Driving with an L in B.C.: supervisor, hours, passengers and phones

2026-10-03

Once you pass the knowledge test, you get a learner's (L) licence and can start practising on the road, but only under a set of restrictions printed on the licence (ICBC: Get your L). Some of them change on 19 October 2026, when the province updates its Graduated Licensing Program; those are given both ways below. The full list of changes is in our article on the 19 October changes.

Someone qualified beside you

You may not drive alone. The person supervising you rides in the front passenger seat (ICBC).

Before 19 October 2026: they must be at least 25 and hold a valid licence in any of classes 1 to 5 (ICBC).
From 19 October 2026: the minimum age drops to 22. The regulation also adds that the supervisor must be awake and able to drive legally the whole time, and that a driver who has just moved up to Class 5 cannot supervise until their own 12-month restricted period is over (BC Laws: Order in Council 350/2026).

ICBC also points out an insurance detail: make sure you are listed as a driver on your supervisor's insurance policy, and on the policy of each vehicle you practise in. If you crash while unlisted, your supervisor could face an Unlisted Driver Accident Premium, even though the crash does not go on your driving record (ICBC).

Hours

No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. (ICBC; Learn to Drive Smart, p.138).

Passengers

Apart from your supervisor, you may carry one more person (ICBC). From 19 October 2026, members of your immediate family are left out of that count (BC Laws).

Alcohol and drugs

There must be no alcohol and no drugs in your blood when you drive (ICBC). The guide words the drug part as certain drugs, with cannabis (THC) among them (Learn to Drive Smart, p.138).

Phones and other devices

A learner may not use any electronic device while driving, hand-held or hands-free. The single exception is calling 911 in an emergency. ICBC spells out what that covers: no holding or touching your phone, no Bluetooth or wired headset, no one-touch speakerphone, no setting a GPS, no choosing music on the phone, no earbuds, and no connecting the phone to the car's audio. Waiting at a red light or crawling in heavy traffic is not a break from the rule (ICBC).

The L sign

Your red L sign must be on the back of the car whenever you drive. If you lose it, any driver licensing office gives you a new one at no charge, and ICBC has a temporary one you can print (ICBC).

How long you stay a learner

Before 19 October 2026: at least 12 months as a learner before the Class 7 road test (ICBC).
From 19 October 2026: if you are 25 or older, 9 months is enough; if you are younger, it stays one year (BC Laws).

The learner's licence is good for two years. If it runs out, you take the knowledge test again, but the waiting time before your road test does not restart (ICBC).

If you break a restriction

You can be fined and get penalty points, and breaking the rules can also make your time in the program longer (ICBC; Learn to Drive Smart, p.141). For phone use, ICBC says a single ticket can lead to a review of your driving record and possibly a driving prohibition (ICBC).

Before you go

Most of the test is about rules and signs from Learn to Drive Smart. You can work through our free practice questions, which we wrote from that guide. They are our own questions, not ICBC's.