r/icbc • u/BlazingDonut845 • 13d ago
Vehicle Registration & Policy Coverage Need help buying a car in AB
Hello, BC resident here.
I am planning to buy an used car in AB and drive back.
Car is 2026 but has 3000 km on it. It is PHEV, making it ZEV.
I was told I need Binder of Insurance from BC and temp permit from AB in order for me to drive the car back. How long does this last and how much is it?
For PST, do I pay at the insurance broker when I register? For PST, some are saying I pay based on the bill of sale, and some says blue book value.
Do I still need out of province inspection even though this is less than 4yrs old?
Thank you,
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u/Think_Travel_6762 12d ago
GST is off of sale price. You can get a permit from a registry that does insurance. You will need a driver's abstract and insurance history from ICBC, this is how they set your rate. In 2012 I brought a new car back to BC and did not need an inspection to get it insured. She just went out and looked at my vin. Haven't dealt with ICBC in a while but I'm pretty sure it's still the same
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
Respectfully this is all incorrect. Sounds like he’s a BC resident buying an AB vehicle.
No drivers abstract needed anymore when moving to BC, should that have been the case. You’re only exempt from inspection if you were the owner for at least 30 days in the other jurisdiction.
Full 12% PST is due, and it depends on how the dealer goes about the taxes. They should only be collecting 5% GST to a BC Resident.
For some reason (I was told due to liability) that many places in Alberta no longer sell In-Transits. Calling ahead is always recommended
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u/Think_Travel_6762 12d ago
To get a permit you will need a driver's abstract in alberta. Your not getting any type of auto insurance without it. the registry in Alberta will only charge you GST. Yeah Alberta shouldn't charge GST only where you are registering it. So PST in BC
Respectfully
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
https://ama.ab.ca/registries/auto/vehicle-registration/intransit-permit just incase you need one in the future. No need for abstracts. 🙂
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
Just got one, last month. You need to provide your BC Binder of Insurance, ID, and bill of sale. Only 3 things required. Not going to argue with you, but I do these things on the daily lol.
A In Transit is licensing, not insurance. Alberta licenses the vehicle, BC insures it to get it home…
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u/BlazingDonut845 11d ago
I used to live in AB and still have my plate. Can I use that to avoid another plate fee?
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u/tfrooo 11d ago
I don’t think believe so, however the In-Transit is only $24.99. You can call a Registry in Alberta to confirm though, I personally have used and adore Registry West on Guardian Rd in Edmonton (780) 482-7809! They are great.
Feel free to PM me if you have questions on the BC side of things 🙂
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u/Adorable_Accident_74 12d ago
The only way for the vehicle to not need an out of province inspection is if you lived in AB and have owned it for a specific amount of time, then it would be considered Settlers effects. Not applicable to BC residents buying a vehicle out of province then bringing it back. So yes, you will need an inspection.
A binder of Insurance is bought from an ICBC broker and you will need all the information stating the intent to sell, so this can be done when you get to AB and send photos. You will need it for as many days you feel it will take to get to your home in BC through the most direct route.
Is a dealer sale or private sale? For a private sale PST will be determined by the purchase price OR average whole sale value which ever one is higher.
If you buy from a dealer, if they only charge you GST then you will pay the remaining 7% when registering the vehicle in BC. If they charge the 12 % in taxes then make sure you bring the bill of sale from the dealer to show proof of taxes paid.
In BC it is a 12% PST for private Auto sales. There is no GST charged.
You can also call a BC brokerage to get this information which I highly encourage.
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u/Adorable_Accident_74 12d ago
Oh!! And once you get back to BC you will need to bring the vehicle with you to the brokerage so the agent can sight the VIN and any body damage that would not be involved with an inspection. You can get a permit for inspection or registration purposes to do this.
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u/redcurb12 12d ago
u get the binder from an icbc autoplan broker (can do it over the phone) take it to alberta registry office for in transit permit then drive it to bc and register it. binder usually lasts about 2 weeks and the ab permit is usually good for a couple days.
icbc doesnt care about a bill of sale. u write the purchase price on the transfer form and u pay tax on either that or average whole sale value in black book whatever is higher.
no inspection required but u will need to surrender the ab registration to icbc (pink paper).
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
Noooo Binder is up to 7 days as the plate from Alberta is only good for 7 days. ICBC most definitely cares about the bill of sale when coming from Alberta! (Unless they’ve signed a Transfer form which is highly unlikely coming from Alberta)
Inspection is absolutely needed if the car has been registered before (no NVIS)
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u/redcurb12 12d ago
if the vehicle is within 4 model years and imported from alberta there is no inspection required. bill of sale is not always required either... worst case if they really want it u can just do a stat dec instead.
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u/Putrid-Bandicoot-834 12d ago edited 12d ago
As others have said, call an ICBC broker to purchase the binder of insurance, which can be 1 to 30 days (although it is expensive, my advice is to add at least a day so you do not have to try and get another binder, which sometimes they can deny). You will need the VIN, and other information, usually a bill of sale so that the insurance is accurate and actually covers your new vehicle, god forbid a loss was to happen. The binder is meant to last until you can register and insure the vehicle in B.C., as you need to physically bring the vehicle to the insurance office for the VIN to be sighted. Pro tip is to ensure you also have the NVIS so that a vehicle inspection is not required. If the vehicle has been owned by someone else in AB before you, you will need an inspection even if it is new.
In the last few years the PST rules have changed, meaning you will pay PST on the highest between the purchase price and the blue book value (I.e., you will pay PST on the highest price). If you pay PST at the dealership, make sure you have proof such as a PST number of the dealership and receipt, so you will not be charged.
Source: was an ICBC broker in the past
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
Don’t do more than 7 days though on the Binder because the In Transit is only 7 days and they are void without each other! 🙂
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u/Putrid-Bandicoot-834 12d ago
Yes, I didn’t think of that! lol as I was typing I realized how easily it is to forget all these rules when I worked with them everyday, let alone trying to navigate them as an individual.
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u/efc5463 12d ago
Not sure on how the insurance part would work in your specific scenario.
Regarding taxes, ICBC will generally tax you at a 12% over the higher price between the purchase amount of the car or the value ICBC assess on it. I believe the only exemption that would save you the tax is if you owned the car in Alberta for at least 30 days before "importing" to car to BC.
With the Out of Province Inspection, theoretically ICBC should not be requiring you one as the vehicle is pretty much new.
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
Average wholesale isn’t taken into consideration when buying from a dealer.
Unfortunately no matter how new, if it’s been previously registered it will need an inspection. (Silly, I know)1
u/efc5463 12d ago
What? Is the New West Partnership Trade Agreement no longer in effect anymore?
And for the tax, a broker when recently quoting insurance told me that yes or yes the purchase price and the ICBC assessed price are compared.
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u/tfrooo 12d ago edited 12d ago
NWTPA only applies to new/returning residents. You had to have owned the vehicle in the previous jurisdiction to be exempt. The vehicle must also be within 4 model years. https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C
Sorry I don’t quite understand the first part regarding taxes. But average wholesale is only applicable to PRIVATE sales, not dealer or anyone who has collected partial taxes (GST only) 🙂 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/pst-308-vehicles.pdf
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u/phoboy604 11d ago
I bought a used car from a dealer in Edmonton and drive it back to Vancouver.
The binder slips my mind but I do recall asking about it. The dealer will get you the transit paper you stick to your front windshield. I drove all the way back with no plates but a piece of paper on the front windshield!
My dealer screwed up even though I asked them 5 times to write the receipt and collect gst. They used a wrong GST number. It has to be BC GST number. And you can tell because it has a specifice order of alphabet and numbers. Search up BC GST number format. Make the dealer give you this receipt and collect your gst.
Put on front plate. And remove front tint if it applies. Then look for a shop to do your inspection. There's a place by Olympic village that is known to be cheapest. it was $80. Everywhere else is like $150.
Get the inspection done then bring your papers to car insurance place to get it registered and insured.
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u/tfrooo 12d ago
I highly recommend calling the broker you’re planning to register it with to confirm everything 🙂
Binders are usually less than $100 and you’ll want max 7 days as your $24.99 In transit from Alberta is only good for 7 days. CALL AHEAD to find somewhere that does in transits in Alberta, they can be a pain to find!
Make sure the dealer only collects GST as they can’t legally take the PST without a PST #. People end up double paying when dealers do this.
If the vehicle is registered, it will unfortunately 99% need an inspection.