Fee Increase for the 2025/2026 Fiscal Year

Dear Licensees,

The VSA conducts annual fee reviews each year as part of our mandate to recover costs and ensure we deliver on the mandate set by the B.C. Government. We work with government, industry, and consumers to provide the best possible ways to deliver fair and prompt service within our regulatory model while balancing associated costs to license and regulate your sector.

The BC Government mandate for the VSA as per our Administrative Agreement is: “To maintain and enhance consumer protection and consumer confidence within the motor dealer industry.”

It is important to note that there were no fee increases in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year.

Fee increases pay for the direct costs of regulating the motor dealer industry, such as licensing, compliance inspections, complaint handling, education, and enforcement activities. It also covers indirect costs like IT, finance, accounting, office maintenance, and insurance costs. Our costs for regulating the industry have increased due to many factors including increases in both the number and complexity of consumer enquiries and complaints, IT costs, the number of licensee inquiries, rising cost of living, and meeting the B.C. Government mandate regarding consumer protection.

The VSA recently commenced work on the BC Government requirements of public bodies under the Accessible British Columbia Act. Also, as detailed in our Tuesday, March 11 Bulletin, the BC Government is enhancing its consumer protection laws and amendments to the Motor Dealer Act are expected. The VSA must be prepared to action these amendments.

To ensure we continue to deliver on the B.C. Government mandate in a fair, thorough, and timely manner, the VSA Board of Directors has approved the new fees commencing April 1, 2025.

More detail about setting fees and what they are used for are in our January 13, 2025, Bulletin (Click Here).