Updated September 2026
This article provides general information about towing in British Columbia. It is not legal advice. Regulations and insurance requirements can change, and individual circumstances may require confirmation with ICBC, the applicable municipality, or another appropriate authority.
Towing rules in British Columbia depend on more than the reason a vehicle needs to be moved. The vehicle doing the towing, the equipment being used, the weight of the towed vehicle, the driver’s licence, and whether the tow involves a public highway can all affect what is permitted.
This guide covers some of the questions BC drivers commonly have about towing, including towing another person’s car, using a tow dolly or trailer, licence requirements, private-property towing, uninsured vehicles, and towing after a collision.
Can You Tow Another Car Yourself in BC?
In some circumstances, yes.
A regular BC Class 5 licence allows the holder to operate the vehicle combinations permitted under Class 7. Under the current Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, that includes a two-axle motor vehicle with towed vehicles when the towed vehicles do not exceed 4,600 kg. ICBC similarly describes Class 5 and 7 licences as permitting trailers or towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg.
That does not mean any car can simply be attached to another vehicle and pulled down the road.
The connection between the vehicles, the towing equipment, vehicle weights, braking requirements, licence restrictions, and the tow vehicle’s own rated capacity still have to be appropriate for the combination. BC’s regulations require towing connections to hold the vehicles together and be attached to structurally adequate parts. They also require an auxiliary coupling device in the circumstances covered by section 7.07.
The driver’s licence is therefore only one part of determining whether a particular towing setup is appropriate.
Can You Tow a Car With a Rope or Tow Strap?
The common DIY method of attaching two cars with a rope and putting another driver in the disabled vehicle creates a major problem under BC law.
Section 7.07(6) of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations states that a person must not tow a motor vehicle while another person is in or on the vehicle being towed. The regulations also establish requirements for the connection between the vehicles and prohibit a towed vehicle from whipping or swerving unreasonably.
This is why a rope or recovery strap should not be treated as an automatic substitute for proper vehicle-transport equipment.
There is also an important distinction between recovering a vehicle that is stuck and transporting a disabled vehicle along a public road. Pulling a vehicle out of snow, mud, or another difficult position is a recovery operation. Once recovered, the vehicle may still require appropriate towing or transport equipment before it can be moved to another location.
For a more detailed explanation, see Towing a Car With a Rope in BC.
Can You Rent a Tow Dolly and Tow a Car Yourself?
A tow dolly is legitimate towing equipment, but renting one does not automatically make every vehicle combination suitable or legal.
BC defines a towing dolly as a trailer designed specifically to carry one axle of a motor vehicle while another vehicle tows it. The regulations require the dolly’s wheels to remain parallel to its centreline. Depending on how the vehicle is positioned on the dolly, its steering may also have to be locked.
There is also a specific weight restriction. A vehicle cannot be operated on a BC highway with a towing dolly when the net weight of the dolly plus the gross weight of the vehicle being carried exceeds 2,800 kg.
The wheels carried on the dolly must also be secured using equipment with the required safe working load.
In practical terms, you need to know the weight of the vehicle being moved, the dolly specifications, the towing capacity of the vehicle doing the pulling, and whether the vehicle itself is suitable for dolly towing.
Drivetrain design also matters. Some all-wheel-drive, electric, hybrid, and other vehicles have manufacturer-specific restrictions on which wheels can remain on the road during transport. The vehicle manufacturer’s towing instructions should be checked before using a dolly.
Can You Put the Car on a Trailer Instead?
A full vehicle trailer keeps all four wheels of the transported car off the road and avoids some of the vehicle-specific concerns associated with leaving an axle on the roadway.
The licence and weight requirements still apply.
ICBC states that a regular Class 5 or 7 driver’s licence can be used for trailers or towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg. Heavier trailers require the appropriate licence class or endorsement, and air brakes can introduce additional endorsement requirements.
The towing vehicle must also be suitable for the loaded trailer. The fact that a driver’s licence permits a certain class of combination does not increase the manufacturer’s towing capacity for the truck, SUV, hitch, or other equipment involved.
This is an important distinction:
Your driver’s licence tells you what class of vehicle combination you may operate. The vehicle and equipment ratings determine what that particular towing setup can handle.
How Much Can You Tow With a Class 5 Licence in BC?
For the ordinary vehicle combinations covered by a Class 5 licence, the towed vehicle or vehicles generally cannot exceed 4,600 kg unless the driver’s licence carries an appropriate additional endorsement or the driver holds another qualifying licence class.
BC has separate heavy-trailer and house-trailer endorsements for certain combinations exceeding 4,600 kg. Air-brake-equipped combinations have additional licensing considerations.
This is also why U.S.-based information about a “Class C licence” should not be applied to BC. British Columbia uses numbered driver-licence classes such as Class 5, Class 3, and Class 1.
What Licence Do You Need to Drive a Tow Truck in BC?
There is no single answer that applies to every tow truck.
ICBC’s current commercial-driving guidance includes two-axle tow trucks within the vehicles that can be driven with a Class 5 or 7 licence, subject to the towing limits associated with those classes.
A Class 3 licence covers additional vehicles. The Motor Vehicle Act Regulations specifically state that Class 3 permits operation of a tow car and its recovered vehicle, as well as vehicles with three or more axles and other combinations described in the regulation.
Professional towing businesses may also have requirements beyond the driver’s licence itself, including requirements relating to the tow vehicle, insurance, commercial operation, and applicable municipal rules.
The important point is that “tow-truck licence” is not one universal licence category. The required driver’s licence depends on the truck and towing configuration.
Can Someone Ride in the Car While It Is Being Towed?
No.
BC’s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations state directly that a person must not tow a motor vehicle while someone is in or on the towed motor vehicle.
This is particularly relevant to informal DIY towing. Instructions found online sometimes tell one driver to operate the towing vehicle while another driver remains in the disabled car to steer and brake. That setup conflicts with the BC regulation.
Does a Car Need to Be Insured to Be Towed in BC?
This question needs an important distinction between driving an uninsured vehicle and having a vehicle transported by a tow truck.
An uninsured vehicle cannot simply be driven on the road. ICBC notes that drivers caught operating without valid insurance can receive a ticket and have the vehicle towed.
The Motor Vehicle Act also provides an exemption from its normal registration and licensing requirements for a vehicle being towed on a highway by a vehicle designed or used primarily for towing or rendering assistance to other vehicles.
That makes professional transport of an unlicensed or uninsured vehicle possible in circumstances where driving it would not be.
However, this should not be interpreted as a blanket exemption for every DIY towing arrangement. If you intend to move an uninsured or unlicensed vehicle using your own truck, trailer, or dolly, the registration, insurance, trailer, and towing requirements for that particular combination should be confirmed before using it on a public road.
Can a Vehicle Be Towed From Private Property in BC?
Yes, in circumstances covered by the Motor Vehicle Act.
Section 192 deals specifically with vehicles left on private property without the occupier’s consent. In a municipality, treaty lands, or Nisg̱a’a Lands, the legislation provides for the property occupier to arrange towing and storage when a vehicle has been left without consent. For applicable private property outside those areas, the Act refers to a period exceeding 72 hours.
The section also creates a lien for reasonable towing and storage charges associated with that process.
This does not mean that any individual can simply order someone else’s vehicle removed from any location. The authority to arrange a private-property tow depends on the relationship to the property and the circumstances.
Vehicles parked on public streets are a different matter and may fall under provincial rules, municipal parking bylaws, or enforcement by police or municipal authorities.
What Happens if Your Car Is Towed After an Accident?
At a collision scene, emergency services may arrange for a damaged vehicle to be removed when it cannot remain safely at the location.
ICBC explains that police or fire services commonly contact a local towing company to move a vehicle from a crash scene to a storage facility. Storage charges can begin once the vehicle reaches the towing company’s yard.
Who ultimately pays depends on the claim and insurance coverage.
For an ICBC-authorized claim, towing companies participating in the ICBC Towing Program may bill ICBC directly once the claim has been submitted and coverage confirmed. With a towing company outside the program, the customer may have to pay the towing and storage charges and submit eligible receipts to ICBC for reimbursement consideration.
ICBC also states that Collision coverage can cover towing and storage costs when the insured driver is responsible for the crash, subject to the terms of the coverage.
If your vehicle has been involved in a collision, tell the towing company about visible wheel, steering, suspension, or body damage before the vehicle is loaded.
Are Towing Rates Regulated in British Columbia?
There is not one rate schedule that should automatically be applied to every type of tow.
BC has specific prescribed towing and storage rates for certain statutory vehicle impoundments. The province’s Lien on Impounded Motor Vehicles Regulation contains rates for towing, storage, dollies, recovery work, and related charges in that particular context.
ICBC also maintains towing and storage payment schedules for ICBC-authorized claims. Those schedules govern ICBC’s payment arrangements with participating towing providers and should not be confused with a universal price list for every private or voluntary tow.
For an ordinary customer-requested tow, ask for the applicable pricing before confirming service where circumstances allow. The final cost can depend on factors such as distance, vehicle size, access, recovery requirements, storage, and equipment needed.
What if a Vehicle Breaks Down on the Road?
BC’s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations specifically address vehicles that become improperly equipped because of a collision or breakdown.
Section 2.02 provides for the vehicle to be removed from the highway or taken to a garage or repair shop by a tow car or another vehicle capable of safely carrying out the movement, with reasonable precautions taken for the safety of highway traffic.
If the vehicle cannot be driven safely, useful information to provide when arranging a tow includes its exact location, make and model, destination, whether it rolls and steers, whether it can enter neutral, and whether there is collision damage or restricted access.
TowSquad’s Emergency Towing page provides more information for breakdowns, collisions, and vehicles that cannot be driven safely.
BC Towing Laws: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tow my friend’s car with my own vehicle?
Potentially. A BC Class 5 licence permits certain combinations with towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg, but the towing equipment, vehicle ratings, connection, braking requirements, and other regulations still apply.
Can I tow a car a few blocks with a rope?
A short distance does not remove the requirements that apply when towing a vehicle on a highway. In particular, nobody may remain in or on the towed motor vehicle. See our guide to towing a car with a rope in BC
Can I rent a tow dolly instead of calling a tow truck?
Possibly, but the combination must meet BC’s towing-dolly rules, including the 2,800 kg dolly-and-vehicle weight restriction, and your towing vehicle and driver’s licence must be appropriate for the combination.
Does an uninsured car have to be insured before a tow truck can move it?
An uninsured vehicle does not have to be driven in order to be transported by a professional tow truck. BC legislation provides an exemption from normal registration and licensing provisions for certain vehicles being towed by a vehicle designed or primarily used for towing. Insurance and liability questions can depend on the circumstances, so this should not be treated as permission to drive or casually DIY-tow an uninsured vehicle.
Do I need a Class 3 licence to tow another car?
Not necessarily. A Class 5 licence permits certain combinations with towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg. Class 3 covers additional vehicle configurations and specifically includes a tow car and its recovered vehicle.
Need a Vehicle Towed in Metro Vancouver?
If a vehicle has broken down, been involved in a collision, or cannot be moved safely with the equipment available to you, TowSquad can arrange towing or recovery based on the vehicle, location, access conditions, and destination.
Call 604.977.2652 with the vehicle make and model, pickup location, condition, and destination.
