Vehicle Identifiers for Commercial Passenger Vehicles in B.C.

The Passenger Transportation Act defines a vehicle identifier as “a sticker, decal, tag, certificate, plate or other identifier that

1. is issued by the registrar to a licensee, or is authorized by the registrar to be issued by a licensee, and
2. is required, as a term or condition of the licensee's licence, to be displayed on or in each motor vehicle operated under that licence.”

Vehicle identifier requirements listed below are minimum requirements.

Learn the identifier requirements for your vehicle service

• General Authorization identifiers
• Special Authorization (SA) identifiers
• Authorized SA Licensee identifiers (Metro Vancouver Taxis only)
• Ride-hail identifiers

General Authorization Identifiers

A General Authorization Vehicle Identifier (GAVI) must

• show the passenger transportation (PT) licence number, prefixed with the letters "PT"
• have the size of the letters and numbers be at least 5 centimetres (approx. 2”) high

Display Requirements

A GAVI must be displayed

• on the vehicle below the driver’s window, or
• in the rear window, or
• on the rear bumper for each vehicle you intend to use for your General Passenger Transportation service

GA licensees are responsible for the manufacturing and display of their vehicle identifiers.

Special Authorization (SA) Identifiers

All SA licensees, with the exception of Authorized SA Licensees and ride-hail licensees, use plates and decals as vehicle identifiers. The Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program distributes plates and decals to SA licensees.

The plate and decal are vehicle specific and cannot be moved from one vehicle to another without approval from the Registrar. SA licensees will also receive a Vehicle Identification Certificate (VIC) along with a vehicle's plate and decal. The original VIC must be carried in the vehicle.

Display Requirements

An SA plate must

• be secured in a conspicuous place at the front of the vehicle, and
• have the decal affixed to it

For more information visit

• Replace Decals, Plates or Vehicles
• Renew a licence

Authorized SA Licensee Identifiers (Metro Vancouver taxi licensees only)

Some Special Authorization (SA) licensees are authorized to manage their own identifiers. At this time, only Metro Vancouver taxi licensees are authorized to manage their own identifiers, called a taxi identification code, or TIC.

Each TIC must start with a unique taxi company code letter(s). These company code letters are determined by the Registrar and listed below.

A TIC may not be moved from one vehicle to another without notifying the Registrar.

If the Registrar conducts an audit or investigation, an authorized SA licensee may be required to provide a current list of each TIC and its corresponding vehicle’s licence plate number, including substitute vehicles, in operation in its fleet.

• Read the full requirements: Vehicle Identifier Requirements for Authorized SA Licensees (PDF, 1MB)

Ride-hail Identifiers

Ride-hail vehicle identifiers must

• clearly display company logo/tradename
• be reflective
• be 6 cm by 14 cm (2.5 inches by 5.5 inches) or larger

Display requirements

The Registrar requires identifiers to be displayed on a ride-hail vehicle from when a trip is accepted and the driver is travelling to pick up a passenger until the trip is completed and the passenger has exited the vehicle. Identifiers must

• Be clearly visible and prominently displayed on the inside of the front and rear windshield of a vehicle (example below) while it is operating; and
• Not obstruct the vision of the driver

When taxis are operating as ride-hail they must follow the ride-hail vehicle identifier requirements.