You should sign the vehicle purchase agreement with a car dealer first and pay a deposit for the car you choose to buy. then you get the car information such as year, model, price, mileage and most important, the VIN (vehicle identification number). with these information, you call several insurance companies to ask for a quotation for your car. normally the main factors related to your insurance premium are your age, marriage, drive records, daily use of car (commuter to work or not, how far), have you been trained in a driver program (discount factor for new drivers), and your car information. If you are a student of Carleton or UO, they have designated insurance companies giving special discount. anyway, you will find a cheapest quotation and sign that one. remember, the quotation is very different for individuals. the company giving the cheapest to your friends, even you think you are almost the same conditions, may not be the best one for you, so you must try several insurance companies to get the best deal for you.
The insurance company will fax you some documents for you to check all the information are correct and you sign and fax back to them. you will receive a fax of your insurance certificate with your name and your car information and insurance policy number after you pay the first month payment if you choose to pay monthly. then you can go the car deal to show them your insurance certificate on the fax, pay your balance and drive the car home. The original certificate will be mailed to you in following days.