Photo: Ruth Hartnup, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New BC drivers pay for driving offences three ways: the ticket fine, penalty points that lead to an ICBC Driver Penalty Point premium, and for serious offences, a separate Driver Risk Premium. On an L or N, offences also bring warning letters, prohibitions and lost GLP time. This guide explains each penalty, what it costs as of November 2026, and how it affects your path to a full Class 5.
Key facts
- Speeding ticket: 3 penalty points and a fine of $138 to $483 (ICBC).
- Electronic device ticket: $368 and 4 penalty points. L and N drivers cannot use any device, even hands-free.
- Four or more points at the end of a 12-month period means a Driver Penalty Point (DPP) premium bill from ICBC.
- One excessive speeding conviction, one Criminal Code driving conviction or two device convictions in three years can trigger the Driver Risk Premium (DRP).
- A prohibition in the N stage resets your N time to zero. Reinstatement costs $250.
- Going 40 km/h or more over the limit: police can impound the vehicle for 7 days.
How ICBC penalty points work
Most tickets under BC’s Motor Vehicle Act carry penalty points as well as a fine. ICBC adds up your points and bills you a Driver Penalty Point premium if you have four or more points at the end of a 12-month assessment period. The more points, the bigger the bill.
- The premium is billed once a year.
- It is separate from your Autoplan insurance, so you pay it even if you don’t own or insure a vehicle.
- Unpaid driver premiums and unpaid tickets must be cleared before you can renew or get a new licence, and can affect whether you can buy Autoplan.
Check the current point-to-premium scale on ICBC’s Driver Penalty Point Premium page.
Example points from ICBC
| Offence | Points | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding | 3 | $138 to $483, rising the further over the limit you are |
| Using an electronic device | 4 | $368 |
One device ticket on its own puts you at four points, enough for a DPP premium bill.
What triggers the Driver Risk Premium in BC?
You pay the DRP if your record shows any of these in the past three years:
- one or more driving-related Criminal Code convictions
- one or more 10-point Motor Vehicle Act convictions
- one or more excessive speeding convictions
- two or more roadside suspensions or prohibitions
- two or more electronic device convictions
ICBC reviews your record each year just before your assessment date, usually your birthday. One offence can show up on more than one yearly bill because ICBC looks back three years. Like the DPP premium, the DRP is billed even if you don’t own a vehicle.
How much is the Driver Risk Premium?
ICBC’s table (amounts as of 1 October 2021) shows how fast it climbs:
| Number of convictions | Criminal Code | Roadside suspensions, device use or excessive speed |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $4,602 | $453 |
| 3 | $9,988 | $526 |
| 5 | $29,376 | $685 |
| 10 | $29,376 | $1,383 |
A single Criminal Code conviction is listed at $1,108 a year. Check the current amounts on ICBC’s Driver Risk Premium page before relying on them.
ICBC says giving up your licence for the whole billing period may eliminate the DRP, and for at least 30 days may reduce it. You arrange this by appointment at a driver licensing office.
Extra penalties for L and N drivers
The Superintendent of Motor Vehicles watches GLP records closely, and the threshold for action is stricter than for fully licensed drivers.
- Breaking an L or N restriction (passengers, L or N sign, hours, devices) can bring a fine and penalty points.
- A ticket can lead to a warning letter, probation or a prohibition.
- More points or a serious offence can mean a prohibition of one month to a year or more.
- One device ticket is enough for ICBC to review a GLP driver’s record, and it may lead to a prohibition.
Your licence card: the rules
Always carry your licence when you drive, and tell ICBC within 10 days when your name or address changes. Never lend your licence, alter it or use one that is not valid. Licence and ID card fraud, including using or holding someone else’s licence, letting someone use yours, or giving false information to get one, carries a fine of $400 to $20,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Keep the card on you rather than in the car, and if it is lost report it to police and ICBC straight away.
The Driver Improvement Program
RoadSafetyBC runs the Driver Improvement Program. Every offence added to your record is reviewed. If you keep offending:
- You may get a warning letter.
- You may be put on probation. More offences during probation can lead to a prohibition.
- If you build up offences quickly, you can be prohibited without any warning first.
What a prohibition does to your licence stage
| Stage | Effect of a driving prohibition |
|---|---|
| Learner (L) | Your L time stops counting until you have served the prohibition and been reinstated, so the learner stage is extended. |
| Novice (N) | All N time is lost. After reinstatement you need a fresh 24 consecutive prohibition-free months (12 if you are 25 or older). |
| Class 5 with 0 BAC/BDC restriction | The 12-month restriction period starts again. |
Separately, any excessive speeding or device conviction during your N period stops you passing the Driving Record Assessment that replaced the Class 5 road test on 19 October 2026. You need no such convictions, and no prohibitions or suspensions, during the qualifying period.
Driving while prohibited can mean impoundment, a large fine and jail. To be reinstated you pay a $250 fee, plus any outstanding fines and ICBC premiums.
An impaired driving conviction costs more than the penalties above. ICBC can deny your insurance claim if you crash, so you pay for the damage yourself, your rates rise, some jobs become closed to you, and countries such as the United States and Mexico can refuse you entry.
Alcohol and drug penalties for new BC drivers
L and N drivers, and Class 5 drivers in the 12-month restricted period, must have zero alcohol and zero drugs, including THC. The BC government’s RoadSafetyBC page (updated 15 October 2026) sets out what happens:
- Any alcohol, THC or cocaine: police can serve a 12-hour suspension. It cannot be reviewed, and you can’t drive until it ends and you get your licence back from police.
- The suspension is recorded and may lead to a longer prohibition, penalty points and a vehicle impoundment.
- Another prohibition means starting your N period again.
- At 0.05 or higher, or if your driving is affected by drugs, you also face the same penalties as fully licensed drivers, below.
Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) costs
Approximate totals before tax, from RoadSafetyBC (costs may change):
| Reading | Prohibition | Impoundment | Approximate total |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Warn (0.05 or higher) | 3 days | 3 days | $600 |
| Second Warn in 5 years | 7 days | 7 days | $780 |
| Third Warn in 5 years | 30 days | 30 days | $1,330 |
| Fail (0.08 or higher) or refusal | 90 days | 30 days | $1,430 |
Totals include towing and storage, an administrative penalty and the $250 reinstatement fee. RoadSafetyBC can also require the Responsible Driver Program or the Ignition Interlock Program, which cost extra. Two roadside prohibitions also trigger the Driver Risk Premium.
24-hour prohibitions and ADPs
- 24-hour prohibition: when police believe alcohol or drugs affected your driving. It stays on your record permanently. You have seven days to apply for a review.
- Administrative Driving Prohibition (90 days): for a blood alcohol of 0.08 or more, a blood drug level at the set limit (for THC, 5 ng/mL) within two hours of driving, or a failed or refused Criminal Code demand. An ADP also brings the Driver Risk Premium.
Criminal Code penalties are covered in impaired driving in Canada for new drivers.
When can police impound your vehicle in BC?
As well as impaired driving, police can impound the vehicle you are driving for:
- driving unlicensed
- driving while suspended or prohibited
- excessive speeding (40 km/h or more over the posted limit)
- street racing or stunt driving
- riding, or letting a passenger ride, while improperly seated
The first impoundment is 7 days, rising to 30 or 60 days for repeat offenders. The owner pays towing and storage. If you borrow a parent’s car and it is impounded, they pay to get it back.
Common questions
Does one speeding ticket reset my N in BC?
No. A ticket alone does not reset the clock; a prohibition does. But a speeding ticket’s points can lead to Driver Improvement action, and an excessive speeding conviction blocks the Driving Record Assessment.
How many points before an N driver is prohibited?
RoadSafetyBC does not use one fixed number. Each record is reviewed individually, and the threshold for GLP drivers is stricter. Read the Driver Improvement Policies and Guidelines on the RoadSafetyBC website for detail.
Do I pay the Driver Penalty Point premium if I don’t own a car?
Yes. Both driver premiums are billed to the driver, not the vehicle.
Is the Driver Risk Premium the same as my insurance going up?
No. It is a separate yearly bill. Convictions can also raise optional Collision and Extended Third Party Liability premiums.
What happens if an L driver gets a prohibition?
Your learner time stops counting until you are reinstated, so your earliest Class 7 road test date moves back.
Can I appeal a 12-hour suspension?
No. RoadSafetyBC says 12-hour suspensions cannot be reviewed. You can apply for a review of 24-hour, IRP and ADP prohibitions.
Back to the full guide: Learning to drive in BC. Related: BC N licence rules, BC learner licence rules, BC personal strategies.
Sources
- ICBC, “Learn to Drive Smart, Chapter 9: Your licence” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Driver Risk Premium” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Driver Penalty Point Premium” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Distracted driving” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Speed” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Licence suspensions” (icbc.com)
- ICBC, “Changes to the Graduated Licensing Program” (icbc.com)
- Government of British Columbia, RoadSafetyBC, “Alcohol and drug related driving prohibitions and suspensions” (gov.bc.ca)