Transportation Network Services (Ride Hail) - Enforcement and Non-Compliance in B.C.

Last updated on July 5, 2023

Companies offering Transportation Network Services (TNS), or ride-hail, require a licence to operate in B.C. Drivers and companies operating without meeting requirements are subject to fines.

Passenger transportation enforcement, compliance investigations and audits are duties performed by staff of the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) Branch of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Approved ride-hail companies with an active passenger transportation licence are called licensees.   

Administrative Penalties

Under the Passenger Transportation Act, a ride-hail licensee must issue an eligible driver a Record Check Certificate, which is a driver's proof that they have passed the required background checks.

A licensee that allows a driver to operate without a Record Check Certificate (RCC) can

  • Receive an administrative penalty of up to $50,000 per offence per day
  • Have its Passenger Transportation Licence cancelled

Ride-hail licensees must also regularly submit data and trip fees to the province. Failure to do so could result in an administrative penalty.

To learn more visit

Ride-hail Audits

The Registrar of Passenger Transportation may investigate or audit ride-hail licensees based on several factors including

  • safety
  • compliance issues, and
  • risk to public safety

The audit process ensures that all licensees are approached in a consistent, fair, and objective manner. A licensee in non-compliance with regulations may receive 

  • administrative penalties
  • violation tickets
  • Notice & Orders
  • action plans, or
  • have its licence suspended or cancelled

Road-side Enforcement

Ride-hail drivers must produce the following documentation to law enforcement if pulled over and asked

  • Record Check Certificate, vehicle information including year, make, model, plate number and licensee's safety certificate number (this must be available to view in the ride-hail app) 
  • a copy of the company's passenger transportation licence (available to view in the ride-hail app)
  • ride-hail vehicle identifiers
  • a copy of the commercial vehicle inspection report

Ride-hail drivers can receive violation tickets for failing to provide the above documents.

Penalties for Illegal Ride-hail

Both drivers and companies can be fined for involvement with an illegal ride-hail operation.

A ride-hail company is illegal if it is operating without a valid passenger transportation licence that has a Transportation Network Services Authorization.

Drivers of an illegal ride-hail company can receive

  • daily fines of up to $5,000 per day of operation, and
  • may be subject to further sanctions for not disclosing the commercial use of their vehicles to lease and insurance providers. 

Companies operating as illegal ride-hail can receive

  • a daily fine of up to $100,000 per day of operation without a TNS licence

Contact information

Contact the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program for more information.