Image: Canadian Press

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Graduated driver licensing changes

B.C. govt. announces sweeping changes to graduated drivers licensing

Apr 17, 2025 | 9:31 AM

CHILLIWACK — The B.C. government announced Wednesday (Apr. 16) that it will make significant changes to its graduated drivers licensing regime that will remove the need for a second road test in order to obtain full licensing privileges.

Public Safety Minister Garry Begg says the changes, if approved, will see new drivers get “on-road experience” and be subject to a 12-month restriction rather than be required to take another test to get their Class 5 licence.

A statement from the ministry says there will also be a new program to licence motorcycle drivers, who are “overrepresented in fatal crashes in B.C.”

The ministry statement says the program hasn’t been significantly changed in the 25 years since it was introduced, requiring new drivers to go through a learner’s period and display an “L” on their vehicles, and then a novice period lasting two years.

It says the changes to be implemented by next year will require drivers under 25 to spend a year as a “learner” under restrictions, then two years as a “novice,” followed by a “driver record assessment” and a new 12-month “restriction period” before getting a licence with “full privileges.”

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The ministry says the new regime for motorcycle riders includes a longer “learning and restriction period” to encourage safer riding habits, noting that motorcycles make up less than four per cent of insured vehicles, but are involved in more than 14 per cent of fatal crashes.

The province says research indicates that age and inexperience contribute to crash risk. As new drivers get more experience, their crash risk decreases; evidence indicates that having an extended period with restrictions and enhanced driver-record reviews builds the necessary skills and behaviours to promote safe driving.

The proposed legislative changes will also establish a new Motorcyclist Licensing Program (MLP) that all new motorcycle riders will need to complete. This approach ensures new riders gain the unique skills required to ride safely. The new MLP will also have a restriction period and enhanced safety measure requirements for protective gear, which will be established through regulations. These changes will help reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle-related crashes.

Proposed changes to the GLP and MLP will proceed via engagement with key partners, including driver training schools, health authorities and Indigenous communities, with implementation planned for early 2026.