British Columbia, test change
Does BC still require a second road test from 19 October?
Published
No. From 19 October 2026, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) will stop requiring a second road test for novice drivers whose record meets its criteria. Instead, they can apply for a Driving Record Assessment and receive a Class 5 licence with a temporary restriction. ICBC says a second road test booked for that date or later will be cancelled, and it will email the driver about the next steps. The first road test, which takes a learner to the novice stage, remains in place.
What changed
- Route from novice to Class 5
- Before: A second road test was the route from a novice licence to Class 5Now: Eligible drivers apply for a Driving Record Assessment and receive a Class 5 licence with restrictionsFrom
- Second road tests already booked
- ICBC will cancel tests booked on or after the change date and email drivers about next stepsFrom
When does BC stop requiring the second road test?
The change starts on 19 October 2026. Until then, ICBC says a novice driver can still choose to take a road test to get a Class 5 licence. A booking before the change date is therefore a different case from one on or after it. ICBC's cancellation notice applies to second road tests scheduled on or after the change date. It says the driver will receive an email confirming the cancellation and explaining what to do next.
Check which road test you booked before acting on that notice. The second test is the one taken after the novice stage to move to Class 5. It is not the Class 7 test a learner takes to receive a novice licence. If your booked test is the second one, watch for ICBC's message and read its instructions before making a new licensing appointment. A cancelled booking is not itself a Class 5 upgrade.
Who qualifies for a Driving Record Assessment?
ICBC sets different safe-driving periods by age. A novice driver under 25 needs at least 24 months. That falls to 18 months only if the driver completed an approved graduated licensing course during the learner stage. Taking a course without completing it does not shorten the period. A driver aged 25 or older needs at least 12 months of safe driving. These are eligibility periods for the assessment, not a promise that time alone produces a new licence.
ICBC also requires no convictions for excessive speed or use of an electronic device during the relevant period, and no driving prohibition or suspension during it. A driver who has reached the time mark but falls short on the record conditions should not assume the road test has simply been exchanged for an automatic upgrade. The assessment is a check of the driving record ICBC holds. If you are unsure how an incident affects your own eligibility, ask ICBC to read your record with you.
How do I apply for Class 5 after the change?
Once you meet the criteria, visit a driver licensing office to apply for the Driving Record Assessment and upgrade your licence. ICBC says you may go by appointment or as a walk-in customer. From the change date, its online appointment system will offer Driving Record Assessment as a service at an ICBC driver licensing office. ICBC specifically says that online booking choice does not apply to a Service BC location or a driver licensing agent.
The visit matters even if you have already spent the required time as a novice. ICBC describes an application and an office upgrade, not a change that arrives automatically when the calendar reaches your eligibility date. If you are 25 or older, ICBC says your driving record will show an "Earliest Exit Date" from the change date. Use that date as a starting point, then make sure the record also meets the conviction, prohibition and suspension conditions before planning an office visit.
What restriction comes with the new Class 5 licence?
A driver who passes the assessment receives a Class 5 licence with restriction 55. ICBC says this means zero blood alcohol content and zero blood drug content while driving. The restriction lasts 12 months. Its expiry date is printed on the back of the licence, so read that date on your own card rather than assuming it ends a year after you first became eligible to apply. The period starts with the upgrade, not with the date you completed your novice driving time.
ICBC says restriction 55 expires automatically, without another application. It also says that a prohibition or suspension before the expiry date restarts the 12-month period from the date the licence is reinstated. That makes a clean record relevant after the Class 5 upgrade as well as before it. ICBC has not set out every possible condition of the restricted Class 5 on its main change page, so use the conditions printed on the licence you receive and ask ICBC about anything unclear.
What happens to the first road test and the N stage?
The first road test remains. ICBC still says a Class 7L learner must pass the Class 7 road test to get a novice licence. Studying for the knowledge test and then practising for that first drive with an examiner still belong in a new driver's plan. The change concerns the later step from novice to Class 5, so a learner has time to build a safe record after passing the first road test.
If you are still driving on a Class 7 novice licence, follow the conditions on that licence while you wait to qualify and apply. ICBC tells novice drivers under 25 to keep displaying the N sign and to avoid alcohol, drugs and electronic devices while driving. The new Class 5 restriction has its own expiry date; reaching the minimum novice period does not erase conditions on the licence you currently hold. Check ICBC's current rules for your age and licence before changing how you drive.
What this means if you are learning to drive
- If you hold a 7L, keep preparing for the Class 7 road test. That first road test still leads to the novice licence.
- If you hold a novice licence, check your driving time and whether an approved course was completed during your learner stage. The course matters only if it was completed.
- Review your driving record for an excessive-speed or device-use conviction, a prohibition, or a suspension before treating a date as an upgrade date.
- If your second road test is booked on or after 19 October, look for ICBC's cancellation email and follow its directions.
- After a Class 5 upgrade, read the restriction and expiry date printed on the back of your licence. Keep the zero alcohol and zero drug condition until it expires.
Practise it
Check your BC Class 5 eligibility
Compare your novice driving dates with ICBC's published assessment criteria
Understand the ICBC knowledge test
The test at the start of the learner path still applies
British Columbia knowledge test practice
Prepare for the knowledge test before your learner licence and first road test
Questions people ask
Is the second BC road test cancelled for everyone?
ICBC says a second road test booked on or after 19 October will be cancelled. It will email the driver about the cancellation and next steps.
Do I still need the first Class 7 road test in BC?
Yes. ICBC still requires a Class 7L learner to pass that road test to get a novice licence. The change concerns the later test.
Does the Driving Record Assessment give me an unrestricted Class 5?
No. The new Class 5 carries restriction 55, requiring zero blood alcohol and zero blood drug content for 12 months.
Do I need to visit ICBC for the Driving Record Assessment?
Yes. When eligible, visit a driver licensing office by appointment or as a walk-in customer to apply for the assessment and upgrade.
Sources
The official source comes first. Each date is the day the source was read for this post.