Additional ID requirements
Photocopies
Each identification document must be an original, or a
true copy of the original, certified by the issuing government agency.
Non-English documents
If your licence, driving record or ID are in a language other than English, they must be translated by an
ICBC-approved translator. Note that fees and services vary for each translator - please contact them for more information.
Name changes
If your name has changed (or is different from the name shown on your ID),
proof of the name change must be provided.
If you don't have the right ID
If you were born outside Canada and don't have the required primary ID, please contact
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at 1-888-242-2100.
Due to Covid-19, the Government of Canada has been taking several months to process applications for their ID cards. This includes replacement ID such as an expired Permanent Resident Cards. In many cases we will be able to issue you an interim (paper) driver's licence until your Government of Canada ID arrives. Please contact us if you are unsure what other ID we would accept to allow you to obtain an interim driver's licence.
Your full legal name
When you first become our customer we will take your full legal name and date of birth from what we call a foundation document, a type of identification that establishes or changes your full legal name and date of birth.
If you have more than three given names, we will use the first three in the order that they appear on the foundation document. For changes to a surname due to a marriage or divorce, you'll also need to bring supporting documents that show the link from your birth surname to the surname(s) you wish to use.
Foundation documents
If you're born in Canada, your legal name is the full name that appears on your birth certificate issued by a Canadian Vital Statistics agency.
If you're born outside of Canada, your legal name is the full name that appears on your most recent immigration document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, such as your
If there's a mistake in your foundation document, you must get this corrected by the issuing government agency. We will only use the exact full legal name on your foundation document(s).
Protect yourself from fraud
When you first apply for a driver's licence, you'll be asked to provide ICBC with a security keyword. To protect yourself from fraud, keep your keyword secure like you would any password and don't share it with anyone outside of ICBC, including a driving school.
Choosing or changing your keyword
Choose a keyword you can remember easily but cannot be guessed by someone else. The keyword can include characters, numbers, symbols, spaces and punctuation.
You can change your keyword by booking an appointment to visit an ICBC driver licensing office. Make sure you bring two pieces of identification (one primary, one secondary) with you.
Using your keyword when booking a road test
You'll need your keyword to book a road test online. Note that it is
not
case-sensitive.
If a driving school is booking a road test on your behalf, do not provide your security keyword. Driving schools do not require this keyword for any reason.