British Columbia Passenger License Plates 2014 and beyond!

British Columbia Passenger License Plates
2014 - 2025

Quick Links:

1904-1912 | 1913-1914 | 1915-1917 | 1918-1923 | 1924-1929 | 1930 | 1931-1935 | 1936-1939 | 1940-1948 | 1949-1951 | 1952-1954 | 1955-1963 | 1964-1969 | 1970-1972 | 1973-1978 | 1979-1985 | 1985-2001 | 2001-2014 | 2014-2025 | 2025 and beyond

On May 25, 2010, Vancouver's News 1130 broke the story that ICBC was running out of license plate combinations and that the introduction of a new serial format would occur.

Specifically, the Corporation's Senior Media Relations Advisor, Adam Grossman, advised that "there won't be any more 'three letter, three number' combinations by 2013 [but] after much research a solution has been found [and] typically where we see three letters, followed by three numbers - we're actually going to be seeing a sequence of two letters and a number, followed by two numbers and a letter."

2014 - 2025

Issuing Statistics

Aug 2014:	AA0-00A to AX9-99X
Apr 2015:	BA0-00A to BX9-99X
Nov 2015:	CA0-00A to CX9-99X
May 2016:	DA0-00A to DX9-99X
Dec 2016:	EA0-00A to EX9-99X
Jul 2017:	FA0-00A to FX9-99X
Feb 2018:	GA0-00A to GX9-99X
Sep 2018:	HA0-00A to HX9-99X
Apr 2019:	JA0-00A to JX9-99X
Oct 2019:	KA0-00A to KX9-99X
July 2020:	LA0-00A to LX9-99X
Feb 2021:	MA0-00A to MX9-99X
Sept. 2021:	NA0-00A to NX9-99X
[see Parks]	PA0-00A to PX9-99X
[see Parks]	RA0-00A to RX9-99X
June 2022:	SA0-00A to SX9-99X
Jan. 2023:	TA0-00A to TX9-99X
Sept. 2023:	VA0-00A to VX9-99X
	WA0-00A to WX9-99X
	XA0-00A to XX9-99X

"S" bloc

"T" bloc

"V" bloc

"W" bloc

"X" bloc

Grossman went on to state that "ICBC looked at moving to seven character combinations like Ontario and Alberta, but found it would be a costly switch, and would interfere with administrative systems for brokers that are built for the six character system. Seven character combinations would also require smaller numbers and letters, making plates harder for police to read."

Accordingly, the Corporation took the classic "AAA-000" format and shifted each character one position to the left, thereby creating an additional 8,000,000 license plate combinations. It is thought that at current issuance rates and anticipated growth in vehicle registrations, that this will create an approximately 8-10 year supply.

If this "new" AA0-00A format looks oddly familiar, that is because it is! The Corporation has been using it for the past three years on the redesigned Consular base first introduced in 2007:

Ignoring the placement of the "Mountain" logo (also known as the "BC Mark") the AA0-00A format becomes readily apparent in this example of a Consular plate. This particular plate is assigned to "Career Consular Officers", hence the use of the "CC" letter combination prior to the three numbers.

While ICBC has not provided any details on how the series will progress, it is assumed that it will start at "AA0-01A" and follow the sequencing seen on the Consular base - in which case, it is likely that the "DL"; "CC"; "HC"; "CS" and "SR" prefixes have already been blocked out.

In addition, whereas the traditional sequence saw the letters "K" and "L" act as strategic breakpoints in the series, it is thought this will be abandoned in favour of the system employed on the more recent Veteran and Olympic passenger base plates. For example:

Traditional Sequence	Veteran & Olympic Sequence*	Consular Sequence*	Anticipated "AA0-00A" Sequence
AAK-998	AAK-998	AA9-98K	AA9-98K
AAK-999	AAK-999	AA9-99K	AA9-99K
ABA-000	AAL-000	AA0-00L	AA0-00L
ABA-001	AAL-001	AA0-01L	AA0-01L
ABA-002	AAL-002	AA0-02L	AA0-02L
* indicative only

As it seems that ICBC is intent on retaining the six-digit format due to cost considerations, it is assumed that when the "AA0-00A" format is exhausted, each character will again be shifted another position to the left, thereby creating a " A00-0AA" format - which is similar to that currently employed by Utah (see below).

Of particular interest is that the Corporation explored the possibility of re-designing the license plates and implementing a general re-issuance in 2013, thereby allowing for all existing plates to be pulled-off the road, and the series to recommence at AAA-000, however, this was ruled out as it was "felt it would be too costly, administratively burdensome and not environmentally responsible."

In taking this route, however, ICBC is now confronted with the challenge of determining what to do about those license plates that were issued in the 1980s and early 1990s and are still on the road, yet due to age and exposure to the elements are slowly becoming illegible as their paint of reflective sheeting slowly come off?

Although the plate shown at left is not a passenger plate, it clearly shows some of the problems that ICBC is facing with aging plates. This plate would have been issued in 1987 and appears to have been on the roads over the past 24 years.

By way of example, in Washington State it is law that license plates be replaced every seven years as the reflective coating is considered to break down after this point, making it hard for law enforcement officials to see the plate in bad weather. Given one of the reasons for ICBC not introducing a seventh digit to BC plates was due to concerns from law enforcement regarding the legibility of such plates, it is thought that the Corporation will soon have to consider a similar license plate replacement regulation for BC motorists.

The Corporation's concern for the environment in deciding against a general re-issuance is commendable, however, when asked if this would extend to the manufacturing of the new plates through the use of digital flat plate technology, ICBC was noncommittal advising that "few details regarding it are final yet." Yet, when Arizona introduced a new 7-digit format in 2008 the change was promoted as being "environmentally responsible ... [by] eliminating the toxic fumes released as the paint dried." While there are also cost savings associated with going flat, and that Waldale is capable making such plates, it is known that flat plates are not favoured by law enforcement due to the ease with which snow and dirt can conceal the number and it is thought that, for this reason, ICBC will eventually decide against such plates for BC.

Although ICBC had advised that a new license plate design was not being considered as part of the new letter-number combination, it was queried if this then ruled out a re-design at any future point - remembering that the current "Flag" design is now 25 years old (see "British Columbia's Licence Plate Turns 25"). In response the Corporation advised that "we are always considering options available to us but there are no plans at this time to redesign the B.C. licence plate."

Finally!! They are here ...

New letter / number exclusions

As a result of our queries on the demise of the 400 bloc of numbers in November 2014, ICBC was kind enough to share some of the other letter & number combinations that they have had to exclude from production due to the new AA0-00A format. While some are expected, such as those combinations associated with the Consular base, there are some other interesting ones that we never would have thought of (especially the idea that people already have personalised plates that utilise the same format!):

Serial From	Serial To	Reason	Serial From	Serial To	Reason
AS500A	AS599A	AS5 resembles ASS	CF100R	CF124R	PNP Slogan
AS500B	AS599B	Offensive sequence	CS000A	CS999X	Foreign Rep Plate
AS500C	AS599C	Offensive sequence	CT200H	CT224H	PNP Slogan
AS500D	AS599D	Offensive sequence	DC650A	DC674A	PNP Slogan
AS500E	AS599E	Offensive sequence	DL000A	DL999X	Foreign Rep Plate
AS500F	AS599F	Offensive sequence	EC325J	EC349J	PNP Slogan
AS500G	AS599G	Offensive sequence	GR875T	GR899T	PNP Slogan
AS500H	AS599H	Offensive sequence	GS450H	GS474H	PNP Slogan
AS500J	AS599J	Offensive sequence	GT350H	GT374H	PNP Slogan
AS500K	AS599K	Offensive sequence	GT350R	GT374R	PNP Slogan
AS500L	AS599L	Offensive sequence	GT500E	GT524E	PNP Slogan
AS500M	AS599M	Offensive sequence	GT500R	GT524R	PNP Slogan
AS500N	AS599N	Offensive sequence	HC000A	HC999X	Foreign Rep Plate
AS500P	AS599P	Offensive sequence	HS250H	HS274H	PNP Slogan
AS500R	AS599R	Offensive sequence	LS600H	LS624H	PNP Slogan
AS500S	AS599S	Offensive sequence	MB275C	MB299C	PNP Slogan
AS500T	AS599T	Offensive sequence	MB300E	MB324E	PNP Slogan
AS500V	AS599V	Offensive sequence	ME400S	ME424S	PNP Slogan
AS500W	AS599W	Offensive sequence	MH900E	MH924E	PNP Slogan
AS500X	AS599X	Offensive sequence	RG500R	RG524R	PNP Slogan
BB850B	BB874B	PNP Slogan	RX450H	RX474H	PNP Slogan
BJ000A	BJ999X	Offensive sequence	SH325P	SH349P	PNP Slogan
BS000A	BS999X	Offensive sequence	SL500R	SL524R	PNP Slogan
CB900F	CB924F	PNP Slogan	SR000A	SR999X	Foreign Rep Plate
CC000A	CC999X	Foreign Rep Plate	SR975T	SR999T	PNP Slogan
CF100B	CF124B	PNP Slogan	VD000A	VD999X	Offensive sequence

Funny how times change. When the first alpha-numeric plates were issued in 1970, some residents of Victoria were rather perturbed that the low numbers they historically received had been replaced with plates starting with 'VD', which some interpreted to mean Venereal Disease! The Motor Vehicle Branch (MVB), however, did not share their concerns and issued the plates. 45 years later and 'VD' is now deemed an offensive slogan ...

Holy SH1-11T! How did this get through the censors at ICBC? This plate was spotted on the roads in October of 2022!

The Front License Plate Debate
	Have you too seen odd looking license plates on the front of a car that appear to be flat and without mounting holes (or bolts for that matter)? Are you wondering why someone would go to the trouble of ordering their own license plate (living like it is 1912 again)? If so, the following page might offer some insights into what is going on: Click Here!

Closing of the Burnaby Warehouse

On March 16, 2017, ICBC released one of their occassion Bulletins (No. 18) adivsing that their Burnaby Warehouse (6100 Kingsland Drive) was going to be closing at the end of the month and providing direction to various agenices, including Autoplan Agents, on where to send license plates for final processing and recycling (the recycling component of which was ultimately completed by Pacific Metals Limited of Vancouver).

For posterity, we have archived Buletin No. 18, but some of its highlights include the name and location of the business that this function has been outsourced to; Hemlock Harling Distribution Inc at #110-11388 No. 5 Road in Richmond.

It is not clear from the Bulletin about what is going happen to the other functions that previously occurred at the Warehouse, such as the storage and distribution of license plates to Autoplan Agents:

We do know, thanks to a friend of the site, that the records previously stored at the Warehouse have been shipped off for archiving with a private firm.

As we find out more, we shall update this section.

Evo (the evolution of car sharing) and "EV0" license plates!

Launched in March 2015, “Evo” – which we assume is short for evolution - is a car-sharing service operated in the Greater Vancouver area by the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA). Evo offers the use of Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicles only and allows for one-way point-to-point rentals. Of interest to us is that BCAA was able to acquire upwards of a couple of hundred license plates in the serial range of “EV0-00A” to “EV0-99A” and “EV0-00B” to “EV0-99B”).

Someone has been pranked!

Practical jokes are always fun, such as putting the back plate on the front of a car and vice-versa so that the plate on the back no longer displays the registration decal, or turning the back plate upside down - particularly when the registration numbers and letters can be read both ways (what are the chances?)!

Quick Links:

British Columbia Passenger License Plates 2014 - 2025

British Columbia Passenger License Plates
2014 - 2025