How to become a car salesperson in British Columbia

In British Columbia, every person in contact with retail consumers at a dealership must hold a salesperson licence from the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC. Here is the path, with the costs and the official sources.

Fees, steps and rules are set by the regulator and can change. Always confirm the current details with Vehicle Sales Authority of BC (VSA) before you act.

Check current requirements

The path, step by step

Apply to the VSA

Apply online. You need a Police Information Check and the legal right to work in Canada. A prior record is reviewed for its relevance to selling vehicles and does not automatically exclude you.

Be employed by a licensed dealer

You can apply before you have a job, but the VSA will not issue your licence until your employment at a dealership is verified.

Pass the VSA licensing course

Once your application is processed you are registered in the self-study online licensing course, and you receive an email with access details. The course must be completed before your Conditional Licence expires.

Practise before your first customer

Getting registered gets you in the door. The first conversation is the real test. Forge lets you practise it out loud with a lifelike customer and get a coach-style scorecard. Your first session is free.

Start free

What it costs

Application and first-year licence

$225

VSA licensing course

Must be completed within the conditional licence period.

$458

Annual renewal

$174

Late renewal

1 to 30 days after the expiry date. Higher after that.

+$34

$683 to get started. Application and first-year licence plus the course, as published. Taxes and the Police Information Check fee are not included. This total is our own addition of the published fees.

Good to know

•Salespeople must follow the Motor Dealer Act and parts of the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
•The VSA has a FAQ for people who were licensed in another province.
•VSA licence fees are non-refundable and cannot be waived.

Official sources

Other provinces

Ontario Alberta Quebec

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees, steps and requirements are set and changed by the regulator, and JuraVance does not set, collect or guarantee them. Forge by JuraVance is not a licensing course and is not affiliated with VSA of BC, Georgian College or any other regulator or college named here. Names are used only to tell you where the official information lives. Forge cannot make you licensed or guarantee employment.