Got B.C. plates on your vehicle?

In May of 2022, B.C. stopped issuing annual validation stickers for vehicle licenses. There have been sporadic reports on social media that police in Washington have been ticketing B.C. drivers for having “expired tabs” and given $529 fines. This does not appear to be the case.

Not according to Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater. “While it is correct that B.C. has stopped issuing annual license tabs for B.C. – registered vehicles, vehicles with out-of-date tabs displayed are not being ticketed if the vehicle is currently registered. Washington law enforcement can run the license plate number to verify the expiration of the registration. We may ticket them if they are expired,” she said.

Doug Dahl, Target Zero manager for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, says “I can’t imagine that’s happening a lot. The law (RCW 46.16A.160) says that registration requirements don’t apply to residents whose vehicles are properly registered in their state or country.”

Blaine Chief of Police Donnell “Tank” Tanksley also added his naysay to the idea of police ticketing “expired” tabs. “Regarding vehicles from another nation being ticketed for expired license plates, I am unaware of that activity in Washington state. Here in the city of Blaine, we would not issue a citation for an expired B.C. plate,” he said, adding, “Moreover, Blaine Police Department does not enforce Canadian law(s).”

So, there you have it. Another example of social media gone bad.