A Canadian man has reportedly legally changed his gender to female to take advantage of lower car insurance rates.

An Alberta man in his early 20s says he will save nearly $1,100 in the cost of auto insurance as a result of his decision to change his gender on his government IDs to “female.”

“I have taken advantage of a loophole,” said the man who is being called “David” by the CBC in order to comply with his request to protect his identity.

David identifies as a male and – since he is under 25 – is considered at higher risk for collision. His driving record already includes a collision and at least one ticket. When he was given a quote of some $4,500 per year for car insurance for a Chevrolet Cruze with all the bells and whistles, however, he asked what the cost would be if he were a woman. The car insurer’s response: about $3,400, a difference of $1,100.

“I was pretty angry about that,” he told CBC. “And I didn’t feel like getting screwed over any more. So I asked them to change my gender on my auto policy, and she’s like, we can’t do that.”

David discovered, however, that – under the previous regulations in Alberta – he only needed a doctor’s note to show the government he identifies as female – even though he does not.

“It was pretty simple,” he said. “I just basically asked for it and told them that I identify as a woman, or I’d like to identify as a woman, and he wrote me the letter I wanted.”

After a few weeks, he received a new birth certificate from the government indicating he is female. Subsequently, he changed his driver’s license and car insurance policy to reflect the change in gender.

“I was quite shocked, but I was also relieved,” he said. “I felt like I beat the system. I felt like I won.”

Since June, Albertans no longer even require a doctor’s note to change their gender. A simple marker as M, F or X – for those who claim to identify as a gender other than male or female.

David now saves $91 per month on car insurance.

“I’m a man, 100 per cent. Legally, I’m a woman,” he said.

Steve Kee, spokesman for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, told CBC, “If you’re going to declare on any document, you need to be truthful. If not, you’re making a fraudulent claim. This could impact you for any future insurance application that you make, or any other aspect of your life.”