Driver licensing
Accepted identification (ID)
To help protect your identity and privacy, you need to show accepted ID each time you attend an appointment at our driver licensing offices. Please double-check that you're bringing the right ID before coming in—it could save you an extra trip or other delays.
Confirm what ID to bring
Answer a few quick questions online to make sure you bring the right ID:
Accepted ID
You'll need to bring two pieces of ID: one primary, one secondary.
Type of identification | Note |
|---|---|
B.C driver's licence or learner's licence | • Must include your photo. • Accepted up to three years after expiry date on licence. • You must bring your most current immigration document if you brought a student, work, visitor, temporary-resident or refugee permit (form IMM1442) on your last visit to our office. If the IMM1442 expires within 6 months, you will be issued a non-photo 'paper' licence. |
BC Services Card (photo) | • Accepted up to three years after expiry date on card. |
Combination driver's licence and BC Services Card | • Accepted up to three years after expiry date on card. • Counts as only one piece of primary ID, not a piece of both primary and secondary ID. |
B.C. identification card (BCID) | • Accepted up to three years after expiry date on card. • You must bring your most current immigration document if you brought a student, work, visitor, temporary-resident or refugee permit (form IMM1442) on your last visit to our office. IMM1442 documents expiring within 6 months are not accepted as primary ID for BCID applications. • Older BCID cards without an expiry date are not accepted as primary ID. |
Canadian birth certificate | Most Canadian birth certificates are accepted as primary ID. This is also accepted as a foundation document. Some examples of documents that are not accepted include: • baptismal certificates • certificates of live birth • commemorative birth certificates • Canadian Registration of Birth Abroad Certificate • Quebec birth certificates issued before 1994 • Manitoba birth certificates issued by a "division registrar" • Ontario Long Form Birth Certificates (also called Registration of birth certificate) Note: the names that will appear on your ICBC issued photo card will display in the exact same order as they appear on your Canadian birth certificate. You can apply to the issuing province or territory’s Vital Statistics Agency/Directeur de l’etat Civil to have it re-issued in your preferred name order before applying for a B.C. photo card. |
Canadian citizenship card/certificate | • The commemorative sheet that comes with a citizenship card is not accepted as primary ID. • If your Canadian Citizenship Card has two different names listed, your legal full name that appears under the coat of arms will be the one used for your application. |
Canadian passport | • Not accepted if expired. • The name that appears must be exactly the same as your Canadian birth certificate or Canadian citizenship certificate. Otherwise, additional name linking document(s) will be required. • If it is your first time applying, we recommend bringing your Canadian birth certificate or Immigration/Citizenship primary ID to avoid possible return trips. • If you have a non-photo BC Services Card, you may not be able to use a Canadian passport as primary ID. Please bring your non-photo BC Services Card and your Canadian birth certificate or Canadian citizenship certificate with you. |
Canadian immigration identification record | • Not accepted if expired. |
Certificate of Indian Status (laser engraved photo card with security features, issued by the Government of Canada) (White Card) | • Not accepted if expired. • Only cards issued 2009 onwards with the new design and enhanced security features are accepted as primary ID. |
Identity card | Not accepted if expired. • Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to foreign representatives accredited to Canada. • Foreign representatives must also present their passport with an acceptance foil from Global Affairs Canada showing their designation. (The passport can also serve as the required Secondary ID). |
Permanent resident card (previously Canadian record of landing) | • Not accepted if expired. • Confirmation of permanent resident (including eCoPR), IMM5292 or IMM5688 are not accepted as primary ID. • Must show your full legal name and date of birth. |
Student, work, visitor, or temporary resident permit (IMM1442) | • If the IMM1442 form expires within 6 months, you'll only be able to apply for an interim driver's licence (paper) and not a photo licence. • Must show your full legal name and date of birth • If you used an IMM1442 immigration form the last time you got your B.C. licence or BCID, you must bring it with you when renewing or replacing your licence or BCID and when taking a knowledge or road test, even if it's expired or the 'valid until' date has passed. • If your IMM 1442 has expired, please be prepared to show proof that you've applied to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to renew your student, work, visitor, or temporary resident permit. The driver licensing office will determine if you're able to apply for an interim (paper) licence. • Not accepted for a photo or combined BC Services Card application or renewal. |
Most secondary ID may be expired for up to one year.
Bank card (both your imprinted name and signature must appear on the card)
Birth certificate from foreign country
Canadian Forces ID
Certificate of Indian Status (orange laminated card)
Correctional service conditional release card
Credit card (both your imprinted name and signature must appear on the card)
Department of National Defence 404 driver's licence
Driver's licence (Canadian or U.S.)
Employee ID card with photo
Foreign Affairs Canada or consular ID
Health card issued by a Canadian province or territory (both your imprinted name and signature and/or photo must appear on the card) - health cards with a signature to acknowledge organ donation are not accepted
Métis (MNBC) identification
Nexus card
Parole certificate ID
Passport (Canadian or foreign, including U.S. passport card). Passports are not accepted if expired.
Pleasure craft operator (Boating licence - Canadian)
Police identification
Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL)
Social insurance card (newer cards without a signature strip are not accepted)
Student card (school ID)
Tla'amin Nation Citizenship Card
BC CareCard (only valid if you have not been issued a BC Services Card)
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 
. Fees and services vary for each translator; please contact them for more information.
All documents must be translated from original documents or from a copy of the original that has been approved and stamped by a driver licensing office. The original or stamped and approved copy of the original must also be presented when submitting a translated document to a driver licensing office.
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
most recent work, student or visitor permit
Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (Note: We will only use the name that appears below the coat of arms)
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.
Reset your keyword
Reset your ICBC keyword by calling our driver licensing information line.
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.
