As you are aware, British Columbia drivers no longer need to display an insurance decal on their licence plates since this requirement was eliminated on May 1, 2022.
Recently, some customers have raised concerns over reports in social media that B.C. drivers have been ticketed for displaying expired insurance decals when travelling out of province, although these incidents have not yet been verified.
The question arises, do I need to remove the decal from my vehicle? While technically, the answer is “no”, you are fine to keep your expired decal on your plate – if you choose to travel outside of BC, particularly if you are traveling outside of Canada our recommendation is to remove your decals. We believe you are better off with no decal than an expired decal.
Here’s a hint to remove your old decal(s) – heat up your plate front and back with a hair blow-dryer (easier if you remove from your vehicle first) and use a hard plastic edge to peel them off. Do not use a razor or sharp blade, as you can easily damage your plate and potentially cut yourself.
Throughout the last year, ICBC has provided notice to other jurisdictions that B.C. changed the requirement for drivers to display licence plate validation stickers or validation decals on their vehicles to indicate a current and valid vehicle registration; however, this does not mean that the sharp-shooting Sheriff will know or remember that when you are pulled over on the side of the I-5!
As part of our risk management advise, we recommend to err on the side of caution. Remove the decal, remove the risk. After all, you are better safe than sorry!