Unique B.C. licence plates you may not know about
If you’re a B.C. driver, you may be accustomed to the standard licence plate designs, which consist of blue lettering with “Beautiful British Columbia” at the top.
However, you may not be aware of some unique plate designs that you can obtain if you meet certain criteria.
If you visit ICBC’s website, you can view the available plates.
For instance, the Memorial Cross recipient plates were created to honour members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
B.C. Government/Flickr
“The Memorial Cross is a memento that was created in 1919 and is currently granted by the Government of Canada to the loved ones of Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have fallen in service to this country, or have perished as a result of their service,” notes ICBC on its website.
The plate is available if an individual is deemed an original Memorial Cross recipient by the federal government, a resident of B.C., and the registered owner, joint owner, or lessee of the vehicle for which the plate is intended.
ICBC also offers certified amateur radio operators in the province the Ham plates with assigned radio call signs.
ICBC
“Ham plates make it easy to identify amateur radio operators so that they can assist âwith emergency communications in the event of a natural disaster,” states ICBC.
To obtain a ham plate, you need to register for it, and you must hold a valid certificate of proficiency in amateur radio issued by Industry Canada.
The plates can be installed on passenger and commercial vehicles, as well as motor homes.
Owners of collector and vintage vehicles in B.C. are also eligible for special plates to jazz up their rides. You can learn more about the registration process on ICBC’s website.
B.C. Parks
Some common B.C. plates with pizazz are personalized licence plates and the parks options, which showcase images of the white Kermode bear, the Purcell Mountains, or Porteau Cove overlooking Howe Sound.
British Columbians should also note that some changes are coming to provincial licence plates.
ICBC posted a bulletin announcing it would gradually be introducing new licence plate character configurations on some B.C. plates.
âWithin several weeks, you may begin to see these legitimate new licence plate patterns on vehicles in traffic,â stated ICBC.
The changes will begin with the Porteau Cove licence plates within the next few weeks, and the regular plates as early as August 2025.
As for what tweaks drivers may notice, ICBC clarified that the new licence plate patterns may include the letters âUâ, âYâ and âZâ, which havenât been used before.
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