REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

MoBettah · 12-13-2012, 07:54 AM

Is it possible to have both AB & BC licenses? I live in both provinces and currently have vehicles (all registered in AB) in both Calgary and Vancouver.

I want to keep the Alberta vehicles insured in Alberta, but I want to have my BC vehicles insured in BC.

Phil@rise · 12-13-2012, 10:00 AM

Your supposed to surrender one or the other

inv4zn · 12-13-2012, 10:44 AM

They'll probably ask you where you spent the majority (>50%) of your time per year, and ask you to give up the other one.

GLOW · 12-13-2012, 10:47 AM

when i moved i had to give up my old AB license when i went in to get my BC one

GabAlmighty · 12-13-2012, 11:53 AM

Maybe you conveniently "lost" your AB licence when you go to get a BC one...

fliptuner · 12-13-2012, 12:09 PM

If your time is split equally, I'd keep the Ab. license and insurance, just for the better rates.

MoBettah · 12-13-2012, 12:18 PM

Thanks for the input.

Are the BC and Alberta registries linked?

As in do they contact one another or share a database? Does the transfer of license happen on some electronic level?

If not I guess technically I could hold both. Sorta like dual citizenship.

shantz · 12-13-2012, 02:29 PM

yes, they share a database (or something similar)

You used to be able to hold both (a benefit if you received a DUI in AB, you could drive on your BC license!)

jasonturbo · 12-13-2012, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoBettah

Is it possible to have both AB & BC licenses? I live in both provinces and currently have vehicles (all registered in AB) in both Calgary and Vancouver.

I want to keep the Alberta vehicles insured in Alberta, but I want to have my BC vehicles insured in BC.

I have BC license because I spend most of my time in BC, I have a car registered and insured in BC, and a truck registered and insured in Alberta.

You should be able to insure and register a vehicle in any province so long as you have a mailing address where the vehicle resides. (Regardless of what Province your license is issued under)

Tell them one or the other is your second home, simple as that, like a vacation home, if they even ask.

Edit: BC will ask for your AB DL when you apply for BC DL, and will send your AB DL back to BC. If you try to keep your AB license cause you "lost it", the DMV in AB will be notified by ICBC and that license will no longer be valid. I know this for a fact, you cannot carry two provincial licenses. There would be no need to anyway.

Phil@rise · 12-13-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shantz

yes, they share a database (or something similar)

You used to be able to hold both (a benefit if you received a DUI in AB, you could drive on your BC license!)

I dont think they are. A friend of mine had to go thru hoops to get his abstract from AB while here because BC didnt have access to that info. I could be wrong and he coulda been dumb tho

MoBettah · 12-13-2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

I have BC license because I spend most of my time in BC, I have a car registered and insured in BC, and a truck registered and insured in Alberta.

You should be able to insure and register a vehicle in any province so long as you have a mailing address where the vehicle resides. (Regardless of what Province your license is issued under)

Tell them one or the other is your second home, simple as that, like a vacation home, if they even ask.

Edit: BC will ask for your AB DL when you apply for BC DL, and will send your AB DL back to BC. If you try to keep your AB license cause you "lost it", the DMV in AB will be notified by ICBC and that license will no longer be valid. I know this for a fact, you cannot carry two provincial licenses. There would be no need to anyway.

Thank you,

So just to confirm, ICBC will insure me even with a AB license?

jasonturbo · 12-13-2012, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoBettah

Thank you,

So just to confirm, ICBC will insure me even with a AB license?

Yes, when I first moved to BC, I was driving an AB insured vehicle and had a AB DL, then I purchased a second vehicle locally in BC and insured through ICBC using my AB DL.

There is actually a major difference between being able to register/insur vs having a license, they are essentially two seperate entities.. one is a car, one is a person. Know what am sayin?

You will have no issues. (So long as you can provide a BC addy, be it your second home, vacation home, etc)

Marco911 · 12-17-2012, 03:32 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ICBC will not allow you to insure a car with them if you do not have a BCDL.

mb_ · 12-17-2012, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marco911

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ICBC will not allow you to insure a car with them if you do not have a BCDL.

When my family moved here my dad was able to insure a car with a license from another country
Posted via RS Mobile

jasonturbo · 12-17-2012, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marco911

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ICBC will not allow you to insure a car with them if you do not have a BCDL.

Poster above is correct,

I've insured BC vehicles with my AB license, you don't even need a license to register and insure a car... two seperate issues, one is specific to the vehicle and the other is specific to the driver.

c3m · 12-17-2012, 08:51 AM

How about reverse?

Can a BC license get insurance in Alberta?

jasonturbo · 12-17-2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonturbo

I have BC license because I spend most of my time in BC, I have a car registered and insured in BC, and a truck registered and insured in Alberta.

You should be able to insure and register a vehicle in any province so long as you have a mailing address where the vehicle resides. (Regardless of what Province your license is issued under)

Tell them one or the other is your second home, simple as that, like a vacation home, if they even ask.

Edit: BC will ask for your AB DL when you apply for BC DL, and will send your AB DL back to BC. If you try to keep your AB license cause you "lost it", the DMV in AB will be notified by ICBC and that license will no longer be valid. I know this for a fact, you cannot carry two provincial licenses. There would be no need to anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by c3m

How about reverse?

Can a BC license get insurance in Alberta?

If you read above you will see that I have a truck reg/ins in Alberta using my BC DL.

So yes, it works both ways.

beproud · 12-17-2012, 06:27 PM

When I worked in alberta I just drove around with my bc plate eh. I just played dumb when I got pulled over lol

Brad Fuel · 12-18-2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shantz

yes, they share a database (or something similar)

You used to be able to hold both (a benefit if you received a DUI in AB, you could drive on your BC license!)

If you get a DUI and are prohibited from driving, you can not drive in BC. Doesn't matter where your licence is from be it BC, AB, China.

You can have 2 valid licences for a period of time. Usually it's only a couple years or so til it's time to renew and then they won't allow you to do it.