Accident with expired license
 

Just asking this for a friend.

What happens when you get into a car accident while driving with your Driver's License expired? Not a suspension, just forgetting to renew your license (about 4 months).

No ticket was given as cops were not present.

Is my friend going to still be covered with ICBC?
Can he get a ticket or further driving restriction?

Thanks in advance.

www.icbc.ca


Renewing your licence
Your photo driver's licence must be renewed every 5 years. (An exception is your first full-privilege [click for definition] B.C. driver's licence. It must be renewed after 2 years.) The expiration year is shown on your licence. The actual day of expiry is your birthday.

Note: It is illegal to drive with an expired driver's licence.

Do not continue to drive with an expired driver's licence.


I do not think your friend will be covered. He/she has given ICBC every reason not to cover the insurance.

and 4 months is not "forgetting to renew your license" that is pure negligence.

You get a renewal reminder in the mail prior to the actual expiration date, and can go to renew the licence at any time. It is illegal to be driving without a licence, and I believe that you can still be ticketed. There is no excuse for not renewing your licence. It can even be done out of province/country, if you happen to not be here when the expiry date comes up.

The answer is: "it depends..."

ICBC can choose to deny any insurance coverage at all because the contract of insurance requires that the driver hold a valid driver's license. If not, the insured is in breach of contract.

I understand that there is a possibility that the offending driver could be allowed the opportunity to renew their license and ICBC would then consider them to have been licensed at the time of the collision and apply insurance coverage. This is at ICBC's discretion and may not be offered as well.

Bottom line is it is important for many reasons to make sure that your driver's license is valid.

in ontario your ass would of been in jail by now and no license for a year if not longer. Here you get off scott free 90% of the time, insurance her is a joke.
b.c sux when it comes to the whole transportation policies

Read the back of your vehicle registration papers. The information written in red, point #3.