BC Traffic Ticket Fines Guide: Speeding, Red Lights, Distracted Driving Penalties (2026)

Last updated: 2026-07-06 | Sources: ICBC “Fines and points for B.C. traffic offences” official page, BC Violation Ticket Administration and Fines Regulation (BC Reg 89/97), BC Vehicle Impoundment Program official page | Fine amounts may be adjusted annually — always confirm with the current ICBC/BC government announcements

After getting a ticket in BC, the most practical question is usually “how much do I actually owe, and how many points does this cost me” — not the regulation code printed on the ticket that nobody can decode. This article summarizes the real fine amounts and Driver Penalty Points (DPP) for common BC traffic violations, including speeding fines tiered by how far over the limit you were, distracted driving, running a red light, failing to stop at a stop sign, failing to yield to pedestrians, and more — plus how to pay a ticket, what happens if you’re late, and how points feed into your ICBC insurance the following year. If you’ve received a ticket and want to dispute it, the dispute process and deadlines are covered in a separate article, How to Dispute a BC Traffic Ticket; if you want to understand the intersection rules themselves first, see BC/Vancouver Practical Driving Rules. This article focuses only on “what the bill looks like after the violation.”

Every ticket typically carries two separate penalties: the fine, which is the money owed, and Driver Penalty Points (DPP), which go on your driving record. The two don’t always scale together — some violations carry a low fine but heavy points (like failing to stop at a stop sign), while others carry a hefty fine but no points at all (like failing to meet winter tire requirements). More importantly, points themselves trigger a second layer of cost: if you accumulate more than 3 points within a 12-month assessment period, you owe an additional Driver Penalty Point premium — a separate bill from the ticket fine that typically arrives some time later. Many people think they’re done once they’ve paid the ticket, when in fact there’s another bill coming.

Speeding is the most common type of ticket in BC. The fine increases in tiers based on how far over the posted limit you were driving, and once you exceed a certain threshold it’s classified as “excessive speeding,” which comes with significantly heavier consequences:

Important: excessive speeding (more than 40 km/h over) isn’t just “a bigger fine” — it triggers a vehicle impoundment mechanism. Police can tow and hold the vehicle on the spot, and beyond the ticket fine itself, the owner must separately pay towing fees and a daily storage fee. Since September 2024, BC raised impoundment-related fees — the flat towing fee is now around $110, and storage runs up to about $40/day. A 7-day impoundment can roughly total in the $200–$300 range; repeat offences escalate impoundment from 7 days to 30, then 60 days, and a 30-day impoundment can total over $800 — the cost difference is significant. These figures change over time with regulation updates; check the ICBC Fines and Points official page and the BC Government Excessive Speed page for the current figures.

Beyond speeding, here are the other violations BC drivers commonly encounter, with fine and point data compiled from the ICBC official page and the BC Violation Ticket Administration and Fines Regulation (BC Reg 89/97):

The figures above are approximate ranges — actual amounts depend on the version of the regulation in effect when the ticket was issued and the type of road (general road, school zone, or work zone), and BC’s government adjusts rates periodically. For exact current figures, check the ICBC “Fines and points for B.C. traffic offences” official page — you can look up figures directly by violation code or keyword there.

BC’s point system doesn’t end once the points are recorded — it’s directly tied to ICBC premiums. Here’s roughly how it works:

• If you accumulate more than 3 points within an assessment period (typically 12 months), you’ll receive a Driver Penalty Point premium bill from ICBC — the more points, the higher the premium. This is a separate bill from the ticket fine, and it usually arrives some time later.
• For more serious violations (like excessive speeding or distracted driving), you may also fall under the Driver Risk Premium calculation, assessed based on convictions over a 3-year period — the amount can be significantly higher than a regular ticket.
• If you don’t pay the DPP premium on time, ICBC may charge interest, suspend your vehicle insurance renewal, or restrict your ability to renew or replace your driver’s licence or take driving exams.

In other words, when deciding whether disputing a ticket is worth it, don’t just look at the number printed on the ticket — the cumulative effect of points on your premiums over the next 1–3 years is often larger than the fine itself. For exact premium tiers, check the ICBC Driver Penalty Point Premium official page and the ICBC Driver Risk Premium official page, which are updated annually.

Once you’ve received a ticket, if you choose to pay (which is equivalent to admitting the violation), the main payment channels are:

• Online payment: through the official tickets.gov.bc.ca website, looking up your ticket by number and paying via PayBC.
• In person: at a Provincial Court Registry or designated service location.
• By mail: send a cheque or money order as instructed on the ticket.

Paying early gets a discount: most Motor Vehicle Act tickets qualify for a fixed reduction (currently around $25) if paid within 30 days of the issue date. Missing that window forfeits the discount and is treated as forfeiting your right to dispute.

If a ticket goes unpaid past the deadline (typically 30 days from issue date with no payment and no dispute filed):

• It’s treated as an admission of guilt — the violation is entered directly onto your driving record, and you can no longer dispute the underlying facts of the violation.
• You lose the early-payment discount and owe the full amount.
• The unpaid amount may be referred to Revenue Services of British Columbia for collection, which can affect your credit record.
• Points still apply as normal, feeding into the DPP premium and future ICBC premium adjustments described above.

In short, not dealing with a ticket doesn’t make it disappear — it only closes off your options (the discount, the chance to dispute) and moves you into collections. The longer it sits, the less room you have to manoeuvre.

When you receive a ticket, check two things first: whether the violation code and amount on the ticket match the ranges summarized above (if not, it may reflect an aggravating circumstance, or this article’s figures may be outdated — always double-check the current numbers on ICBC’s official site), and how much time is left on the payment deadline. If you have genuine doubts about the facts of the violation itself (for example, disputed radar readings, an obscured sign, or a disputed school-bus scenario), that’s when disputing is worth considering. Disputing doesn’t affect how the early-payment discount is calculated, but once you choose to dispute, you can no longer also claim the early-payment discount.

Related Reading

• How to Dispute a BC Traffic Ticket? Court Process, Deadlines and Risks
• BC/Vancouver Practical Driving Rules: Red Light Right Turns, Yellow Lights, Stop Signs
• Canada Life Guide Overview