Nova Scotia Regulation 208/2026 amends the Automobile Insurance Contract Mandatory Conditions Regulations, N.S. Reg. 181/2003, under the Insurance Act. The amendment establishes a three-month transition period for new automobile insurance contract termination requirements and changes how insurers must provide notice when terminating policies.

The central change is the introduction of Section 2A, which creates transitional rules covering automobile insurance contracts entered into, renewed or reinstated between October 1 and December 31, 2026. During this period, a contract satisfies the termination requirements of Section 112 of the Insurance Act if it contains either the existing mandatory termination conditions in Schedule 1 or the transitional conditions established in new Schedule 1A.

The transitional provisions allow insurers to use either set of conditions during the three-month period. However, after December 31, 2026, contracts entered into, renewed or reinstated must contain only the permanent termination conditions in Schedule 1. Schedule 1A will cease to have effect at that point. Importantly, contracts that were lawfully entered into, renewed or reinstated during the transition period and contain the Schedule 1A conditions do not have to be amended, reissued or endorsed merely because they remain in force after December 31, 2026. This prevents insurers from having to revise existing policies solely because the temporary provisions have expired.

The regulation changes the termination notice period contained in Schedule 1. Under the amended condition 8(1)(a), an insurer may terminate an automobile insurance contract by giving the insured 15 days’ written notice when the notice is sent by registered mail. The shorter five-day notice period continues to apply when notice is personally delivered. A five-day period also applies when notice is provided electronically, provided that the insured has consented to receiving documents electronically.

The amendment also changes when the registered-mail notice period begins. Under revised subcondition 8(5), the 15-day period starts on the day following receipt of the registered letter at the post office to which it is addressed. This provides a defined starting point for calculating the insurer’s termination notice period.

Schedule 1A preserves the previous termination framework temporarily. During the transition period, an insurer using Schedule 1A must provide 30 days’ written notice when terminating a contract by registered mail. The five-day period remains applicable to personal delivery and electronic notice where the insured has consented to electronic documents. Under transitional subcondition 8(5), the 30-day registered-mail period begins on the second day after the insurer mails the registered letter.

Nova Scotia (208/2026) October 6, 2026
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