Q&A: Out of Province Driver's Licences

Q&A ImageMy 18 year old daughter would like to go to Victoria. She has her Washington state driver's license. Is she allowed to drive by herself in BC with that license? Is she allowed to carry passengers?

Your daughter is allowed to drive alone or with passengers here in BC with her Washington State driver's license as long as she abides by any requirements that are part of that license and produces it on demand to police here if stopped. She is not regulated by our Graduated Licensing Program because she is not a BC driver's license holder and those requirements are part of a BC learner or novice driver's license.

If you are a tourist from a place where your driver's license is not printed in the common language of the place you are visiting you may wish to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP). The IDP must be presented along with your regular driver's license as it is not a license itself, it is merely a translation of your driver's license into a number of other languages for the convenience of the reader.

There are limits to the amount of time that you can continue to drive in British Columbia depending on whether you are a tourist or newly resident in the province.