Consumer Protection BC establishes policies and procedures to guide its operations and achieve its objectives effectively and efficiently. These policies ensure a consistent approach to administration and the fair and uniform treatment of all licensees, businesses and consumers. The following policies and procedures have been approved by Consumer Protection BC's Executive and are consistent with legislative requirements and with the administrative agreement with government:

Using Our Logo

The Consumer Protection BC logo is available for print materials and digital use. The "Guidelines for Any Use of the Consumer Protection BC Official Mark" outline the requirements for using the logo and the process by which interested parties can obtain authorized copies of the Consumer Protection BC logo.

If you are interested in using the Consumer Protection BC logo, please download a copy of the guideline, complete it and return it to our office. Once we approve the application, Consumer Protection BC will send you copies of the logo to use in your print and electronic materials.

Complaint Handling

To ensure accountability and to allow the complaint handling process to be made public, Consumer Protection BC has established complaint handling policies and procedures. They apply to complaints from members of the public or businesses regulated by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act or the Motion Picture Act regarding the manner in which Consumer Protection BC administers the legislation delegated to it. To download a copy of the complaint handling policies and procedures, please click here.

Reconsideration of Determinations

When the Director takes a statutory action - whether it's a licensing decision, film classification decision, issuance of a compliance order or an administrative penalty - the entity (business or individual) that is subject to the action has the opportunity to seek reconsideration of or appeal the decision. Consumer Protection BC has published policies and procedures for the reconsideration of statutory decisions. To download a copy of the policies and procedures for the reconsideration of statutory decisions, please click here.

Fee Setting

The Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA) and the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act (CIFSA) allow Consumer Protection BC to set fees. In setting amounts, fees and charges, Consumer Protection BC must comply with the fee-setting process we established in accordance with criteria established by the Fee Setting Criteria Regulation, which came into effect on July 4, 2004. The Fee Setting Criteria Regulation requires Consumer Protection BC to consult with the affected industries and interested parties before setting the fees. It also requires Consumer Protection BC to give at least 90 days notice to the affected industry before a fee, charge or other amount can take effect. To obtain a complete copy of the Consumer Protection BC fee setting policy, please click here.

Late Renewals and Late Filing

Consumer Protection BC has published policies for the late renewal of a licence and the late filing of any required documentation. To download a copy of these policies, please click here.

Criminal Record Checks

The Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA), the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act (CIFSA), and the Motion Picture Act provide Consumer Protection BC with the authority to request and verify the existence of criminal convictions for persons applying for licenses. The purpose of this policy is to advance consumer protection by ensuring that licensed employees and senior officers, partners and proprietors of regulated businesses do not have criminal records that are relevant to their work. For a copy of the Consumer Protection BC CPIC policy, click here. There have been recent changes to our policy which have generated some questions regarding the application of CPIC checks to our licensed groups. Please click here for a fact sheet.

Copies of BC Legislation

Consumer Protection BC does not distribute copies of legislation. You can obtain unofficial copies of legislation from the BC Laws website and purchase official copies from:

Crown Publications
106 Ontario Street
Victoria, BC V8V 1M9
Phone: 250 386-4836
Fax: 250 386-0221