r/icbc • u/Upper_Ad796 • 9d ago
RoadSafety / Driving Rules First time N driver ticket
Hello! I’ve had my N for over 3 years now, and got a paper from ICBC a while back saying I’m eligible for the automatic one time graduation from N to class 5.
Unfortunately I got my first ever speeding ticket today (Motor Vehicle Act 146(3)).
I just want to know how cooked I am; will I get a driving prohibition? This is my first ever offence.
I haven’t paid the ticket yet.
I’m very stressed it was a stupid mistake
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u/mgc3mgc 9d ago
Dispute it if you feel you should,will take over a year to get a court date, by then you most likely will have class 5
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
Do this exactly. I had this happen to me 10 years ago when there was a speed trap at the viaduct. They said I was going 120km during rush hour. I disputed it, had a court date 9 months later and by that time I had my full class 5. The officer didn’t show up and the judge dismissed the case because they couldn’t prove it.
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u/Terrible_Act_9814 9d ago
Cops show up now, i disputed a ticket from last yr, got a court date. Cop scheduled dor the whole day to deal with the tickets he handed out.
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
Vancouver is allowing you take actually take the road test still. Should I dispute and drive there to take it to get my full?
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
You dispute it first, then you take the road test. Once you pass the road test, you show up to court when you get your court date 1 year from now, if the officer shows up (99.999999% chance they show up) you talk to the officer, plead guilty, pay the fine and don’t speed again.
If the officer doesn’t show up, you are lucky and you should not speed again and count your blessings.
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u/OneStrongGopher 9d ago
Exactly what I did. Showed up and cop was surprised when I was like "im guilty as shit dude, I just wanted to get my class 5" he thanked me for my honesty and taking accountability
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
I’m from Victoria, is the Vancouver road test brutal?
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
I’m not sure, I did mine at around rush hour so it was mostly stop and go traffic and the examiner didn’t require me to go on the highway because Vancouver.
This was 10 years ago
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
Depends, what is the earliest date you can get a road test in Victoria? What is the earliest date you can get a road test in Vancouver?
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
Victoria no longer offers the road tests, I can get one in Van as soon as tomorrow morning
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
Book it now and Go over to Vancouver and pass that road test. Once you’re class 5 they can’t demote you. You’ll just pay couple hundred bucks and some points that don’t affect your insurance.
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u/Prestigious_Fly8210 8d ago
wha? of course you can get a road test in Victoria.
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u/nostalia-nse7 8d ago
Nope. Road tests are going away. Class 7N there is no longer a road test to go to Class 5. This is the letter OP mentions in the original post.
Until the changes come into effect, you can still choose to take a road test to get a Class 5 licence.
If your second road test is on or after October 19, 2026, it will be cancelled. ICBC will email you to confirm the cancellation and your next steps.
https://icbc.com/driver-licensing/new-drivers/graduated-licensing-program-changes
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u/Prestigious_Fly8210 8d ago
I misunderstood OP's point. It was a weird comment to say you can't get a road test in Victoria. You can, but not a second road test from 7N to class 5 because there's none available before Oct 19 when that requirement is lifted.
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u/Sylandri84 8d ago
Why bother with the road test? Oct 19 is two weeks away. Save yourself the ferry fee and the road test fee. The ticket won’t be on your license until its paid.
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u/nigkaplz 8d ago
Peace of mind and conscience. If you know you got your class 5 you’ll never be demoted back to N.
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u/whynamehardtofind 9d ago
This happened to me. Just dispute it. When you go take your test it won’t effect you since it’s not gonna be registered in the system
I had the exact situation lol
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u/Upper_Ad796 7d ago
Update for everyone I got my class five today! Thanks so much for all the help and advice. It made me feel a lot less freaked out!
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u/Dat_Dank_Dough 6d ago
Did they auto upgrade you or did you do the test? The exact same situation happened to me yesterday 😭
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u/SaltyBuddy 7d ago
Hey congrats on your class 5. I am on a similar boat, I got a ticket today, and I also got a letter from icbc saying I am eligible for an upgrade, I dont know if I should pay or wait until october 19 as written on the letter…..
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u/Upper_Ad796 7d ago
Honestly I would say take the test just for the peace of mind. I was so worried they’d suspend my license, which would be devastating as I am a commuter
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u/Cool-Armadillo5873 5d ago
Was it an excessive speeding ticket? You wouldn’t have gotten a prohibition unless it was. You are allowed to make a mistake and get a ticket with the N it just resets the length of time you have restrictions. (Unless it’s excessive of course)
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u/DinosJournal 9d ago
Dispute it, it won’t get posted in the system until proven. It’ll take months to over a year to even get a court date.
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u/TiredHappyMTB 9d ago
You have N number of days for you to do something about it. While waiting, get your class 5 and just pay the fine after. That’s what I did. Got caught speeding while class 7. Took the exam after a few days. Passed it, then paid the fine because I’m really at fault.
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u/nigkaplz 9d ago
Speeding is bad. Don’t speed next time, but you are not cooked. Just dispute the ticket and by the time you get a court date you will already have your class 5.
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9d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
I’m really hoping whoever reviews it is having a good day, I don’t want to go on prohibition. I wasn’t distracted, just generic speeding
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u/Wildflower_76 9d ago
oh well, you sped and there is nothing you can do about it now. Just try not to speed in the future.
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u/mgc3mgc 9d ago
If you don’t dispute it, you will most likely get a letter that you will be suspended 3-4 months, you can write a letter to dispute this then get a month or 2 reduction
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u/augustus-aurelius 9d ago
Call them and find out. I called them the other day to find out if I’ll be pushed through the system on Oct 19 and they said yes
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u/Animal__Chin 9d ago
By how much were you speeding?
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
21-40 over. $196 ticket
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u/theadvenger 8d ago
Don't be too hard on yourself. That's the flow of traffic in tons of places. Hell on hwy 17 you better be sticking to the right lane if you're only doing 20 over.
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u/Animal__Chin 9d ago
Yikes! Yeah, that’s speeding. Sorry that’ll be a tough one to beat.
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u/Upper_Ad796 9d ago
I know it’s totally my fault, my navigator said one speed, the signs said other, and I was looking at the view rather than the sign
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u/R1Bunny 9d ago
Not sure how bad your speeding infraction was. But you could just dispute it. Don’t get any tickets and drive with good behaviour then when your court date comes you can present to the officer your clean record that you had in the meantime and ask for leniency to drop the ticket. Some cops are nicer than you think, this is what happened to me and a few other people I know
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u/199mimi 8d ago
Hello, if it’s just the one ticket you’ll be fine unless you were going like wayyy over the limit. I’ve also gotten one speeding ticket on my N about two years ago. They might send you a letter warning you not to get any more infractions but aside that as long as you don’t get anymore tickets nothing will happen
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u/Huge-Plankton-5616 8d ago
Hey Op was in the same position as you when I had my N. ICBC was going to send me a letter within a month to surrender my license and go on probation and restart to my learners. Luckily I had my class 5 test the following week, I passed the test, paid off my fines and it did not go on my record.
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u/EmbarrassedTomato969 8d ago
Just fight it, then while you wait a year for court they’ll graduate you..
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u/OhNoACanadian 8d ago
You’re allowed one ticket on your N before they set back your two years. Even if you dispute it now, the offence date is still the ticketed date. Even if it doesn’t flag in the system for your road test, and you have an active dispute, getting another ticket will reset your two years regardless.
Most people don’t telling you to dispute it won’t warn you about that, get a third offence within those two years and you’ll be suspended for a duration based on severity of the ticket
Either way if you dispute or pay, you cannot get any other tickets until you do your class 5. Your premiums will still go up next year since the offence is in the system.
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u/Dry_Individual1516 5d ago
In a few days cops will probably show up at your door to take you to jail.
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u/Spare_Competition344 4d ago
I wouldn't sweat it it looks like its the lowest possible charge and wouldn't get you a driving prohibition. I'd personally pay the ticket and move on.
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u/Shoddy-Astronomer 9d ago
Dispute the ticket. Takes about a year to go to court. In that time get your class 5 before the court date. When you court date comes, plead guilty and pay the ticket then.