License to Drive: Potential Legislation Could Change BC Driving Test

George McDonald

Earlier this year, the Government of British Columbia introduced legislation that, if approved, would transform the current graduated licensing program. These changes would have significant implications, especially for young British Columbians. 

What is the GLP?

The graduated licensing program is designed to ease new drivers into life on the road through a multi staged system, with legal restrictions easing as the individual graduates through the levels of the program. In 1994 this practice was introduced in Ontario for the first time. By the late nineties it was common practice throughout Canada, much of the United States, and many other parts of the world. To this day GLP programs exist in every Canadian province and territory except Nunavut. These programs vary from province to province, differing in lengths of time between tests, test structures, and specific graduation requirements for each level. Two notable outliers are B.C. and Ontario, the only two provinces that require two in person driving exams to obtain your full class 5 drivers license. Although if this legislation passes that would no longer be the case for B.C. 

What are the changes?

Currently in British Columbia, prospective drivers must pass a knowledge test and have a visual assessment (as well as being at least 16 years old) to obtain a learner’s permit. This learner's permit, also known as an “L”, has strict rules, such as being with a licensed passenger at all times instructing the driver and making sure the vehicle is operated in a safe and legal manner, among other things. The L is essentially the same class of license and restrictions as Ontario’s G1. After the twelve month period of safely practicing on the L, the driver may take their first road test which, if passed, grants them a class 7 license, commonly called an “N” for novice. These drivers have restrictions as well, such as a curfew, 0.0 blood alcohol tolerance and one non relative passenger permittance. Past this point in the program is the area the proposed legislation aims to affect, so the whole system previously described will remain in place. 

Under the present system, an N holder must drive safely for 24 months before being allowed to attempt their second road test. If that test is passed then a class 5 or “full” license is granted. This is where the proposed changes come in. The B.C. government would keep the L stage in place and the 24 month N period would remain, with the same restrictions they currently have. If the driver keeps a clean driving record through the novice stage, they would simply receive their class 5 license upon completing the stage, entering a 12 month probationary period before receiving full class 5 privileges.

The government’s reasoning.

In collaboration with the RCMP,  provincial police, RoadSafetyBC and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, the government of B.C. has decided that this is a safe move forward. They argue that the other provinces' systems provide a good example that the program can exist safely without the second test. The province insists that B.C.’s system is outdated and inefficient, maintaining that a longer period of supervision and probation are just as effective as a test at keeping roads safe. The province has been criticised in the past for its slow and ineffective system. This program, they say, will make the system more efficient and streamlined, as well as providing the same level of smart and safe drivers. The BC government is also considering the equitable effects of this move. The Province’s website showcases a positive quote from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, stating that “We welcome the amendments to the GLP and MLP as important steps to help remove barriers that prevent First Nations from accessing driver licenses.”  

The implications. 

This legislation would streamline the program, making it easier for young British Columbians to obtain a drivers license, helping ease strain on the system and create a modern and more equitable environment for drivers. The government claims this new system would be just as safe or safer than the existing program, and while that remains to be seen, many B.C. residents support this move, especially the young adolescents benefiting from the new program.

Sources:

“About GDL.” TIRF. Accessed September 26, 2025. https://yndrc.tirf.ca/gdl/index.php.

“B.C. Proposes Changes to Graduated Driver’s Licensing Program | CBC News.” CBC news, April 17, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-government-changes-graduated-licensing-1.7512761. 

“Changes Are Coming to the Graduated Licensing Program.” ICBC. Accessed September 26, 2025. https://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/new-drivers/graduated-licensing-program-changes. 

“Graduated Licensing Changes Improve Accessibility, Safety.” BC Gov News, April 16, 2025. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025PSSG0009-000346.