If your licence is suspended | Reapplying for your licence after suspension
If you've been convicted of a motor vehicle-related Criminal Code of Canada offence [click for definition] your driver's licence will be suspended for:
The suspension is based on certain conditions such as when the offences occurred, when you were convicted and the number of convictions you have.
The 1- or 3-year suspensions cannot be reduced or appealed. The indefinite suspension may be reduced if you meet certain requirements.
If your driver's licence has been suspended it must be turned in to ICBC or to the enforcement officer who serves you the notice of suspension. You may reapply for a driver's licence when the suspension has ended.
If you have been suspended for three or more years, you will be required to complete a re-examination of the class of licence that you held. The re-examination usually consists of a vision and road test, however, the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles may require further testing to satisfy driver fitness guidelines.
The driving suspension itself cannot be appealed. However, you can appeal the Criminal Code of Canada conviction on which the suspension is based.
If you appeal the conviction, you may apply for a stay of the suspension while the appeal is being heard.
If a judge approves a stay of suspension, then the driving suspension is temporarily removed until the appeal has been settled. If you have already surrendered your licence, you can get a free duplicate licence from an ICBC driver licensing office.
If the appeal is successful, then your licence and driving record are restored to their previous status. If the appeal is not successful, then the driving suspension is re-imposed.
If you are caught driving while suspended:
First conviction
Subsequent conviction
