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All of the following conditions must be met In order to be eligible for the $25 deduction:
You can pay your violation ticket in person or by mail. To pay by mail, simply send a cheque or money order payable to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) at:
Revenue Administration
Bag 3505
Victoria, B.C. V8W 3N9
To pay by phone: 1 800 950-1498
Receipts will not be issued. Do not send cash in the mail. NSF cheques will be subject to additional administrative charges, in accordance with current government policy.
To ensure payment is properly credited, include a copy of the front of the ticket or a note with the following information:
You can pay in person at the following locations:
Remember to bring a copy of your violation ticket with you.
Yes, if you do not dispute your violation ticket and submit your payment within 30 days of the date you were served, you get a deduction.
For each Motor Vehicle Act or Motor Vehicle Regulation offence with a ticketed amount greater than $58, you can deduct $25.
This deduction does not apply if:
You will be deemed to have pled guilty to the charge and the offence will be added to your driving record as a conviction.
The full ticketed amount becomes immediately due and payable. You are no longer eligible for the $25 deduction and, in some cases, penalty points will be applied to your licence.
Non-payment could affect your ability to obtain or renew your licence, insurance or even a permit from ICBC or other authorities depending on the offence.
No, payment is taken as a guilty plea. Once payment is made, your only recourse is to appeal the conviction to the B.C. Supreme Court.
There are limited circumstances in which there can be an appeal of a violation ticket or a Violation Ticket (Registered Owner) to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Such an appeal is only available:
By paying the violation ticket in full or in part, you are considered by the courts as submitting a guilty plea to the charged described on the front of your violation ticket.
The full ticketed amount becomes immediately due and payable. The full amount includes the fine amount, plus a 15 per cent victim surcharge.
The process for disputing the amount of the fine and/or requesting more time to pay the fine are the same.
You have to file a notice of dispute (PTR021) and a violation ticket statement and written reasons (PTR022) form, available at any court registry or download here. Completing this form means you are pleading guilty to the charge(s) and disputing the amount of the fine and/or requesting additional time to pay your fine.
After the justice considers the application, you will be notified of the results by mail.
Note: The violation ticket statement and written reasons form must not contain a defence of the charges. The notice of dispute must clearly indicate that you are pleading guilty to the charges. If either of these conditions is not met, the justice will not consider your request.
No, you do not have to appear in court, but you must complete, sign and submit the violation ticket statement and written reasons form. This means that you are pleading guilty to the charge(s) and disputing only the amount of the fine.
No. The justice will review your submission, consider your request and then advise you by mail as to whether the request will be allowed.
You can still complete and file a violation ticket statement and written reasons form by mail or in person at the provincial court registry noted on the front of the violation ticket. If a hearing date has already been scheduled, you must ensure your form is submitted prior to the scheduled date.
A certified extract of the violation ticket will be produced by ICBC and forwarded to the Violation Ticket Centre. A hearing date will then be scheduled. Once a date has been scheduled, you will receive a notice of hearing in the mail, advising you of the date, time and location of your hearing.
If you move after you file a dispute you must advise the Violation Ticket Centre or court registry in writing by completing, signing and mailing a Violation ticket change of address form (PTR805) available at any court registry or download here. The Violation Ticket Centre or court registry will not accept a change of address over the telephone.
If you do not advise the Violation Ticket Centre or Court Registry of your new mailing address, you may not receive the notice of hearing and may be deemed to have pled guilty to the charge.
There is no fixed time period between filing a notice of dispute and receiving a notice of hearing advising you of the court date, time and court location. The actual period will vary depending on the time of year and the particular court location. However, Court Services and the Judiciary are making every effort to reduce the waiting time.
You may not have received a notice of hearing if you moved and did not notify the Violation Ticket Centre of a change in address.
You may apply to a justice for an adjournment. As soon as you learn that you are unable to attend the scheduled hearing, you must complete, sign and file an application to adjourn a hearing form (PTR818). The form must identify the legitimate reason you are unable to attend your hearing.
The application to adjourn a hearing may be mailed to the Violation Ticket Centre or filed at any court registry. After a justice considers the application, you will be notified of the results by mail. Where time permits, it is advisable to contact the Violation Ticket Centre or court registry to confirm the status of your application, particularly if submitted within close proximity of the hearing date.
Justice and fairness in our system are achieved in part by ensuring that decisions are made about cases free of any improper interference, including political interference. The JP who reviewed your application for a new hearing date has made an independent judicial decision based on the information provided. Neither the Attorney General nor his staff can intervene in this process.
Unfortunately, you cannot dispute the allegation in writing; you must appear in person in court on the scheduled hearing date or have an agent (family member or friend) or legal counsel appear on your behalf. You should be aware that an agent or legal counsel cannot give evidence on your behalf. An agent or legal counsel can, however, enter a plea, cross-examine any Crown witness and make submissions on your behalf.
The violation ticket will be treated as not disputed and a conviction for the charge will be added to your driving record. The full ticketed amount will become immediately due and payable.
If, through no fault of your own, you were unable to attend the hearing date, you may file an affidavit (PTR019 or PTR020) requesting a new hearing date, at the provincial court registry where the hearing is scheduled.
Prior to your scheduled hearing, you may pay the fine on any violation ticket, in person or by mail. See “Paying a Ticket.” The $25 reduction will not apply.
If you move after you file a dispute, you must advise the Violation Ticket Centre or court registry of a change in address in writing by completing, signing and mailing a violation ticket change of address form (PTR805), available at any court registry or download here. The Violation Ticket Centre or court registry will not accept a change of address over the telephone.
If you do not advise the Violation Ticket Centre or court registry of your new mailing address, you may not receive the notice of hearing and may be deemed to have pled guilty to the charge.
The enforcement officer who served the violation ticket to you may appear and prosecute the case by videoconference, telephone or in person. If you are charged with committing an offence under certain sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, the enforcement officer may present evidence by way of a written certificate and will not attend the hearing.
You may make application to the court, at your hearing, to have the enforcement officer attend in person for cross-examination to determine a relevant issue. If granted, the matter would be adjourned to another date for the officer to appear.
Any decisions regarding the dismissal of a violation ticket are at the discretion of the presiding judicial justice of the peace at the hearing.
A violation ticket (registered owner) and any violation ticket issued as a result of red light infractions captured by an intersection camera, follow the same basic dispute process.
However, there are some differences in the process and different forms that must be used. For further information about the intersection camera program, please contact ICBC customer service at: 1 800 950-1498. For further information about the dispute process and forms mentioned in this pamphlet, please contact the Violation Ticket Centre or any court registry.
The information contained on this page is intended as a guide only, to help you understand some of the laws regarding violation tickets. It is not intended as a substitute for the acts and/or regulations. In the event of a conflict or discrepancy between the information in this page and the applicable acts and/or regulations, the acts and/or regulations prevail.
This information is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any legal questions, please speak with a lawyer.
