All B.C. motorists must have Basic Autoplan [click for definition] coverage, no matter what they use their vehicle for.
It provides you with the minimum insurance coverage that the law says you need to have to be on the road here.
If you are:
then you may not need to licence and insure your vehicle here. Instead, you may only need to apply for and obtain a permit to operate your vehicle in B.C..
You must obtain the permit within 30 days of your arrival. If you don't already have any insurance, you'll have to buy some as part of the operating permit. For members of the armed forces, it will be good for up to six months, or until your existing insurance expires, whichever happens first. For students, it will be good for the duration of your studies as a full-time student, or until your existing insurance expires, whichever happens first.
Contact ICBC Interjurisdictional licensing/Financial Responsibility at (604) 443-4624 or toll-free (B.C. only) at 1-800-665-4336 for more information.
If you're using your vehicle only for touring purposes for less than six months, you don't have to register and license the vehicle here.
If you have licensed and insured a vehicle in B.C. and then leave the province with it before the insurance expires, you can cancel the vehicle's licence and insurance, and apply for a refund.
For information on how to cancel Autoplan insurance, contact your Autoplan broker or call Customer Contact at (604) 661-2800 from the Lower Mainland, or toll-free 1-800-663-3051 from elsewhere in North America.
