When you receive a violation ticket in British Columbia, the offense and any associated points becomes part of your driving record for five years according to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

As far as being charged for points or offenses on your record, there are actually two programs in BC currently - the Driver Penalty Point (DPP) program and the Driver Risk Premium (DRP) program. The DRP was introduced in January 2009 and both programs will operate together until the DPP program is phased out at the end of 2010. The ICBC notes that research indicates that drivers with the higher risk offenses have more than twice as many crashes as do other BC drivers. The premiums those drivers pay now reflect these risks. Drivers can only be charged under one program.

The DPP program is for lower risk offenses and views points accumulated in a one year period. The one year period starts five months prior to your birthday, for example, if your birthday were August 15, your DPP scan period would be from March 15 – March 15 the following year. You will receive a one-time bill if you accumulate more than 4 points in a billing year. Points are not carried from one year to the next.

The DRP program deals with higher risk offenses (criminal convictions, 24hr roadside suspensions, and excessive speed violations) accumulated in a one year period, the same assessment period as the DPP. The DRP billing is based on the number of offenses rather than the associated points.

The DPP premium ranges from $175 for four points to $24,000 for 50 or more points. To find out how much you will pay, compare the number of points on your driving record with the table of Driver Penalty Points Premiums that the ICBC has on their site.

One can get a reduction on their Driver Penalty Points Premium by giving up their driver's license for at least 30 days. If one gives up their license for one year than the Driver Penalty Point fee will be waived.

If you have further questions about driver licensing and points in British Columbia, Canada contact the ICBC Customer Service at 1-800-950-1498.