Automobiles
If you’re renting or borrowing a car that you don’t own, OPCF 27 provides physical damage coverage for that non-owned vehicle. It can also extend the accident benefits, third-party liability coverage, uninsured automobile coverage, and direct compensation property damage (DCPD) coverage from your personal policy to the non-owned vehicle, although limitations may apply to this coverage.
OPCF 27 is a simple way to avoid paying added fees at the rental counter for the extra coverage offered by the rental car company. It defines coverage limits and deductibles for your coverage in a non-owned vehicle and imposes an additional premium in exchange for this additional coverage.
OPCF 43: Guarantees a full-value payout for new cars
Official title: Removing Depreciation Deduction
You’ve heard it before: your new car loses 10% of its value the minute you drive it off the dealer’s lot. That’s a problem for new car owners when it comes to car insurance claims, which could vastly undershoot what you just paid for a new vehicle if you’re unlucky enough to suffer a major loss shortly after purchase.
Enter OPCF 43, which removes depreciation from the equation and ensures that you’ll receive up to the lowest of the following options:
- The actual purchase price you paid for the vehicle
- The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)
- The cost to replace your totaled vehicle with a comparable new vehicle of the same make and model
OPCF 44R: Covers the gap when you’re hurt by an underinsured driver
Official title: Family Protection Coverage
All Ontario car insurance policies include uninsured automobile coverage, which helps to cover medical bills and vehicle repairs if you’re hit by an uninsured driver. But what happens if the other driver is insured, but with only the legal minimum for liability?
What can happen is a significant coverage gap, sometimes as large as $100,000 or more, that can’t be covered by standard uninsured automobile coverage or by the at-fault driver. OPCF 44R closes the gap by raising your uninsured automobile coverage limits to match your own liability limit and applying it to an accident with an underinsured driver.
OPCF 44R is often called the Family Protection Endorsement, since it applies to accidents where you or a family member are injured or killed by an underinsured driver. It can also be applied to hit-and-run accidents.
OPCF 49: Waives DCPD and collision coverage
Official title: Agreement Not to Recover for Loss or Damage from an Automobile Collision
While most OPCFs extend or augment your coverage, OPCF 49 actually reduces it by waiving direct compensation property damage (DCPD) and collision or upset coverage, along with the right to recover damages through the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.
Essentially, OPCF 49 says “if my car is damaged in a collision, I’ll eat the costs myself.”
This add-on isn’t recommended for most drivers, but it can be a cost-saving measure if your insured vehicle is worth very little. Consult with an insurance broker or advisor before trying to add this endorsement to your policy.
Common endorsements without an OPCF number
In addition to the OPCFs listed above, most auto insurance companies offer some endorsements and perks that may not have an official OPCF number. These may include:
- Roadside assistance
- Accident forgiveness
- Disappearing deductibles
- Limits on glass coverage
- Minor conviction forgiveness
Available endorsements will vary considerably from carrier to carrier, so do your research and consider working with a broker to customize your car insurance quotes with add-on coverage.
OPCFs are standardized on the provincial level and can be added to any auto insurance policy from any insurer that does business in Ontario. But endorsements without an OPCF number are essentially proprietary insurance products offered by individual carriers; while they may be similar from company to company, there’s no requirement that all insurers offer all endorsements.
FAQ: OPCF endorsements
This article is for general information only and is not insurance or legal advice. Examples and any sample quotes or rate ranges are illustrative and do not constitute an offer or guarantee of coverage, price, or eligibility. Actual coverage, discounts, and premiums depend on your individual circumstances and the insurer provider; if there is any discrepancy, your policy and insurer documentation govern. For advice about your situation, speak with one of our licensed insurance professionals.