New Drivers

British Columbia made several changes to its Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) on October 19, 2026. The changes affect how long some drivers must hold a learner's licence, who may supervise them, passenger restrictions, new-driver signs and zero-tolerance rules for certain Class 5 drivers.

British Columbia's Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) gives new drivers time to gain experience while following additional licence restrictions. Learner and novice drivers must comply with the conditions of their licences, and violations can have consequences beyond a traffic ticket. Changes effective October 19, 2026, introduced a Driving Record Assessment for eligible novice drivers seeking to advance to a Class 5 licence, followed by a 12-month period with zero-alcohol and zero-drug restrictions.

New drivers in British Columbia need to understand that the rules for using electronic devices while driving are stricter than they are for fully licensed drivers. In particular, Class 7L and Class 7 drivers cannot use the exceptions that permit fully licensed drivers to use certain electronic devices hands-free or under specified conditions.

Question: Can someone with their N licence have more than one friend in the car if they are the designated driver?

Yes, you can absolutely fail an ICBC road test for driving too slowly. While many examinees focus entirely on avoiding a speeding ticket, driving well under the posted speed limit indicates a lack of confidence, poor vehicle control, and a failure to maintain the flow of traffic. The exact ways driving too slowly leads to a failed test depend on the severity, the context, and how the behavior affects other road users.

Question: A member of our car club who is a new driver has been ticketed with failing to stop at a red light and having too many passengers. This violates the terms of his novice driver's licence. He asked our group for help to dispute the ticket and I would like some help with counselling him on what to do.

These seven tips presented by ICBC may be used to successfully pass your road test, regardless of whether you drive a passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle or a motorcycle. For those of you who are already licensed drivers, these are seven tips that you should still be aware of so that you continue to drive safely and courteously.

It was not uncommon to be told that a new driver sign was not being displayed because adults took the sign as a signal to bully the new driver. I thought that was just a convenient excuse to give the policeman when you couldn't be bothered to make sure that the required sign was in place. After all, who wouldn't realize that a new driver deserved more room and a little leeway for mistakes because they were just beginning their driving career?

Question: Our daughter failed her road test due to not reducing her speed to 30 km/h as she drove through a playground zone. We don't understand this because there were no signs were present.