Your annual practice fee must be paid by May 31 every year to maintain a valid B.C. teaching certificate. The annual fee is $80. There are no discounts or prorated fee options.
You need to pay the fee to keep your certificate in good standing – even if you are:
If you are receiving full LTD benefits from the BCTF Salary Indemnity Plan as of March 30, the Plan will pay the fee and recover it from your July benefit. The BCTF will make payment on your behalf during the last part of May. If you are approved on LTD after March 30, you will need to pay the fee yourself. Contact the BCTF Income Security Division for more information.
You can pay online by logging into Your Account. To pay, you can use Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. You can also use pre-paid Visa or Mastercard.
Make cheques payable to the Minister of Finance and include your certificate number. Mail it to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, 201-828 8th Avenue W, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E2. Post-dated cheques are not accepted.
Please note: After we receive payments, they can take two to three days to clear.
If your employer deducted the annual fee from your pay, it will automatically appear on your T4 slip.
If you paid your fee online or by cheque, you can log in to Your Account starting in February of each year to download and print your tax receipt.
You can pay your annual practice fees online. If this is your first time logging in to Your Account, you must sign-up for a Basic BCeID account first before you can log in to Your Account. If you already have a Basic BCeID you can log in to Your Account.
If you do not have a BCeID you will need to create one for secure access to Your Account.
Inside your Your Account you can
Log in to pay your annual practice fee online
Once you are eligible for certification, you will be notified by email to pay your annual practice fee using Your Account. Your certificate will not be issued until you pay this fee. Your fee is prorated during your first year, depending on when you become a certified teacher:
| Deadlines | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| April 1 to May 31 | $80 | Annual payment period. Payment must be received by May 31 (not mailed by) to not be charged a late fee. |
| June 1 to June 30 | $80 + $30 (late fee) = $110 | Pay annual fee with a late fee but without suspension. |
| July 1 to October 31 | $80 + $30 (late fee) + $30 (late fee) = $140 |
Certificate suspended for non-payment of fees. Renewal requires payment of the annual fee and two late fees. You are not able to teach at a B.C. school or B.C.-accredited offshore school until you have paid your fee and are a valid certificate holder in good standing again. |
| November 1 | Certificate is cancelled for non-payment of fees | You will need to apply for a new certificate and re-qualify before you can teach at a B.C. school or B.C.-accredited offshore school again |
If you choose to end your teaching certification in B.C., you may be able to request a refund of your annual practice fee.
Contact us Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Pacific Time.
Ministry of Education and Child Care 201-828 8th Ave West Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E2
