ICBC GLP Changes 2026: What N Drivers Need to Know

ICBC says drivers with a clean Class 7 novice record will not take a second road test to get a Class 5 licence with restrictions after October 19, 2026. The new step is the Driving Record Assessment.

For the assessment, ICBC is looking at the record you built while driving independently. The key items are no prohibitions or suspensions, no excessive speeding convictions, and no convictions for using an electronic device during the required time period.

If you qualify, you can move to a Class 5 licence with restriction 55 for 12 months. If you get a prohibition or suspension during that restriction period, ICBC says the 12 months restarts after your licence is reinstated.

No. It means lessons should focus on skills that transfer from one road to another, not just repeating a familiar route.

The new pathway puts more weight on real driving habits. A driver who regularly speeds, checks late, follows too closely, rolls stops, or makes poor gap choices is not safer just because there is one less test.

A good lesson should tell you what your driving actually looks like: which habits are safe, which habits are inconsistent, and which patterns would show up on a marking sheet or in everyday risk.

If you are under 25, ICBC says you need 24 months of safe driving, or 18 months if you completed an approved GLP course during the learner phase.

If you are 25 or older, ICBC says you need 12 months of safe driving with a Class 7 licence.

In both age groups, ICBC says the record must be clear of prohibitions, suspensions, excessive speeding convictions, and electronic-device-use convictions during the required period.

ICBC says eligible drivers may receive a letter about a one-time automatic upgrade on October 19, 2026. You still need to remain eligible up to that date.

ICBC public information says prohibitions, suspensions, excessive speeding, electronic-device convictions, outstanding debt, licence expiry, or certain holds can affect eligibility.

If you had a Class 5 exit road test booked for October 19, 2026 or later, ICBC says it will be cancelled and ICBC will email you about next steps.

The new passenger-vehicle marking sheet gives students a clearer breakdown than the older summary-style result. It organizes feedback into left turns, right turns, road position, and vehicle handling.

Marks are worth 5 or 10 demerits. The limit is 95 demerits, so 100 demerits is a fail. Some repeated behaviours also have an error cutoff, shown with red F positions on the sheet.

Dangerous actions, violations, and other disqualification reasons still matter separately from the demerit total. ICBC also says the appointment includes more debrief time, while the driving portion itself is not meant to become longer.

Zula Driving School already gives students detailed lesson feedback, including instructor notes, skill ratings, ICBC focus areas, readiness scoring, and clear next steps. That quality of feedback is not changing.

What is improving is the visual layout of how students see that feedback. The updated lesson report is being designed to align more closely with the new ICBC road test marking sheet, so students become more familiar with road-test expectations throughout their learning journey.

That means the same coaching can be easier to connect to test-day categories like turns, road position, vehicle handling, observation, spacing, speed choice, and decision-making.

The purpose is to keep the coaching depth students already get while making each lesson report clearer, more familiar, and easier to act on before they drive more independently.

Use ICBC public pages for the final word on eligibility, fees, dates, restrictions, appointments, and licence status. Zula Driving School can help you understand what the changes mean for your training and what to practise before your next lesson or road test.