The province of B.C has moved to block vehicle- and driver's-licence renewals to those who have not paid COVID-19 fines.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General announced in a May 12 statement that expired driver's licences and vehicle licences will be subject to a "refuse to issue" (RTI) restriction by ICBC if the applicants have outstanding fines issued under the Emergency Program Act and COVID-19 Related Measures Act.

Under amendments proposed to the Motor Vehicle Act, these potential RTIs will be applied retroactively to all types of COVID-19 fines and come into force on July 1 this year.

The release noted that only $172,825 of $1,179,980 in violation tickets issued in B.C. up to May 8 this year has been paid. That means 86 percent of the fines issued in 1,679 tickets remains unpaid.

"That small minority of persons who have been fined for violating the rules in place to protect us all are going to be held accountable for the debt they owe," Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said in a statement. "We've already moved up the deadline for sending unpaid COVID-19 fines to collections. Now we're going to refuse to issue offenders a driver's licence or vehicle licence if they still won't take their tickets seriously and pay up."

Although ICBC normally sends unpaid tickets to a collection agency after a year, the B.C. Crown corporation was instructed by the province last December to shorten that time period to 30 days for COVID-19 fines after court convictions or the expiry of dispute periods.

The ministry noted in the release that those fined who can demonstrate financial or other hardships can apply to the court to lower the fines or ask ICBC to consider payment arrangements.

All RTIs can also be appealed to the superintendent of motor vehicles.