# BC Drving Licence Trouble



## Irish_in_Van (Jun 10, 2013)

Hi,

I am a little stressed and would appreciate if anyone has any experience of my situation.

I have a full Irish driving licence for 8 years which I need to transfer to BC and I know I will need to take the tests but I thought I had 6 months to do this ( I am here 5 months) I dropped by the office to find out some info the other day and have been informed I had 90 days to do it, I need my car for work and I am just wondering if anyone has ever made this mistake?? Can ICBC be a little flexible in certain circumstances? I am willing to take the knowledge test straight away and the road test as soon as possible.

I am just concerned I will be forced in to the graduated license system, if this is the case I will lose my job and in turn lose my visa! This was a genuine mistake and something I foolishly overlooked in the madness of getting here and getting set up.

Any advise would be very appreciated.

Thanks Guys!


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## shinny (Feb 1, 2011)

Irish in a van
I just checked about the licence thing and it does say you can drive for 90 days with your own driving licence from your own country. But I'm not sure its written that your originally from Canada so I'm sure what happens with that. Only an international driving permit allows you to drive for 6 months in Canada.


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## Irish_in_Van (Jun 10, 2013)

Hey Shinny,

Sorry I made a mistake when setting up the account and havent figured how to change it im actually from Ireland. Do you think with the Irish licence I am ok to drive for 6 months? And do you know what happens when you go to change you licence outside the 90 days?

Thanks


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

There are very strict on the 90 day rule. You need to stop driving immediately. If you get caught driving on your Irish license past 90 days it will be a major issue. The good news is, you can still rollover your Irish license, there's no requirement to do so within 90 day, it's just not legal to drive on after 90 days (my wife waited 9 months).


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## shinny (Feb 1, 2011)

Irish_in_Van said:


> Hey Shinny,
> 
> Sorry I made a mistake when setting up the account and havent figured how to change it im actually from Ireland. Do you think with the Irish licence I am ok to drive for 6 months? And do you know what happens when you go to change you licence outside the 90 days?
> 
> Thanks


Hiya I'm not sure about that I think other is right it does say you can drive with Irish licence within 90 days but it doesn't say anything g else. I'm sorry about that I'm still waiting to go to Canada. Good luck hope it works out for you.


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## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

If your licence is from the UK (Northern Ireland, specifically) then you'll be able to exchange for a BC DL, however, if your licence is from Ireland, then there isn't a reciprocal agreement in place and you'll have to do the testing (Knowledge/written & driving exam). 

You mentioned having your DL for 8 years, so Graduated Licencing wouldn't be applicable to you. If you had been driving less than 2 years, you would have to enter the GL program. 

When you take residence in BC, you must change your licence to a BC DL within 90 days. If you are only a visitor to BC, then your valid driver's licence would be acceptable for 6 months. Full time students at a recognized institution have different allowances. 

International Driving Permits/Licences are only seen as a translation of your valid driver's licence. They are not recognized in BC on their own - your DL must accompany it. In other words, an International Driving Permit won't allow you to drive outside of the 90 day/6 month period (whichever is applicable). 

Please be aware that should you now experience an accident, your insurance policy could be rendered void. Not having a valid driver's licence is a breach of your insurance.  

Best to get right on it & book your exam (if reciprocal licencing isn't an option). My tip .... if you're feeling anxious about taking the driving exam, check with some of the local driving schools to see if they offer a "refresher". Many will take you out driving for about an hour and a half to go over the differences in the "rules of the road" that you might encounter. At least you'll know what to expect when the day comes to take the driving exam. 

Sorry I couldn't give you better news, but hope it helps somewhat. Good luck!


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## Irish_in_Van (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks for the posts guys.....

I went in to ICBC this morning took my knowledge test and vision test and passed I was issued with a class 5 learners driving licence and I now need to have a supervisor with me until I pass the road test which I am eligible to take straight away, unlucky for me its summer and apparently busy season for testing so there is a couple of weeks waiting time unless I want to just show up at a centre and wait until I can get a cancellation!

At this point I am just glad I did not have to enter the graduated licencing scheme which I feared I would due to being beyond the 90 days. I have a lesson booked for this afternoon and plan to start standing by in the test centre from tomorrow for my road test! Let hope I can get tested on the first day!

Thanks again everyone.


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