We've reduced the need for in-person contact during the pandemic.

Many insurance transactions can now be completed via phone and email. Call your Autoplan broker for more details about:

• New policies
• Renewals
• Transfer of ownership
• Policy changes

Please note that insurance services are currently not available at ICBC's head office.

Cancelling your policy

If you want to cancel your policy to reduce costs during the pandemic, we've introduced some temporary changes to help.

For all drivers:

• The $30 cancellation charge will be waived when you cancel insurance.
• The $18 plating fee will be waived when you choose to reinstate an insurance policy on your vehicle.

If you do cancel your policy, please remember to:

• Remove your licence plate and store it somewhere safe until you reinstate insurance or it's safe to return the plates to your Autoplan broker.
• Park your vehicle off the road.
• Call your Autoplan broker about options such as getting a storage policy to ensure your vehicle is protected while it's not in use.

For businesses / fleets:

• Up until August 20, you can suspend insurance without the need to cancel the owner's certificate on fleet vehicles that are not being driven.

• A temporary exemption, up until August 20, allowing customers who are currently not insured for delivery use to use their vehicle without restriction for delivering food and medical supplies as employees during the pandemic. It does not apply to commercial delivery companies and drivers who provide delivery services in normal times.

Assistance for customers reinsuring after cancelling:

We recognize that many customers chose to cancel their insurance policies as a result of the pandemic, something they wouldn't have ordinarily done. When customers cancelled their policies, they may not have been aware that there could be some changes in their premium costs when they came back to reinsure, as a result of rates and factors that have changed since their last renewal.

Policy cost changes could happen for some customers because of a number of factors, such as converting to the new insurance system, at fault claims or optional rate changes.  However, customers may be experiencing these price changes earlier than they normally would have because of the cancellation.

In recognition of this, we are providing assistance so that customers who cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic and are eligible when they reinsure aren't seeing an increase in their insurance rate until their original insurance expiry date.

We will be identifying these customers in the coming weeks and automatically mailing them a cheque. If you would like to contact ICBC in the meantime, please call Customer Service at 604-661-2800 or 1-800-663-3051.

We're aware that you might be facing financial challenges during the pandemic, so we're helping to provide some relief.

If you're on a monthly Autoplan payment plan, you can apply to defer* your payments for up to 90 days without penalty. Payment deferral is also available for fleets.

Please note that if your account is not up to date, you won't be eligible to defer payments, but if you let us know, we'll work with you to find a solution.

How to defer your monthly payments

• Apply for a deferral using our online request form  before 6pm on the business day before your payment is due.
• You'll get an email confirming that your request has been processed.
• Please note that the total sum of your deferred payments will be withdrawn on your deferral date.

If you're going to be unable to make your deferred payment on the deferral date, then please contact us to discuss payment options:

• Call 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
• Email accountservices@icbc.com, including your phone number and your driver licence number or licence plate number.

*Payment deferral refers to the postponement, or delay, of payment owed.

We've partnered with the Ministries of Health and Citizens' Services to reduce the need for in-person contact during the pandemic.

British Columbia Driver Licence (BCDL)

In an effort to resume in-person transactions and with the health and safety of our customers and employees as our priority, we will be welcoming customers with a phased approach.

Please call us at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300 if you need to:

• Renew an existing BCDL that is within 6 weeks of your card expiry date.
• Renew a temporary (paper) BCDL if you are unable to attend a driver licensing office
• Reinstate a BCDL that has been cancelled, prohibited or suspended and is now eligible for a reinstatement

The driver licensing fee, photo and signature (where needed) will not be collected at the time of your call. Instead, we'll mail you a temporary driver's licence displaying an expiry date. Then, when it's safe for you to visit a driver licensing office, you'll be able to obtain your photo BCDL, pay any fees and provide your signature.

These temporary procedures apply if your driver licence expires within six weeks or has not been expired for more than three years.

Renewal of temporary (paper) driver's licences

If you have already renewed over the phone and your temporary (paper) licence is expiring our driver licensing offices are open to serve you. You can visit us to obtain your photo driver's licence at which time you will be required to pay the renewal fee and bring two pieces of identification, one primary and one secondary.

Please do not attend an office if you:

• have traveled outside of Canada within the last 14 days
• have been in close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) within the last 14 days
• have symptoms of COVID-19 such as respiratory illness or difficulty breathing, a fever greater than 38.0ᴼC (100.4ᴼ F) or a cough
• have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days

British Columbia Services Card

If you're currently unable to obtain or renew your BC Services Card, you can get a temporary Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage extension or a confirmation of MSP coverage letter. Please call Health Insurance BC at 1 800 663-7100 or 604 683-7151.

If you're a MSP Beneficiary, you can access provincial health care services using the Provincial Health Number (PHN) on your expired BC Services Card, along with another piece of ID. 

If you use the mobile BC Services Card, you'll have continued temporary access to online government services.

For more information visit:

• Ministry of Health and MSP coverage
• Ministry of Citizens' Services and Mobile BC Services Card

We’ve made it easier to access injury care during the pandemic.

If you have an ongoing injury claim, your initial pre-authorized treatment period will extend until at least July 31, 2020, or 12 weeks from the date of the crash - whichever is later.

To reduce the need for in-person contact, we're also temporarily funding telehealth services to provide healthcare online using phone and video technology.

Please talk to your healthcare provider to find out if these services are available to you. Telehealth services may be available for:

• Chiropractors
• Counsellors
• Physicians
• Kinesiologists
• Occupational Therapist
• Psychologists
• Physiotherapist

We ask that you only attend an office for transactions that cannot be done by phone or online or if you have an appointment booked for a knowledge or road test and if you're not showing symptoms.

Due to physical distancing guidelines, we are limiting the number of customers in our offices.

We've changed our driver licensing online and phone services during the pandemic.

The following services are now only offered online:

• Get your driving record
• Change your address

If you received a ticket that starts with the letter "E" or "S", you may be able to pay it online at PayBC. All others may be paid by phone at 1-888-343-2240 or 604-661-2240.

You'll need to provide an ICBC key word for many driver licensing transactions. If you need to reset your ICBC key word, please call 1-800-950-1498. 

Enhanced Driver Licenses (EDL) and Enhanced ID Cards (EIC) appointments are currently suspended. Any questions please contact the Driver Licensing Contact Centre 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300. 

We are contacting customers with an appointment to inform them of this change, and advising them of the option to replace their EDL/EIC with a DL/BCID.

Starting June 1, 2020, we will be resuming knowledge tests for all applicants across the province. To book an appointment please call 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300 and leave a voicemail. A representative will return your call within three business days and in the order of which the voicemail is received. Please only leave one voicemail.

All appointments will be 45 minutes per knowledge test and there will be no stand-by appointments at this time.

First knowledge test fees will be waived for Learner Driver's Licences (class 5-8) that expired on or after March 17, 2020. Any further test fees will not be waived. This change is in effect immediately until 90 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency is lifted.

Translation services for knowledge testing will also be reinstated effective June 1st, 2020, adhering to WorkSafeBC guidelines. At a minimum, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as a basic mask (disposable, cloth etc.) for both you and your translator must be worn when conducting tests. We will not provide any PPE and if a customer or translator is not wearing a mask, they will be asked to leave.

If you require a translator, please inform your representative when booking your appointment. Please check the translation service page for more information. 

We’ve made it easier to drive with a valid out-of-province licence during the pandemic.

New B.C. residents

If you are new to B.C. and the 90-day requirement to obtain a B.C. driver's licence (BCDL) expired on or after March 17, you may continue to drive legally in BC under the terms and conditions of the licence you hold.

Visitors to B.C.

If you are a visitor whose 6-month exemption expired on or after March 17, you may continue driving with your valid out-of-province driver's licence.

Students

If you are a student who was exempt from getting a BCDL on or after March 17, you may continue driving here providing you're still registered and attending school, or the reason you are not is due to COVID-19.

Temporary foreign workers

Temporary foreign workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, are exempt from getting a BCDL while participating in the program, so may continue driving here under the terms of the program.

Please note that:

• These changes do not apply to you if, on March 17, you were not able to legally drive in B.C. with your out-of-province licence, due to letting the time period lapse.
• If your licence is from a jurisdiction that has a reciprocal exchange agreement with B.C., you can switch to a B.C. driver's licence immediately.
• If your licence is from a jurisdiction that does not have a reciprocal agreement with B.C., you can book an appointment to take the knowledge test by calling us at 1-800-950-1498.

We're continuing with our phased approach of increasing the in-person driver licensing services we provide, while maintaining health and safety as a top priority.

We will be calling all customers who had a road test cancelled between March 17 and March 30 to reschedule their appointment.

• Commercial (Class 1-4) road tests including stand-alone commercial pre-trip appointments and testing for heavy trailers resumed on June 11. Please call our driver licensing call centre to book a class 1-4 road test on 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300.
• Essential health care workers and first responders who require a licence for their job can call us at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300 from July 7 for priority testing. These road tests will begin on July 20.
• If you had a Class 5 or 7 road test cancelled after March 30, we expect you will be able to re-book through the month of August. Additional booking procedures will be announced in the coming weeks.
• You will be able to book these road tests for motorcycle and recreational trailers starting July 7 by phone at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300. Motorcycle road tests will also be available for customers to book
  online.
• If you had your Enhanced Road Assessment appointment cancelled between March 17 and March 30, a representative will call you to rebook your test. All other eligible customers will receive a letter from RoadSafety BC. 
• At this time there will be no standby availability for any road test appointment. More details will be shared for new road test bookings soon.

What to expect

Road testing is going to look different. Our driver examiners will be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for the duration of the road tests. They will have access to a combination of equipment including masks, shields, goggles, gloves and disposable seat covers. We're also going to provide a mandatory medical grade mask for customers to wear during the road tests. We are providing our employees and customers with personal protective equipment (PPE) that must be worn for the duration of the road test. We ask that customers arrive promptly to their appointment and:

• ensure they have the required identification
• be prepared for health screening questions
• ensure the interior of their vehicle is clean
• maintain physical distance of 2m (6ft) from ICBC representatives when possible

For motorcycle road tests, riders will not be provided PPE due to the nature of the test but they will be required to wear the safety vest that we provide which will be sanitized after each use. 

We’ve made it safer to access collision and glass services during the pandemic.

Vehicle sanitizing
We’re reimbursing our partners so they can offer the following sanitization services:

• Body shops and glass suppliers are required to sanitize a customer's vehicle before and after repairs. 
• Body shops are required to sanitize courtesy vehicles provided to our customers.
• Rental vehicle partners are required to sanitize vehicles provided for an ICBC-related - claim.

Please note that:

• Vehicle sanitization is optional for towing companies.

These temporary services will are available until August 3, 2020, when they will be reassessed.