How to Reinstate Your Drivers License

Understanding the process and supports available in British Columbia to get you back in the drivers seat ...

Over the years we have helped many clients understand the consequences and the process to get their drivers license back from  former suspensions or prohibitions, to being prohibited indefinitely.  

We believe firmly in second chances and improved safe driving behaviour and this section is designed to support you in navigating the process from paying fines to court mandated driver improvement programs.  

How to pay a traffic violation ticket

For many community members living far from urban centers, paying a ticket can feel overwhelming when it could be a decision between days off work to get to Service BC or forgoing groceries for a ride to town.  Instead of traveling and incurring further costs, you can now pay it online or over the phone with ICBC.  To find out more information, please click the link here.

How to dispute a ticket

If you feel that you can dispute a ticket that has been written, there are a few different ways to do this, from calling in to ICBC or applying online.  To find out more information, please click the  link here.  

If you received a letter that you have been suspended or prohibited from driving

If you received a letter that you have been suspended or prohibited from driving, it is really important that you stop driving right away.  Continuing to drive could result in heavier consequences that are hard to overcome.  

The letter you received should state how long you have been suspended or prohibited for and what the process is to acknowledge your prohibition.  The timing of your prohibition or suspension only starts once you have signed the letter and submitted to Road Safety BC, including surrendering your drivers license.  Even if you stop driving, the prohibition or suspension only starts once the signed letter is submitted.  

This can be done my mail, at a Service BC office, or ICBC office and in some cases at your local RCMP detachment.  If you are surrendering your drivers license, it will be important you get a piece of government issued photo ID like a BC Services Card or BCID.  These can be issued from a Service BC or ICBC office.  

If you hold a class 7N drivers license at the time of your prohibition, once your drivers license is reinstated your class 7N will start at the beginning meaning, if you had 2 months left of this stage of your  license when you were prohibited, you will now have 24 months until you can qualify for your full class 5 drivers license.  

Remedial Driving Program (RDP) and Interlock support

If your driving prohibition is court ordered and you are required to participate in a remedial driving program, this is offered by the service provider CAMH.  This organization holds the contract with Road Safety BC and this course cannot be provided by another organization.   

Unlike workshops and programs prior to COVID, this course can now be offered online and over the phone.  CAMH also provides some financial support if your are on social assistance or payment programs if needed.  Note that all payments must be made prior to having your drivers license reinstated.  

Interlock requirements are separate from the CAMH program.  

You can find out more here about installation and your ongoing requirements to have the interlock serviced throughout your prohibition.  

Reinstating Your Drivers License

Once your prohibition has been served, it is time to reinstate your drivers license.  It is important to know that this will require you to pay a reinstatement fee of $250 on top of your fines.  Often times this is not included in your prohibition letter and so it can come as a bit of a surprise.  

In the past, we have also supported students who were prohibited from driving that had not previously held a valid drivers license.  What happens when you receive a ticket while driving unlicensed it that you are issued a customer number.  This same number will become your drivers license number going forward.  

Even though you have not held a valid drivers license before, you are still required to pay the reinstatement fee.  

If You Would Like to Reinstate Your Drivers License that Has Been Expired for More Than Three Years

Sometimes it is possible that a driver has chosen or through circumstances to let their license expire for more than three years and would like to have it reinstated.  If you have held a valid class 5 drivers license previously, the driver would go into an ICBC appointed agent and take a free 15 questions signs test.

Once this test is passed, a yellow learners license would be issued.  This is different than a class 7L license.  The driver would still require a co-pilot to legally drive but may at any time schedule their full class 5 road test once they are confident to do so.  

It is important to know that sometimes due to testing demand, there can be a wait when scheduling road tests.  Ideally if there are issues that need to be resolved in a prohibition or suspension situation, they would be taken care of in the three year period to avoid another road test.