--- title: "Licence plate sticker and registration in British Columbia" url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/british-columbia" description: "Register a vehicle and renew licence plates in British Columbia: handled by ICBC (through Autoplan brokers). Compare all 13 provinces and territories." site: "Canada Service Map" author: "Mahmoud Halat" publisher: "Space & Story" lastReviewed: "2026-10-13" licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data." --- # Licence plate sticker and registration in British Columbia British Columbia · Driving and vehicles Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 13 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word. ## Short answer In British Columbia, vehicles are registered with ICBC through an Autoplan broker, where you also get plates and insurance. A vehicle you buy must be registered in your name within 10 days. Vehicles from another province usually need a passed B.C. inspection first. Plates no longer need a decal; instead you renew your insurance, online for eligible policies or at a broker. Who handles it: [ICBC (through Autoplan brokers)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/bodies/insurance-corporation-of-british-columbia). Handles it in British Columbia. Register and get plates at any Autoplan broker; B.C. plates no longer need a renewal decal, you renew the insurance. ## Official links - [Register a vehicle](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 12 October 2026 - [Renew insurance online](https://icbc.com/insurance/buy-renew-cancel/renew-your-insurance-online), checked 12 October 2026 ## Who can apply - A vehicle must be registered with ICBC before you can get plates and insurance or drive it on a highway. The registration also shows you are the owner. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. - Vehicles from outside B.C. used for touring do not need B.C. registration for up to six months. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. ## Steps 1. To keep a vehicle on the road you renew its insurance. Eligible policies can be renewed online by signing in with the BC Services Card app or Interac verification. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/insurance/buy-renew-cancel/renew-your-insurance-online), checked 13 October 2026. ## What you need - For a vehicle from another province, bring its current registration, a passed inspection report from a designated B.C. facility, your ID, and a signed bill of sale if it is not in your name. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. ## Cost - If a plate is lost or stolen, report it to police, then take the case number and your insurance documents to an Autoplan broker. New plates cost $18. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/licence-plates/Replacing-a-licence-plate-or-decal), checked 13 October 2026. ## How long it takes - A newly bought vehicle must be registered in the buyer's name at an Autoplan broker within 10 days, along with the required fees and taxes. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. ## Where to go - When you buy a vehicle already registered in B.C., go to an Autoplan broker to transfer ownership, update the registration and buy insurance. ICBC suggests going with the seller. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. ## Good to know - Some privately owned vehicles moved from Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba by new residents can skip the B.C. safety inspection, if they meet the age and weight rules. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. - B.C. plates no longer need a decal, but you must keep a printed copy of your insurance documents in the vehicle. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/licence-plates/Replacing-a-licence-plate-or-decal), checked 13 October 2026. ## In every province and territory The same service across Canada: who handles it and the official link. British Columbia is marked. | Province or territory | Who handles it | Official link | Good to know | |---|---|---|---| | British Columbia (this page) | ICBC (through Autoplan brokers) | [Register a vehicle](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 12 October 2026 | Register and get plates at any Autoplan broker; B.C. plates no longer need a renewal decal, you renew the insurance. | | [Alberta](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/alberta) | Alberta registry agents (Government of Alberta) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.alberta.ca/register-vehicle), checked 12 October 2026 | New registrations and plates are done at a registry agent; renewals can also be done online or by mail. | | [Saskatchewan](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/saskatchewan) | SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) | [Renew your registration](https://sgi.sk.ca/renew-registration), checked 12 October 2026 | Register or renew at a motor licence issuer, or renew online in MySGI. | | [Manitoba](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/manitoba) | Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.mpi.mb.ca/registering-your-vehicle/), checked 12 October 2026 | Register, get plates and renew at any Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre. | | [Ontario](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/ontario) | ServiceOntario (Ministry of Transportation) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.ontario.ca/page/register-vehicle-permit-and-licence-plate), checked 12 October 2026 | Most passenger vehicle, motorcycle and moped plates now renew automatically at no cost; commercial and some other vehicles still renew each year. | | [Quebec](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/quebec) | Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) | [Register a vehicle](https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/vehicle-registration/registering-vehicle), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [New Brunswick](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/new-brunswick) | Service New Brunswick | [Renew registration online](https://www.pxw1.snb.ca/snb9000/product.aspx?ProductID=A001P780000&l=e), checked 12 October 2026 | Plate stickers stopped on April 1, 2026, but registration must still be renewed every year. | | [Nova Scotia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/nova-scotia) | Registry of Motor Vehicles (Service Nova Scotia) | [Renew your vehicle permit](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 12 October 2026 | Renewals can be done online; first registration and plates are done at an Access Nova Scotia or RMV office. | | [Prince Edward Island](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/prince-edward-island) | Access PEI (Highway Safety Division, Government of PEI) | None on record | | | [Newfoundland and Labrador](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/newfoundland-and-labrador) | Motor Registration Division (Government Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) | [How to register a vehicle](https://www.gov.nl.ca/motorregistration/vehicle-ownership/registration-of-a-new-vehicle/), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [Yukon](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/yukon) | Motor Vehicles (Government of Yukon) | None on record | New registrations are done at a Motor Vehicles office; renewals can be done online. Yukon no longer issues plate stickers. | | [Northwest Territories](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/northwest-territories) | Driver and Vehicle Services (Department of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories) | [Renew a vehicle registration](https://www.idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca/Vehicles/Registration/Renew-or-cancel-a-vehicle-registration), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [Nunavut](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/nunavut) | Motor Vehicles Division (Government of Nunavut) | [Register a private vehicle](https://www.gov.nu.ca/en/service-nunavut/private-vehicle-registration-nunavut), checked 12 October 2026 | | ## Questions people ask ### Do I still need a licence plate decal in B.C.? No. Decals are no longer needed, but you must carry a printed copy of your insurance documents in the vehicle at all times. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/licence-plates/Replacing-a-licence-plate-or-decal), checked 13 October 2026. ### Can I renew my ICBC vehicle insurance online? Yes, if your policy is eligible. You sign in, choose your coverage, pay, and print your insurance documents. Your chosen broker reviews the renewal afterwards. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/insurance/buy-renew-cancel/renew-your-insurance-online), checked 13 October 2026. ### How long do I have to register a vehicle I bought in B.C.? 10 days. The Motor Vehicle Act requires the buyer to register the vehicle with ICBC within 10 days and pay the fees and taxes on the sale. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 13 October 2026. ### How much does it cost to replace a lost licence plate in B.C.? $18 for new plates. Report the loss to police first and bring the case number and your insurance documents to an Autoplan broker. Source: [icbc.com](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/licence-plates/Replacing-a-licence-plate-or-decal), checked 13 October 2026. ## Where to go in person - Provincial service centres: [Vancouver, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/vancouver) (1), [Surrey, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/surrey) (1), [Burnaby, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/burnaby) (1), [Kelowna, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/kelowna) (1), [Nanaimo, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/nanaimo) (1), [Kamloops, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/kamloops) (1), [Chilliwack, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/chilliwack) (1), [Victoria, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/victoria) (1), [Maple Ridge, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/maple-ridge) (1), [Prince George, BC](https://canadaservicemap.ca/places/british-columbia/prince-george) (1) ## More - [Register a vehicle and renew licence plates in every province and territory](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration) - [Public services in British Columbia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/provinces/british-columbia) - [Pay or dispute a parking ticket](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/parking-ticket) - [Public transit: routes, schedules and passes](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/transit) - [Get, renew or replace a driver's licence](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/drivers-licence) - [Book a road test or knowledge test](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/driving-test) - [Get an accessible parking permit](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/accessible-parking) - [Check road conditions and closures (511)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/road-conditions) ## Cite this page Canada Service Map, "Licence plate sticker and registration in British Columbia", checked 13 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/british-columbia