Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Please make sure to keep a copy of your UK license!

:)

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Pointless now - DVLA have finally caught up with this and your UK licence will be invalid.

If you check you UK Drivers Licence number on the DVLA website, you will now find that it sats' You do not have a valid UK Drivers Licence as it has been exchanged for a Licence in another Duristiction' or something similar.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Only if you exchanged. Prior to the exchange, DVLA have no idea one has a foreign license.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Useful to have a copy of it if you want to exchange your license back to a UK one though, to show that you a) held one b) have the number and c) can drive a manual or even just to check up on the DVLA website (without the number, can you even do that?).

That was my point, lol.

:p

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

I couldn't get the last firm to insure us to provide a letter so had to go with nil insurance history.
I was philosophical about it. Cars are cheaper here than the Uk, petrol is cheaper so in the long run things balance out. All part of the moving to a new country experience!!!

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Nice way to look at it - thank you Tootlepootle!

All - are you suggesting that when I obtain my BC licence I am physically handing in and relinquishing my UK one? If so are you also suggesting to obtain a spare one beforehand so I have one in both countries? Sorry if I have missed something - i am trying to process so much at the moment!

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

There have been a few recent posts on this. Once you hand in your UK in BC then automatically your UK is deactivated and not useable in the UK as you are nonresident - this isn't an issue, if you visit the UK, just use your BC licence. If you return permanently then you just reapply to the DVLC and get it back and the BC will become inactive. You cannot hold an active licence in both countries. They do communicate with each other. By all means take a photocopy but that would simply be for your record only

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

This is only a recent thing then. My OH has both licenses and DVLA kept mine a while back as my address was overseas, it is not indicated as deactivated. The online record indicates it is fully active. Not that I have ever needed it.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

We had to redo our test and so never handed in our licences- Interesting that the licence is still active given non residence in the UK- we have never checked ours- might well do although our address is obviously not current.

Obviously the OP will be under the new rules and will just have the BC licence running whilst here

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

You're right, it is just semantics. I have never used or had need of my UK license in 20+ years.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Two points which have been done to death on here but anyway -

Insurers in the UK have a central database they use to verify you had insurance to work out your no-claims discount. Canadian insurers have no access to that so you have to round up letters from your previous insurers. And you really should, otherwise you'll pay sky-high rates.

#2 - it is illegal in BC and Alberta to hold more than one DL, you cannot keep your UK or any other DL if you get one in either of those two provinces. There are no exceptions to this rule, it's even printed on the back of Alberta DLs.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

How do people who live in BC having moved from Alberta manage to keep AB plates on their cars? .....and Im not just saying just after they move- Im talking a long time after the move (It thankfully does however flag them to me as they do have problems going round corners/tailgating/recurrently over-breaking :lol:) This will get me having a Voodoo effigy of Stinky getting stuck with pins by the likes of Tinpusher and Piff Poff:eek:

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

They don't change them, until the police or ICBC catch up with them. Some have an AB address, some don't.

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

Greeting all and Happy Easter,

All very useful feedback - thank you once again. With regards to proving two years driving experience when trading in your UK licence for a BC one, the icbc website states the following:

Using your driver's licence to prove your driving experience
In some cases we can just rely on your driver's licence—but it's not guaranteed. For example, if your licence was issued less than two years ago, and you're looking to prove two years of experience to exchange your licence, your driver's licence might not be sufficient

My existing licence is 2013 issued (so 2.5 years old) and this date of issue is very clearly printed on the licence. I am planning to rely on this as proof of my two years driving experience when exchanging (rather than chasing DVLA for a very specific letter as also suggested on their website as I am running out of time before departure for Canada).

Has anyone - who has in more recent years exchanged their UK licence in BC - been successful in relying just on their UK licence to validate their two years experience? Has anyone else been knocked back by relying just on this evidence?

Secondly - it is not clear from the ICBC website if the exchange is automatic following provision of required documents and paying of the fee, or if a theory exam, medical test etc. is also required. Does anyone recall what additional steps were needed as part of the reciprocal licence swap? Secondly how long did it roughly take for the BC licence to then arrive? If the UK licence is handed in while awaiting your BC licence one would be without any licence and presumably unable to drive at all!

Re: UK Drivers Licence in BC
 

I don't have personal experience of a recent swap but I understand that they may test your eyesight and ask a couple of questions about theory - not so much as to catch you out to deny a license - but just to make sure you know. E.g. in BC flashing green traffic lights means you are good to go but that the lights are controlled by pedestrians so may change at any time.

Whew you hand in your UK license they will give you a temporary paper license that keeps you legal until the plastic one arrives in about 10 days.