Get your fleet ready for B.C.'s dash cam law

The Dashboard Cameras in Commercial Vehicles Act, introduced as Bill M217 by Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer, requires a forward-facing dash camera in commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 11,793 kg. It passed third reading unanimously on May 25, 2026, making B.C. the first Canadian jurisdiction to require dash cameras in commercial vehicles.

No start date is confirmed. Reporting after the vote said the Act comes into force six months after Royal Assent, which was reported on May 28, 2026, pointing to late November 2026. The BC Trucking Association says it will not take effect until the regulations are finalized. Planning for the earlier date is the safer course.

Commercial vehicles under the Commercial Transport Act with a gross vehicle weight rating above 11,793 kg, about 26,000 lb, which in practice means Class 7 and Class 8 trucks. The BC Trucking Association has asked the province to clarify how specialized and vocational equipment, such as cranes and concrete trucks, will be treated.

Some industry coverage says vehicles registered in other provinces are included while operating in B.C., but published summaries of the Act do not settle the point. Carriers that run into B.C. should plan as if their trucks are covered and check the regulations when they are published.

The camera must face forward and record the road through the front windshield, record continuously while the vehicle operates, capture at least 1080p video, offer night vision, and keep at least 72 hours of footage on the device's local storage at the manufacturer's default settings.

No. The Act covers forward-facing cameras only, and the BC Trucking Association has asked that the regulations confirm this. Fleets can still add in-cab monitoring for safety, but it needs its own justification under B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act and a clear notice to drivers.

Not necessarily. Check whether each camera meets 1080p, night vision and 72 hours of continuous recording at the same time, at its default settings. The BC Trucking Association notes that many fleet systems reach 72 hours only at a lower resolution, so some units may need more storage or an upgrade.

Both. The vehicle owner, or the lessee for a leased vehicle, must install and maintain the camera. The driver must keep it recording and make sure nothing blocks its view while the vehicle operates.

Footage must be handled under applicable privacy and security law, including B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act. In practice that means telling drivers before recording starts, limiting and logging access, setting a retention rule and documenting requests from police or insurers. Interprovincial carriers generally fall under the federal PIPEDA instead. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Reporting on the Act indicates it creates no new offences or fines. Enforcement details could change as the regulations are developed, and the practical cost of having no footage after a serious collision is likely to be higher than any fine.

Waiting leaves little time to inventory, buy, install and train before the start date. A safer approach is to audit vehicles and existing cameras now and choose hardware that meets the full published specification, while keeping flexibility on the storage and footage access rules that the regulations may adjust.

A vehicle inventory against the 11,793 kg threshold, an audit of your current cameras against the full specification, TENDERD's footage privacy policy with a driver notice template you can adapt, and a prevention plan for in-cab monitoring and collision warnings. A TENDERD specialist follows up within one business day of your request.