The RIV and Provincial Inspection Process for Imported Cars

After importing your vehicle, you will need two inspections performed on it.  One is Federal (RIV) and one is the Provincial Safety Inspection.

At the border, you completed the Form 1 which they submitted to RIV after you paid your fee.  You then have to wait for RIV to send you the RIV inspection form which identifies modification and inspection requirements specific to your vehicle.  Sometimes you have to wait a while, do not start making modifications to your vehicle until you receive this form, it will tell you what needs to be done.  Like I said before, it is usually only simple things like child tether anchorages and daytime running lights (if applicable).

You can track the status of your inspection form here and print it out to take to your inspection.

The RIV inspection is performed at most Canadian Tires throughout BC, it usually does not take a long time and they only look to make sure the modifications on the list have been satisfied.

The next step is getting your Provincial Inspection completed.  This can be done at Canadian Tire as well or at a plethora of other places such as body repair centers, car dealers/junk yards etc.  I would recommend getting it done at some backyard place because the people at Canadian Tire are sticklers and they wont let you pass unless the car is at 100%.  They will offer to make it a 100% for you though, for a small fee You get the picture.  If the brakes are a little worn, or the tires are a balding, or the wipers don’t work; they won’t pass you at Canadian Tire.  Usually the smaller guys are a little more lenient and you can at least register the car and perform the work needed at your own pace.  That is my experience.

Note:  If your car has any severe modifications done to it, i.e. huge lift kits, body kits, lowered, aftermarket brakes/suspension… they could hassle you.  At Canadian Tire, they probably will hassle you.  Things like that are deemed “unsafe” and you may have to revert your car back to factory specs for it to pass.  Of course, this is only in the extreme cases.  If your car has rims and an exhaust, i’m sure no one will bug you; but if it looks like a car from Fast and the Furious, you may be in trouble!

After the Provincial inspection, it’s off to ICBC.  If your a good organizer, you could make appointments and, assuming your car is safe, pass both inspections in one day.  The good news is you don’t need aircare the first time you register your out-of-province car.  Next year though, all the aircare rules apply!  So you just drive the car to autoplan, the agent may or may not get out to look at it (for the windshield, to see if its broken), and your done! Yay

You will get a decal in a few weeks which you have to put on the windshield of your car, it states that it has passed provincial inspection and you are all good.

Enjoy your car and your money savings!!!