Driver penalty point premiums and driver risk premiums

​Drivers with more driving offences or convictions get involved in more crashes than other drivers. Customers tell us that those drivers should pay more for the higher risks and related claims costs they represent on our roads.

With Driver Penalty Points (DPP), you pay if you:

• Are guilty of certain driving offences under the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) or its regulations

• Have certain Criminal Code of Canada convictions, like driving while impaired

The DPP premium is based on your driving offences over a one-year period, and is separate from any fine or other penalty for the offence(s).

You will pay a Driver Risk Premium (DRP), if you have:

• 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/prohibitions

• Two or more convictions for using an electronic device while driving over a three-year period

The DRP and DPP premiums are separate from Autoplan insurance premiums. They are billed even if you don't own or insure a vehicle. Any revenue generated will offset Autoplan premiums.

If I have driving convictions that apply to the Driver Penalty Point program and the Driver Risk Premium program, will I get two bills?

No. The Driver Risk Premium and the Driver Penalty Point programs operate in parallel. You will only be billed under one program each year, whichever results in the higher premium.

We will send you the DRP/DPP premium invoice approximately one month before your assessment date, which is generally your date of birth.

When and how are DPP premiums calculated?

Your driving is reviewed annually. If four or more points have been added to your record since your last DPP assessment, you'll be billed according to Table 1.

You'll receive a bill approximately one month before your assessment date. The DPP bill applies to driving convictions that you received during the 12-month period ending five months before the assessment date. It may also include your driving convictions during an earlier period which have now been recorded on your driving record. (The date the points are added to your record will be later than the date of the violation, because of the time required for recording and processing.)

Here are some examples of how the number of points for driving offences can result in a DPP premium:

• Three points for one speeding offence added during your scan period = no DPP premium assessed.

• Three points for one speeding offence plus two points for failing to yield, added during assessment period = five points = $331 DPP premium assessed.

Points are only used once to calculate your DPP premiums. For example: if your birthday is June 15, your DPP premium will be calculated in May, based on points accumulated in the 12 months before and including January 15 of that year.

Table 1 Driver Penalty Point premiums

Rates effective January 1, 2022

When and how is the DRP calculated?

Each year just prior to your assessment date (which is usually your date of birth) we review your driving record for offences in the previous three years. This provides a more accurate prediction of the risk a driver represents.

For example, if your birthday is January 1, then on January 1, 2022, your driving history from August 3, 2018 - August 2, 2021 will be reviewed for DRP-related offences. You may have to pay a DRP based on Table 2 if your driving record shows any DRP offences.

You will be billed for each category that applies to you. 

The ICBC's Basic Insurance Tariff defines the calculation for premiums.

Table 2 Driver Risk Premiums

Rates effective January 1, 2022

Will I have to pay for more than one year?

You will only receive one DRP invoice per year. However, DRP looks at all eligible convictions in a three-year period, so a single serious conviction may result in a DRP invoice in each of those three years.

Can I do anything to reduce or eliminate my premium?

You can eliminate the DRP/DPP premium if you voluntarily surrender your driver's licence to a driver licensing office for the entire billing period (starting the day after your assessment date and ending on your next assessment date—generally your date of birth).*

Your premium may be reduced if you have been prohibited from driving for 60 days or more within the billing period, or you have surrendered your licence for 30 days or more.

If you have voluntarily surrendered your driver's licence, you can have it reissued at any time if you visit a driver licensing office and pay the reduced DRP/DPP premium and a reinstatement and/or renewal fee, as long as you:

• Do not have any driving prohibitions,

• Do not have other debt to ICBC or the government, and

• Don't need to be re-examined

Be sure to call ICBC Insurance Customer Services at 604-661-2800 or 1-800-663-3051 to find out what the premium and reinstatement fee will be before you visit the driver licensing office.

You may also apply to ICBC Insurance Customer Services for a refund or reduction in your billing if, for a minimum of 30 days in a row during the billing period:

• You were living in another province and lawfully held a driver's licence there.

• You were not in Canada or the United States.

• You were incarcerated.

• You could not operate a vehicle for medical reasons.

You will need to provide us with valid documentation to support these circumstances.

*With the DRP program, you may need to surrender your licence once per year for three successive years in order to eliminate premiums.

What happens if I don't pay the premium?

The Insurance (Vehicle) Act, Section 34, 1.1 (external) gives ICBC the legal right to establish the DRP and DPP program, as approved by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC).

If you don't pay your DRP/DPP premium,

• You will not be able to complete any driver's licence or vehicle insurance transactions until you pay any debts you owe to ICBC or the government.

• The insurance coverage provided with your driver's licence will not be valid.

• We apply interest to the amount that hasn't been paid.

Where can I pay?

There are three convenient ways to pay:

1. Mail your remittance slip with a cheque or money order payable to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia to:
   
   ICBC Revenue Accounting
   151 West Esplanade
   North Vancouver BC V7M 3H9
   
   You can also mail the remittance slip with your Visa, MasterCard or American Express information, including your signature, to the address above.

2. Payment can be made at full service ATMs where you do your regular banking—make sure you enclose your remittance slip with your payment. You can also take the enclosed remittance slip with your payment to most Canadian banks, trust companies or credit unions.

3. Take the remittance slip and payment to one of the following offices anywhere in B.C.:

   • Autoplan broker

   • Driver licensing office

   • Driver licensing agent

   • Service BC centre

How can I pay?

If you are paying by mail, please pay by credit card, cheque or money order. Please do not mail cash. If you are paying in person, cash, certified cheques or money orders will be accepted. Autoplan brokers, driver licensing offices and driver licensing agents also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and debit cards.

More information

If you have more questions about Driver Risk Premiums or Driver Penalty Points, please contact:

Insurance Customer Services
151 West Esplanade
North Vancouver
BC V7M 3H9
604-661-2800 or 1-800-663-3051

ICBC Driver licensing

For any other questions related to your driver licence, such as driver suspensions, prohibitions, medical requirements, the Interlock program, vehicle impoundment or driver licence replacement, please contact:

• 1-800-950-1498 (rest of B.C., Canada and the U.S.)

• 250-978-8300 (We accept collect calls.)