Permitting and data systems

The Archaeology Branch is responsible for archaeological permits under the Heritage Conservation Act and providing access to archaeological data in the Provincial Heritage Register.

To do so, the branch administers the three systems described below, moderates their access, and provides news and updates about their upgrades, features, and service outages.

On this page

• Permitting and data systems
• Request systems access
• Troubleshoot systems logon
• Subscribe to system news for updates

Permitting and data systems

Archaeology Permit Tracking System

The Archaeology Permit Tracking System (APTS) is an online portal used by professional consulting archaeologists and Archaeology Branch employees to manage archaeological applications and permits throughout their lifecycle. It is not available to the general public. 

Provincial Archaeological Report Library

The Provincial Archaeological Report Library (PARL) is an online library containing electronic copies of archaeological permit reports. Authorized users may include archaeological consultants, First Nations, accredited academic researchers, and federal or provincial government resource and land use planning agencies. It is not available to the general public. 

Remote Access to Archaeological Data

The Remote Access to Archaeological Data (RAAD) is an online GIS application that lets authorized users view and download spatial and tabular data about B.C.'s archaeological sites for the purposes of land use planning, development approval processes, or archaeological assessments. Authorized users may include archaeological consultants, First Nations, accredited academic researchers, and federal, provincial or local government resource and land use planning agencies. It is not available to the general public. 

Request systems access

Please see our Archaeological Information Access Policy (PDF, 2754KB) for more information on accessing archaeological data.

All applicants requesting access to archaeology systems must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Verify your eligibility

• For APTS access, you must be one of the following:
  • a professional consulting archaeologist that will be holding permits
  • a staff member that will be supporting a consulting archaeologist in data entry
  • an archaeology branch or BC Energy Regulator employee
     
• For RAAD access, you must be one of the following:
  • a professional consulting archaeologist
  • an accredited researcher
  • a member of an Indigenous government office
  • a member of local, provincial or federal government involved in resource or land use planning
     
• For PARL access, you must be one of the following:
  • a professional consulting archaeologist 
  • an accredited researcher
  • a member of an Indigenous government office
  • a member of provincial or federal government involved in resource or land use planning
    _{* ​Please note local governments are not eligible for PARL access.}

Step 2: Obtain a Business BCeID

If you are an independent consultant, you can Register for a Business BCeID.

If you work for an organization that is already registered with BCeID (for example B.C. consulting company, First Nation Government, educational or research institution), contact your account manager. You can search the BCeID Business directory to find your account manager.

If you are an out-of-province or international user unaffiliated with a provincial organization, contact archdatarequest@gov.bc.ca to discuss your options.

Please note:

• Access to our systems is granted and linked to a specific active Business BCeID or provincial government IDIR - not to your name or email address
• Business BCeIDs are permanently linked to the company that you were working for when you were granted access and cannot be changed in the system
• A new access request must be made each time  you change companies or change you Business BCeID username (due to change of employer, forgotten credential, or account inactivity)
• Each time you request systems access, you MUST choose a Business BCeID username that is unique from your previous usernames. If you do not, your request for access will be rejected and you will need to reapply

Step 3: Submit an archaeological information sharing agreement

1. Download and complete an Archaeological Information Sharing Agreement (PDF, 1.6MB)
2. Click "Save As" and name the file it in this format: LASTNAME FIRSTNAME COMPANYNAME DD-MMM-YYYY
3. To prevent your request from being rejected, close your saved PDF and reopen it to make sure: 
   • Your information was saved properly
   • You have answered all questions
   • You have not requested access to items you are unsure of, or do not qualify for
   • You have signed your name
   • You have included all 3 pages of the PDF
4. Email the completed document to archdatarequest@gov.bc.ca

Step 4: Check you inbox for access details

Once we review your agreement and process the approved access requests, the branch will send you an email with instructions regarding how to activate your new accounts.

Troubleshoot systems logon

If you are having trouble logging in or using the basic functions of a system you should have access to, please try the solutions provided in the troubleshooting sections on the APTS, RAAD or PARL pages before contacting the branch.

If you are seeing unexpected errors, check our Systems news page for information about what might be happening, and follow the instructions there if you think you should report it.

Subscribe to systems news for updates

Our Systems news page is the go-to source for information about the current state of branch systems. We recommend subscribing to the page so that you're notified by email when any of our programs are updated or unavailable.