Amendments are being made to the Motor Vehicle Act to extend “refuse to issue” (RTI) on driver’s licences and vehicle licences to outstanding fines issued under the Emergency Program Act (EPA) and the COVID-19 Related Measures Act (CRMA).
People who leave COVID-19 fines unpaid may be unable to obtain or renew a B.C. driver’s licence or vehicle licence under proposed legislation. The amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act will provide an additional debt collection tool that can be used to ensure that COVID rule breakers are held accountable and will give further incentive for those who have received tickets to pay their fines. Currently, RTI applies to fines under various statutes such as the Motor Vehicle Act and the Liquor Control and Licensing Act. To obtain relief from the RTI, a debtor must pay their outstanding fines in full or establish a suitable payment arrangement.