Sask. Opposition calls for SGI to scrap inspection requirement for out-of-province vehicles

Chris Edwards · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP is calling connected the provincial authorities to driblet the request for utilized vehicles bought extracurricular of the state to beryllium inspected earlier they tin beryllium registered.

"If a conveyance is insured and deemed roadworthy successful different province, that should beryllium capable to get it connected the roadworthy here," Hugh Gordon, the NDP's professional for SGI, said on Thursday.

"It makes nary consciousness that a operator who finds a large woody connected a conveyance should look other costs and reddish tape."

Currently, if a utilized conveyance is bought extracurricular of Saskatchewan, it indispensable walk inspection astatine a Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) approved presumption earlier it tin beryllium registered and issued car insurance.

The inspection outgo varies connected the size of the conveyance and its condition. According to Jarrod Callan from Midas Auto successful Regina, the emblematic outgo is conscionable nether $200.

Callan said helium is very against the NDP's projected regularisation change.

"I deliberation determination should beryllium much safety, not less," helium said, noting that successful Manitoba, an inspection is required earlier idiosyncratic tin merchantability immoderate conveyance careless of origin.

In a statement, SGI said the inspections are important to ensuring roadworthy safety and reducing the hazard of fraud. It noted that specified inspections are mandatory successful each different provinces.

"Mandatory conveyance inspections besides guarantee that rebuilt total-loss vehicles (and vehicles progressive successful unreported collisions successful different jurisdiction) are decently repaired earlier returning to the road," it said.

"If Saskatchewan were to go the lone state successful Canada to destruct the requirement, this could effect successful our state being utilized arsenic the introduction constituent for unsafe oregon stolen vehicles to beryllium registered present by unscrupulous radical and past enactment backmost connected the market."

According to SGI, 32,200 inspections of non-commercial airy vehicles bought extracurricular Saskatchewan were done successful 2024. That was a flimsy summation for 31,500 inspections successful 2023.

Saskatchewan's inspection request doesn't use to utilized vehicles bought wrong the province. The NDP said this means it's an unnecessary obstruction to interprovincial trade.

"Right present if you bargain a 2024 conveyance successful Medicine Hat oregon Brandon, you person to wage retired of pouch for mechanical inspection earlier SGI volition insure," Gordon said. "But you tin bargain a 20-year-old junker successful the province, locomotion into SGI with a measure of merchantability and they'll registry it nary problem. That makes nary sense."

The NDP cited a caller survey by the MacDonald Laurier Institute that recovered Canada's GDP could beryllium boosted by up to $18.1 cardinal if Saskatchewan were to motion a communal designation statement with Alberta. Such an statement would marque qualifications and certifications granted successful 1 state use arsenic successful the other.

"We support proceeding astir the request to fortify Canada's system and trim interior commercialized barriers. This is 1 elemental factual measurement Saskatchewan tin instrumentality close now," NDP commercialized and export improvement professional Kim Breckner said.