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Apply for an enhanced driver's licence
Find out your eligibility, your required ID, and how to apply for an enhanced driver's licence (EDL).
How do I apply?
To apply (or reapply) for an enhanced driver's licence ), follow these four steps:
- Read Your Guide to B.C.'s Enhanced Driver's Licence Program (PDF).
- Book an appointment to apply for an EDL. The appointment is held in-person at one of 16 driver licensing locations.
- Prepare for your appointment using the application checklist.
- Go in person to your appointment and complete your application.
Due to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) change, anyone using a Canadian Citizenship Certificate issued on or after Feb. 1, 2012 as ID cannot apply for or renew an EDL or EIC.
ICBC is working with CIC and hopes to be able to accept this document in the near future. Please check back for updates.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Who can apply?
To be eligible for an EDL you must:
- be a B.C. resident
- be a Canadian citizen
- provide the required documents to prove your identity and citizenship
- be legally entitled to travel outside of Canada (see the entitlement-to-travel questionnaire), and
- be 16 or older.
What's required to get an EDL?
You must meet all of the requirements explained on pages 3–9 of Your Guide to B.C.'s Enhanced Driver's Licence Program (PDF).
Before applying for an EDL, please be sure to read this guide.
Identification
To prove your identity and citizenship, you need to provide three pieces of acceptable ID:
- a Canadian birth certificate or Canadian citizenship document*
- a Canadian or U.S. driver's licence, and
- one piece of additional ID.
*Notes:
- When applying for an EDL, a passport is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- If your Canadian Citizenship Card has two different names listed, the name that appears under the coat of arms will be the one used for your application.
Your identification documents must
- be originals (not copies)
- be legible, and
- not be torn or altered in any way.
We accept certified true copies of one type of ID only: a marriage certificate certified by the original issuing government agency.
B.C. birth certificates
Most—but not all—B.C. birth certificates may be used as ID to apply for an EDL.
If you intend to use your BC. birth certificate as ID, check the registration number on the certificate first. The registration number must match one of the three formats shown below:
Valid registration numbers for B.C. birth certificates
| Example 1. | |
| Example 2. | |
| Example 3. |
If the registration number on your B.C. birth certificate does not match any of these examples, contact B.C.'s Vital Statistics Agency.
Has your name changed?
If the name on your birth certificate or Canadian citizenship document isn't the same as the name you use now, you must bring all legal "name-linking" documents showing your name changes to your EDL appointment.
Questions about your ID?
If you’re not sure whether you have acceptable ID, contact any driver licensing office before your EDL appointment.