NEW B.C. DRIVER'S LICENCE AND B.C. IDENTIFICATION CARD

The new B.C. Driver’s Licence and B.C. Identification Card will meet the highest standards of integrity and security features. These documents will reflect national and international standards established by the Canadian Driver Licence Agreement and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Facial Recognition Technology

Facial recognition technology has emerged as a new security benchmark for government-issued documents because of its proven success at detecting fraud. B.C. is joining other Canadian provinces and more than 30 U.S. jurisdictions that have implemented it. This technology analyses the measurements of facial characteristics that do not change, such as the size and location of cheekbones and the distance between the eyes. It is extremely rare for two people to have the same facial measurements. ICBC will flag any matches for further review and investigation, and only issue licences to people using their own identities, thereby reducing identity theft and fraud.

Facial recognition does not involve collecting any new information about drivers. The use of facial recognition technology has been reviewed for privacy implications and has been found to meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

New Card Security Features

The new cards will be extremely difficult to counterfeit or tamper with. In addition to the security features highlighted in the news release, the cards will include:

· An optical variable device – that is, a stamped foil graphic very similar to the bird on a Visa card. On B.C. cards, it will contain whales, the provincial coat of arms and the provincial logo. Its holographic qualities will make it very difficult to duplicate.

· Micro and rainbow printing that is only visible under a magnifying glass and written in a unique pattern.

· Ultraviolet designs that only show up under a black light, helping to prevent counterfeiting.

· An improved magnetic stripe, which will contain the same information that is on the front of the card.

· Two- and one-dimensional barcodes. The former cannot be altered, while the latter is a unique number assigned to each card.

The new licences and cards will build on other, recent efforts to provide British Columbians with security-enhanced documents. In January 2008, the Province began issuing one of the most high-tech and durable birth certificates in the world, with more than 20 security features.

Licence Fees Are Unchanged

The standard fees for the B.C. Driver’s Licence and B.C. Identification Card remain the same:

· Two-year original licence or renewal: $31

· Five-year original licence or renewal: $75

· Five-year original licence or renewal (seniors): $17

· Duplicate (replacement or upgrade licence): $17

· Class 7 two-year learner’s licence: $10

· Original BC Identification Card: $35

· Original BC Identification Card (seniors): $15

· Duplicate or renewal BC Identification Card: $15

Other Licensing Facts

The first B.C. Driver’s Licence was issued in Victoria on February 16, 1925.

Exams for driver’s licences became mandatory in 1939.

In 1950, the term of a B.C. Driver’s Licence was extended to five years from one.

Photo driver’s licences were first issued in B.C. in 1972, the same year licence classes were established.

In 2008, ICBC issued a total of more than one million driver’s licences and identification cards.

ICBC provides licensing services through 121 locations across the province.

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Media contact:	Cindy Rose Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General 250 356-6961	Adam Grossman ICBC Communications 604 982-1332

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.