[seakrait]

so much misinformation in this thread.

i can't speak for the unpaid parking tickets = collection agency = ruined credit.

what i CAN speak of (to a limited degree) is this:

a private parking lot accessible by the public and is for use by the public. thus it is still considered a "highway" as per the BC MVA.

“highway” includes
(a) every highway within the meaning of the Transportation Act,
(b) every road, street, lane or right of way designed or intended for or used by the general public for the passage of vehicles, and
(c) every private place or passageway to which the public, for the purpose of the parking or servicing of vehicles, has access or is invited,
but does not include an industrial road;

TLDR: a private paid parking lot is still a public highway.

Number plates
12 (1) Each number plate must bear the licence number of the motor vehicle or trailer for which it is issued, and shall be of a material and design determined by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and is and remains the property of the corporation.

(3) The number plate or number plates issued for a motor vehicle or trailer must be displayed on it in the manner prescribed by the regulations at all times while the motor vehicle or trailer is on a highway.

TLDR: You HAVE to display the plate given to you by ICBC if your vehicle is on a public highway (see definition above).

Offences
13 (1) A person commits an offence if the person drives, operates, parks or is in charge of a motor vehicle or trailer on a highway
(b) without displaying on it, in the manner prescribed, the number plates issued or designated by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia or otherwise prescribed to be displayed on that motor vehicle or trailer for the current licence year of that motor vehicle or trailer, or
(c) that has displayed on it a number plate other than those issued or designated by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia or otherwise prescribed to be displayed on that motor vehicle or trailer for the current licence year of that motor vehicle or trailer.
(2) Every peace officer, officer or constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the police department of a municipality or inspector authorized under section 217 (1) (a) to inspect motor vehicles may seize a number plate that he or she finds detached from a motor vehicle or trailer, or he or she finds displayed on a motor vehicle or trailer other than the one for which it was issued, or that is required under this Act or by a direction of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia to be surrendered, and may hold it until the receipt of instructions from the corporation as to its disposal.
(3) Subsection (2) applies in respect of number plates and motor vehicles whether on a highway or elsewhere, and for the purposes of that subsection an officer or constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the police department of a municipality may enter without warrant the land or premises of any person on or in which there is a motor vehicle or trailer.

TLDR: You're committing an offence if you don't display your given plate properly.

as for switching plates once you get a ticket, yes that might work for (specifically) not getting towed on the spot if you already owe money to the parking lot company.

BUT

when you park in a private parking lot and get a ticket, then the parking lot company sends you a collection notice in the mail, where do you think they got your name and address from? FROM ICBC. who else can make that connection between the license plate they see on a car in their lot and your name and address? even the police depend on ICBC's database for such information.

how? parking lots claim that you consent by their regulations when you park on their property (no seriously, take a look at the fine print on the ticket stub or on the signage the next time you park). while this may be vague in terms of implied consent, it's what they go by. they then rely on ICBC to give them the necessary information. ICBC releases your information to them under the BC FOIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act).

Disclosure inside or outside Canada
33.1 (1) A public body may disclose personal information referred to in section 33 inside or outside Canada as follows:
(b) if the individual the information is about has identified the information and consented, in the prescribed manner, to its disclosure inside or outside Canada, as applicable;
(i) if
(i) the disclosure is for the purposes of collecting amounts owing to the government of British Columbia or a public body by
(A) an individual, or
(ii) in relation to disclosure outside Canada, there are reasonable grounds for believing that
(A) the individual the information is about is in, resides in or has assets in the other jurisdiction, or
(i.1) for the purposes of
(i) a payment to be made to or by the government of British Columbia or a public body,
(ii) authorizing, administering, processing, verifying or canceling such a payment, or
(iii) resolving an issue regarding such a payment;
(j) in the case of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, if
(i) the information was obtained or compiled by that public body for purposes of insurance provided by the public body, and
(ii) disclosure of the information is necessary to investigate, manage or settle a specific insurance claim;

TLDR: if you owe money to the government or to a public body, that public body or the government can request information of other people/databases (like ICBC) of your personal information in order for them to collect the money you owe them.

Definition of consistent purposes
34 (1) A use of personal information is consistent under section 32 or 33.2 with the purposes for which the information was obtained or compiled if the use
(a) has a reasonable and direct connection to that purpose, and
(b) is necessary for performing the statutory duties of, or for operating a legally authorized program of, the public body that uses or discloses the information or causes the information to be used or disclosed.

TLDR: if the reason for disclosure of your personal information isn't explicitly stated in this Act, as long as the purpose of the disclosure of such information is consistent with the purposes of this Act and its sections, then that information may be disclosed.

there's a bit of a grey area there as a parking lot company is not a public body as recognized by FOIPPA by any means but S.34 vaguely allows for that (arguably) as it's for a consistent purpose (of collecting a debt).

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so there you go. park unpaid with care.

or

just pay the damn $3/hr.