Have you had no claims on your auto insurance for one or more years? If so, you may qualify for a discount on your ICBC Autoplan insurance.
You’ll have to get a “claim history letter” from each insurance company you’ve held an auto insurance policy with during the past eight years. Each letter must:
Provide the claim history letter(s) to an Autoplan broker when you buy your insurance in B.C.
If the claim history letter is not written in English, it must also be:
Find a certified translator in B.C. (Disclaimer)
As a new B.C. resident, you may still be able to apply for an insurance discount if:
For details, print these instructions and application form. (Application fee: $20.)
New B.C. residents: Please speak to an Autoplan broker
Outside B.C.: Call ICBC Customer Contact: 1-800-663-3051
If you're already in B.C., please speak to an ICBC Autoplan broker.
Most used vehicles being registered in B.C. for the first time must pass a mechanical safety inspection before they can be registered, licensed and insured. (Trailers and motorcycles don’t need an inspection.)
Vehicles returning to B.C. after being registered outside the province must pass a mechanical safety inspection, too.
To get a mechanical safety inspection, go to a “designated inspection facility” (The B.C. Ministry of Transportation keeps a list of these facilities on its website.)
Rebuilt, altered or constructed vehicles (including kit vehicles) require a structural inspection along with the mechanical safety inspection.
Once your vehicle has passed the inspection, take your vehicle with a copy of the inspection report and your current registration to an Autoplan broker to register and insure your vehicle in B.C. The broker must be able to visually check the Vehicle Identification Number [click for definition] on the vehicle.
If you are bringing a vehicle into Canada from another country, check the requirements on the Transport Canada web site and the Registrar of Imported Vehicles site. Or you can call the Registrar of Imported Vehicles office at 1-888-848-8240.
You must register, license and insure any vehicle you bring to B.C. within 30 days of its arrival here. (Vehicles intended for commercial use must be registered, licensed and insured immediately.)
You have up to 90 days to get your B.C. driver's licence.
However, you need to have a B.C. driver's licence for ID when you buy your insurance if you plan to take advantage of our 12 month payment plan, that lets you pay for your annual insurance policy in 12 monthly payments. If you don't have a B.C. driver's licence or any recent history with ICBC, you will have to start out on the six month payment plan if you want financing for your premium.
You may not need to licence and insure your vehicle here, but you may need a permit. Find out more.
In some parts of B.C., your vehicle will have to pass an AirCare test before your first renewal. Your first registration is exempt. The test measures your car's emissions. Whether your first registration is for three months or an entire year, you will need to pass AirCare before you can renew. The requirements vary according to the age of the car, too. Visit AirCare's web site for complete details.
Please phone ICBC Customer Contact.
B.C. Lower Mainland: 604-661-2800
Elsewhere: 1-800-663-3051
