Driving Tests

ICBC-Approved Driving Course in B.C.: Is the GLP Course Worth It?

informational·how to guide·Published October 6, 2026·Updated October 20, 2026

Is the ICBC-approved GLP course worth it in B.C.?

If you are under 25, the ICBC-approved Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) course can cut your Class 7 novice stage from 24 months to 18 before your Driving Record Assessment. Finish it within one year while you hold a Class 7L licence, and keep a clean record. It has at least 16 hours in class and 12 on the road, and it can earn 2 grade 11 high school credits.

Where these rules come from

The course details come from the approved driver training page of ICBC (the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia). The timelines come from the ICBC pages on the Graduated Licensing Program changes and the Class 7L licence, the ICBC Get your L, Class 7 under 25 and automatic upgrade pages, the B.C. government news release of July 20, 2026 and Order in Council 350/2026. The 18-month credit is an ICBC rule. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with ICBC (icbc.com) before you book a course.

What an ICBC-approved GLP course includes

At least 16 hours of in-class instruction.
At least 12 hours of instruction on the road.
Four hours of flexible (discretionary) time.
A focus on safe driving skills and habits, road test preparation and a responsible attitude behind the wheel.
It is one of three training choices ICBC lists for new drivers. The other two are in-car lessons only, and in-car lessons combined with class instruction.

How the GLP course changes your time before the Class 5 upgrade

How the GLP course changes your time before the Class 5 upgrade
Your situation	Class 7L learner stage (minimum)	Class 7 novice stage before the assessment	Earliest total
Under 25, approved GLP course completed	12 months	18 months	30 months
Under 25, no course or course not finished	12 months	24 months	36 months
25 or older, with or without a course	9 months	12 months	21 months

Example: two dates for a driver under 25

Say you pass your Class 7 road test on March 1, 2028. With 24 months of safe driving, you can apply for the Driving Record Assessment on March 1, 2030. With a completed approved GLP course, you can apply on September 1, 2029, six months sooner. The totals in the table add the two stages and assume that you take the road test as soon as the learner stage allows.

Does the GLP course shorten the Class 7L learner stage?

No. B.C. law sets the learner stage minimum by age: 12 months if you are under 25, and 9 months if you are 25 or older. The course shortens the Class 7 novice stage that comes after your road test. Class 7L is the learner stage, Class 7 is the novice stage, and Class 5 is the licence that you upgrade to.

What your driving record must show for the 18 months

No prohibitions or suspensions during the 18 months of Class 7 driving.
No violation tickets for electronic devices or excessive speed on your driving record during that time.
No at-fault crashes. The ICBC page on approved courses also lists them as part of a clean record.

Is the GLP course worth it for you?

You are under 25 and can finish the course within one year

You can reach the Driving Record Assessment after 18 months of Class 7 driving instead of 24, if your record stays clean. Ask the driving school for the price before you decide.

You are under 25 and start the course but do not finish it

No reduction applies. You still need 24 months of safe driving.

You are 25 or older

The 6-month cut is for drivers under 25 only. The last row of the table shows your two stages.

You prefer in-car lessons only

Lessons alone do not shorten your novice stage. The 18-month route needs a completed ICBC-approved GLP course.

You plan to get a commercial licence later

A course that you complete in the learner phase also helps here. With a Class 5 or Class 6 licence, you can apply for a commercial learner's licence after 18 months of non-learner driving instead of 24.

How to use an approved course to shorten your novice stage

1
Hold your Class 7L licence
You can get your Class 7L licence on or after your 16th birthday. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must give consent. You must complete the course while you hold the learner licence.
2
Find a driving school
Open the ICBC driver training page and look for "Find a driving school". Ask the school to confirm that its course is an ICBC-approved GLP course, not in-car lessons only.
3
Finish the course within one year
Finish all class hours and road hours inside the one-year limit.
4
Pass the Class 7 road test
Drivers under 25 need at least 12 months of supervised Class 7L driving before the road test.
5
Drive 18 months with a clean record
Count the 18 months from the day you pass your Class 7 road test. Keep your record clean, as the list above shows.
6
Book your Driving Record Assessment
Visit a driver licensing office. To book online at an ICBC office (not a Service BC location or an agent), choose the "Driving Record Assessment" service type. See how the assessment replaces the second road test.

Key takeaways

An ICBC-approved GLP course has at least 16 hours in class, at least 12 hours on the road and four hours of flexible time.
Under 25, a finished course cuts the Class 7 novice stage from 24 months to 18.
Keep your record free of prohibitions, suspensions and tickets for electronic devices or excessive speed.
Next step: practise on the free British Columbia Class 7 practice test.

ICBC-approved GLP course: common questions

Is the ICBC-approved driver training course mandatory in B.C.?

No. ICBC offers it as one choice for new drivers, not a requirement. It matters most if you are under 25, because only then does it cut the Class 7 novice stage from 24 months to 18.

Does the GLP course help if I am 25 or older?

Not for your Class 5 timeline: ICBC gives the 6-month cut to drivers under 25 only. At 25 or older you need at least 9 months as a Class 7L driver and at least 12 months as a Class 7 driver. A course in your learner phase can still cut the wait for a commercial learner's licence from 24 to 18 months of non-learner driving.

Does the GLP course let me skip the Class 7 road test?

No. You still pass the Class 7 road test after your learner stage. The Driving Record Assessment replaced the second road test on October 19, 2026, and it comes later, after your Class 7 novice stage.

Do I get high school credits for the ICBC driver training course?

Yes. ICBC says that you could earn 2 grade 11 high school credits when you successfully complete an ICBC-approved GLP course. Ask your high school how it records these credits before you enrol in a course.

What happens to my 18 months if I get a prohibition or suspension?

The clock restarts. A driver under 25 needs another 24 months of driving with no additional prohibitions or suspensions and no tickets for electronic devices or excessive speed, or 18 months if they completed an approved GLP course during the learner phase.

How much does the ICBC-approved GLP course cost?

Ask driving schools for the price of their ICBC-approved GLP course. Check that each price covers the full course: at least 16 hours in class, at least 12 hours on the road and four hours of flexible time. Then compare the price with what you get: 6 months off the novice stage if you are under 25, and 2 grade 11 credits.