Vehicle registration plates of British Columbia
Encyclopedia
The Canadian province
of British Columbia
first required its residents to register their motor vehicle
s and display licence plates in 1904.
on the rear licence plate
as proof of current insurance in order to be permitted to drive the vehicle. Decals have been used since 1970, but they all expired on February 28 of the following year until March 1980. Then they expired at the end of the month on the decal, until 1994. Then an additional decal, with a number on it for the day it expired, was introduced.
The decals are currently issued by the provincial motor vehicle insurer, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
The following are the colour patterns used in years from 1980 onward:
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
first required its residents to register their motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s and display licence plates in 1904.
Passenger plates 1964 to present
| Image | First issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Yearly changes between blue on white, white on blue and red on white. | Beautiful British Columbia | 123-456 | Insurance renewal required a new plate every year | ||
| 1970 | blue on white | Beautiful British Columbia | ABC-123 | Introduction of yearly vehicle registration stickers and the idea of permanent plates | ||
| 1973 | blue on white | Beautiful British Columbia | ABC-123 | |||
| 1979 | white on blue | Beautiful British Columbia | ABC-123 | |||
| 1985 | blue on reflective white with screened provincial government flag logo | Beautiful British Columbia | ABC-123 | |||
| 2001 | blue on reflective white with screened provincial government flag logo | Beautiful British Columbia | 123-ABC AB1 23C (future) |
000-AAA to present, excluding the 000-MAB and 000-VAB series | ||
| 2007 | Special Issue 2010 Olympics plate with screened mountain design on background and 2010 Winter Olympic logo on center. | The Best Place On Earth | 123-MAB | 000-MAA to present |
Truck plates 1979 to present
| Image | First issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | green on white | Beautiful British Columbia | 12-34-AB | |||
| 1985 | blue on reflective white with screened provincial government flag logo | Beautiful British Columbia | 1234-AB | |||
| 2007 | Special Issue 2010 Olympics plate with screened mountain design on background and 2010 Winter Olympic logo on center. | The Best Place On Earth | AB-1234 | |||
| 2008 | blue on reflective white with screened provincial government flag logo | Beautiful British Columbia | AB-1234 |
Licence plate decals
Since 1970, it has been necessary in British Columbia to place a decalDecal
A decal or transfer is a plastic, cloth, paper or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern or image that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually with the aid of heat or water. The word is short for decalcomania...
on the rear licence plate
Vehicle registration plate
A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...
as proof of current insurance in order to be permitted to drive the vehicle. Decals have been used since 1970, but they all expired on February 28 of the following year until March 1980. Then they expired at the end of the month on the decal, until 1994. Then an additional decal, with a number on it for the day it expired, was introduced.
The decals are currently issued by the provincial motor vehicle insurer, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is a provincial crown corporation in British Columbia created in 1973 by the NDP government of British Columbia. The original purpose of ICBC was to provide universal public auto insurance in British Columbia...
The following are the colour patterns used in years from 1980 onward:
| Year | Colour |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Black and white |
| 1981 | Red and black |
| 1982 | Green and white |
| 1983 | Black and white |
| 1984 | Orange and white |
| 1985 | Blue and white |
| 1986 | Red and blue |
| 1987 | Red and white |
| 1988 | Dark blue and white |
| 1989 | Green and white |
| 1990 | Pink and white |
| 1991 | Blue and white |
| 1992 | Black and white |
| 1993 | Green and white |
| 1994 | Red and white |
| 1995 | Blue and white |
| 1996 | Black and white (Jan-Sept) |
| 1996 | Pink and white (Oct-Dec) |
| 1997 | Green and white |
| 1998 | Red and white |
| 1999 | Blue and white, thick or thin border |
| 2000 | Yellow |
| 2001 | Orange |
| 2002 | Dark green |
| 2003 | Pink |
| 2004 | Yellow |
| 2005 | Sky-blue |
| 2006 | Red |
| 2007 | Light green |
| 2008 | Baby blue and white |
| 2009 | Dark orange and black |
| 2010 | Green and black |
| 2011 | Yellow and black |
| 2012 | Pink and black |