Driver licensing
Disputing a ticket
You can dispute if you believe a ticket was issued unfairly, would like the fine to be reduced or the payment delayed.
How long you have to dispute:
You have 30 days to dispute a traffic ticket from the violation date.
You have 30 days to dispute a red light camera ticket that was served to you in person or 45 days to dispute a ticket received in the mail.
How to submit your dispute
Online
You may be eligible to start a dispute online if the ticket only includes charges under the Motor Vehicle Act or Motor Vehicle Act Regulations and was issued with the online dispute option.
For more information, visit tickets.gov.bc.ca.
In person
You or someone on your behalf can dispute in person within 30 days of the ticket date. You can book an appointment to visit an ICBC driver licensing office or bring your ticket to a provincial court registry.
If you don't have the ticket, you must at least know the violation ticket number and when it was issued to you, what it's for (Act and Section of the offence), the fine amount and the violation date. Otherwise, we likely won't be able to register the dispute. Remember to bring your driver's licence too.
To access forms to request a fine reduction, request additional time to pay, advise the court of a change of address or dispute the allegation, visit a Court Registry location or the Government of B.C.'s website.
By mail
If you register your dispute by mail, include the following in a letter:
Whether you're disputing the allegation (offence noted on the ticket) or the fine amount
The ticket number and violation date
Your full name, address, driver's licence number, and date of birth
The Act and Section number of the offence. (This information is written on the ticket.)
Mail your letter, along with a photocopy of the front of your ticket, to:
Ticket Dispute Processing
Bag #3510
Victoria, B.C., V8W 3P7
Mail your dispute within 30 days
Your dispute must be post-marked within 30 calendar days from the date the ticket was served to you. There is no need to include court evidence such as videos or pictures.
For more information on disputing a ticket, call the Violation Ticket Centre toll-free within Canada at 1-877-661-8026 or 604-660-4869 in the Lower Mainland.
Going to court
If you have disputed the allegation, you'll need to appear in court. Your court date will be mailed to you by the Provincial Court Registry. If the court date doesn't work for you, reschedule it by contacting your local court. If you miss your court date you'll have to pay the ticket. If you're disputing the fine amount or are requesting more time to pay, you may not have to appear in court. For more information see Section 15.4 of the Offence Act or contact courts directly.
Not your ticket?
Traffic tickets
If you believe that a ticket appearing on your driving record belongs to someone else, you can have it reviewed. Call us for more information.
Red light camera tickets
Red light tickets are issued to the registered vehicle owner. They are an integral part of road safety enforcement and consistent with other B.C. road safety interventions, which place sole responsibility for the alleged violation on the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the violation ticket.
Commercial drivers
If you own a commercial vehicle (for example, a taxi, bus or truck) and receive a red light camera ticket, points will be added to your National Safety Code profile.
Update your address with the court
Don't take the chance of missing your court date notice in the mail. If you've recently moved, ensure they have your information on file:
If you haven't had a hearing yet, please fax the change of address form to the Violation Ticket Centre at 604-660-4868.
If you already had your first appearance, please visit or contact your local court to submit your changes of address form.
Transit fare evasion tickets
If you have a transit fare evasion ticket, it must be paid directly to Translink before renewing your driver's licence or Autoplan insurance.
For more information about your transit debt, contact ICBC account services:
604-661-2723 in the Lower Mainland or
1-800-665-6442 toll free.
More information
To reach the Violation Ticket Centre call 1-877-661-8026 toll-free within Canada or 604-660-4869 in the Lower Mainland.
