BC is rolling out new licence plate number formats as existing combinations are running out, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has announced.
The new character configurations will first appear on the BC Parks Porteau Cove specialty plates in the coming weeks, with changes to regular passenger plates expected as early as August 2025.
ICBC is advising drivers and law enforcement that these new configurations are legitimate and will begin appearing on vehicles shortly.
The redesigned plates will maintain the standard six-character limit and current design, meaning no changes are needed to scanning technology used by law enforcement, ICBC states. Optical character recognition (OCR) systems and Automated Licence Plate Readers (ALPRs) will continue to function without modification.
New configurations may now include the letters ‘U,’ ‘Y’ and ‘Z,’ which were previously unused. However, ‘I,’ ‘O’ and ‘Q’ will remain excluded to avoid confusion with numbers.
ICBC states the change is part of a broader effort to expand the pool of available plate combinations while maintaining compatibility with existing systems. Sixteen of the province’s approximately 40 licence plate types will be updated, with 10 scheduled for rollout over the next year.
The updates will be phased in as existing plate inventories are depleted through new vehicle licensing and routine replacements. The adjustments are intended to ensure sufficient supply of unique licence numbers for the next two decades.
BC Parks and ICBC offer three "parks plate" designs, which include Porteau Cove (with an image of Howe Sound), Kermode (with an image of a bear) and Purcell (with an image of snow-capped mountains).
The specialty plates are available through Autoplan brokers across the province. They cost $50 to purchase and $40 to renew annually.
Funds from the BC Parks licence plates help support conservation and enhancement projects in the province’s park system.
