The Insurance Council of British Columbia (ICBC) has changed its criminal record check requirements for non-resident licensees.

ICBC's policy has been that all applicants for a BC insurance licence must provide an original, current criminal record check. On July 16, the regulator announced that, effective immediately, non-residents who already have a licence that is in good standing in their home province or territory are no longer required to provide a criminal record check when they submit their application for an insurance license in BC.

In the case of non-residents who are applying for a BC licence at the same time as when they are applying for an insurance licence in their home province or territory, they may now submit a copy of their original, current criminal record check with their licence application.

ICBC notes that non-resident licence applicants are still required to provide full written disclosure of any criminal charges or convictions as part of their licence application, and that these changes do not apply to non-resident licence applicants who reside outside of Canada; those from outside the country must continue to submit an original, current criminal record check to ICBC as part of their application.