Last reviewed: 7 October 2026
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Where to complain about an insurance agent or an insurer in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan
The short answer: in each of these three provinces the council that licenses insurance agents takes complaints about agents, brokers and adjusters, and a complaint about the insurance company goes to a different office. The Alberta Insurance Council says it investigates complaints against insurance agents, brokers and independent adjusters, and that complaints about insurance companies are directed to the Superintendent of Insurance instead.[1] The Insurance Council of BC says it has no authority over insurers, which in BC are regulated by the BC Financial Services Authority.[2] The Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan say complaints about a particular licensed agent, agency or adjuster go to the Councils, while some complaints about an insurance company go to the Superintendent of Insurance.[3] This page reports those regulators' own descriptions. It does not rate any agent, broker or insurer.
The short version
- Conduct of a licensed agent, broker or adjuster: the provincial insurance council. Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan each say so on their own complaint pages.[1][2][3]
- The insurance company: a different regulator. Alberta says insurer complaints are not within its council's jurisdiction, BC says its council has no authority over insurers, and Saskatchewan's page directs company complaints that do not have to do with the value of loss or damage to property to the Superintendent of Insurance.[1][2][3]
- The BC and Saskatchewan councils each describe limits on what they can order. BC: the Council says it cannot order a licensee or an insurance company to make payment on a claim or refund premiums or service fees, or order restitution to a client.[2] Saskatchewan: the Councils say they cannot force an agent to resolve a complaint or give compensation.[3]
- Saskatchewan's page asks you to try to resolve the complaint with the agent or insurance company first, and says laws set limitation periods for starting court action.[3]
Who takes which complaint
| Province | Agent, broker or adjuster | Insurance company |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Alberta Insurance Council, using its complaint form[1] | Superintendent of Insurance, Alberta Treasury Board and Finance[1] |
| British Columbia | Insurance Council of BC, in writing[2] | BC Financial Services Authority regulates insurers[2]; the Council's list of regulators says BCFSA addresses complaints against insurance companies but does not resolve individual claims disputes[6] |
| Saskatchewan | Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan, Consumer Complaint form[3] | Superintendent of Insurance and Real Estate Division, Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority, for a complaint that does not have to do with the value of loss or damage to property[3] |
Alberta
- The Alberta Insurance Council (AIC) says it investigates complaints against insurance agents, brokers and independent adjusters. To complain, you submit the complaint form with a summary of your concerns, the names of the companies or individuals involved and any supporting documents.[1]
- AIC lists three parts of its review: validation of the complaint, determination of jurisdictional authority, and relation to a breach of the Insurance Act and its Regulations. It says you will be contacted if the investigator needs more information, and advised of the outcome at the end.[1]
- AIC says it does not investigate complaints about insurance companies and that they are not within its jurisdiction; it directs them to the Superintendent of Insurance in Alberta Treasury Board and Finance.[1]
- Its investigations page says the Compliance Department investigates complaints from consumers, agents, adjusters and insurance companies, and from police and other regulators. After gathering the evidence it decides whether there is enough for disciplinary action or whether the matter should go to another regulatory body or the police; if the evidence is insufficient the file is closed.[4]
- Its Council Decisions page says that, by order of the Minister of Finance, decisions of the General, Life and Adjusters' Insurance Councils are to be published, and that they are searchable by individual or agency name.[5]
British Columbia
- The Insurance Council of BC says it licenses and regulates insurance agents, salespersons, independent adjusters, agencies and firms, and can investigate and discipline them for breaching Council's Rules, Code of Conduct or the Financial Institutions Act.[2]
- It asks for the complaint in writing, with your full name, the licensee's full name, a timeline of the incident and the events that followed, and supporting documents.[2]
- A Compliance Officer reviews the complaint and may request more information from you and from the licensee. The page lists the possible outcomes of that review: referral for investigation; concluded for lack of jurisdiction, possibly with a referral to another regulator; closed with a Reminder letter, a Best Practices letter or a Compliance Agreement; dismissed for insufficient evidence or because the matter is not a breach; or other reasonable action.[2]
- It says some matters are outside its authority: settling claims disputes, mediating or ruling on disagreements about refunds, providing policy interpretations, and matters unrelated to insurance. It also says it is unable to make referrals directly to insurers.[2]
- A matter that goes further can reach a Review Committee, which can recommend discipline to the full voting Council; the page says the voting Council either accepts the recommendation or decides a different outcome.[2]
Saskatchewan
- The Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan say they assist consumers in resolving disputes that relate to insurance transactions occurring in Saskatchewan, and ask you to try to resolve the complaint with the agent or insurance company before sending in the Consumer Complaint form.[3]
- For a complaint against an insurance company that is not about the value of loss or damage to property, the page points to the Superintendent of Insurance and an Insurance Complaint Form. It says complaints about a particular licensed agent, agency or adjuster belong with the Councils.[3]
- The page says Ombudsman Saskatchewan has jurisdiction over the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation but not over private insurance companies, private life insurance or health insurance such as long-term disability benefits. For those it names the General Insurance Ombudservice and the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Ombudservice as organizations you may wish to contact.[3]
Other provinces
The Insurance Council of BC publishes a list of the insurance regulators for the other provinces and territories, including the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, and the Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, the Chambre de la sécurité financière and the Autorité des marchés financiers in Quebec.[6] This page does not describe their complaint steps. For Quebec's disciplinary system, see Quebec's two-body disciplinary system.
How to verify this yourself
The three regulators' complaint pages are linked in the references and show the current forms and contact details.
What this page does not cover
We do not rate or name any agent, broker or insurer, say whether any complaint would succeed, or describe the complaint process of the Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic or territorial regulators, or the BC Financial Services Authority's own steps. We do not cover how an insurer's claim decision is appealed, ombudsman service rules, or limitation periods, which differ by province. This site's Register and standard cover United States agents only. This is general information, not insurance, tax or legal advice. For your own situation, ask your agent or insurer, or contact your state or provincial insurance regulator.
Your next step
The tables above show which office takes which kind of complaint, whether it concerns the person who sold or serviced the policy or the insurance company. Each regulator's own page, linked below, has its current form and contact details.
Related checks
Our standard explains how we check an agent's license and disciplinary history. Check an agent reports our findings at category level, as a method and not a verdict. Neither reviews any insurer, plan or product. To check whether someone is licensed first, see how to check a Canadian agent's license. For how the provincial regulators fit together, see how Canada's provincial insurance regulators work. More plain-language guides are in the agent guides.
When we will update this page
We re-read the sources when they change. If something here is out of date, tell us. Corrections are dated on the page.
References
- [1] Alberta Insurance Council, "Make a complaint", read 7 October 2026 — abcouncil.ab.ca/complaints-enforcement/make-a-complaint/
- [2] Insurance Council of British Columbia, "Making a Complaint", read 7 October 2026 — insurancecouncilofbc.com/consumer-information/making-a-complaint/
- [3] Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan, "Making a Complaint", read 7 October 2026 — skcouncil.sk.ca/consumer-information/making-a-complaint/
- [4] Alberta Insurance Council, "Investigations", read 7 October 2026 — abcouncil.ab.ca/complaints-enforcement/investigations/
- [5] Alberta Insurance Council, "Council Decisions", read 7 October 2026 — abcouncil.ab.ca/complaints-enforcement/council-decisions/
- [6] Insurance Council of British Columbia, "Other Regulatory Bodies", read 7 October 2026 — insurancecouncilofbc.com/consumer-information/other-regulatory-bodies/
What you can do next
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