The consistent numbering of buildings and suites in the PRRD, together with their street names, provides a way to identify residential buildings or businesses. Addressing is used by government agencies, emergency services responders, utility and service companies, and the public to find a specific building.
Civic Address
Apply for a civic address if you have built or are building a new home or business in the rural area of the Peace River Regional District. All emergency response agencies including police, ambulance and fire as well as telephone companies use your civic address to provide emergency services.
Call 911 in the event of an emergency
Apply for a Civic Address
Please fill in a Civic Address Application and submit it, along with a sketch or location map showing the location of the house and driveway on the property. Follow the instructions on the application form. Your BC Tax Assessment Notice has the information you will need to complete the application. You can use our Interactive Webmap to create your location map.
You can submit your application:
- By e-mailing the PRRD
- In person at our Dawson Creek or Fort St. John office
- By mail to Peace River Regional District, Box 810, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8
We assign most civic addresses within three to ten working days. We may need more time to resolve any issues flagged during the review of your application.
Landowner Consent
If you are not the Landowner on Title, please have the landowner fill in the Civic Address Landowner Consent Form and make sure to submit this form with your application.
Change or Retire a Civic Address
If you would like to request to change or retire your civic address, please use the Change of Existing Civic Address Request Form. We will review your request and approve or deny depending on your reason for the change. Please apply for a revised Civic Address, when:
- The location of the driveway and/or building has moved since a civic address was assigned
- Traffic patterns or the road name has changed
- The house number is out of sequence
- There has been redevelopment of the property, which subdivided the property or changed the number of structures
Civic Address Signage Guidelines
The 911 house numbering service is a system of rural house numbering and mapping to support the regional 911 Emergency Call service. The cost to buy and install the house number sign is your responsibility as a homeowner. The PRRD does not provide you with house number signs. This number is also important to utility companies. You should notify the companies that provide you with electricity, natural gas and telephone that you now have an address for your property. You should update your home address on your driver’s licence through the Provincial Government.
Please obtain and display your house number as soon as possible, and make sure that:
- Numbers are large, four to six inches in height and mounted about four feet above the ground
- Signs are reflective with numbers mounted on a background with a different colour
- Place your number at beginning of driveway, on property line where it can be seen easily from the road, day or night
- Signs will not get hit by a snowplow
- Snow in winter or trees and grass in summer will not cover it
If you own rental properties, please notify tenants of the new number and display it. If there are multiple buildings on the property, make sure to identify the number on the building's civic address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the common questions that you may have about civic addressing in the PRRD. If you still have any questions, please call us at 250-784-3200.
Why is an addressing system necessary?
A GIS mapping system holds the data that identifies the house's location, road network and parcel information. The PRRD contracts ECOMM 911, which provides us with enhanced 911 Emergency Services to all municipalities and electoral areas within our district. They determine the nature of each emergency and transfer your call to the appropriate response agency including police, fire or ambulance.
What is the difference between a civic address and a mailing address?
A Civic Address is the official address assigned to a physical location, a residence or dwelling, by the PRRD for 911 emergency responses. The PRRD does not assign a postal code to a Civic Address.
Canada Post assigns a Mailing Address to deliver mail to your location, a community mail box or a post office box. Only Canada Post can assign Postal Codes.
Can I assign my own civic address?
No. A civic address is assigned off a pre-established grid numbering system that uses a mathematical formula to calculate the assigned civic address along an officially named road.
The PRRD is responsible for all addressing within the Peace River Regional District’s rural areas. The City of Dawson Creek, the City of Fort St. John, the Village of Pouce Coupe, the District of Taylor, the District of Hudson’s Hope, the District of Chetwynd, and the District of Tumbler Ridge are the authority for assigning civic addresses within their administrative boundaries.
Do I need multiple addresses if I have more than one residence on my property?
The number of residences on one property must comply with PRRD zoning bylaws and the Agriculture Land Commission Act to be eligible for additional addresses. Please submit an application per address.
What do I do if the building no longer exists?
Please contact the PRRD to deactivate the Civic Address when:
- A building is demolished or burns down and there are no plans to rebuild
- The construction of a proposed building is cancelled
When filling out your Change of Existing Civic Address Request Form, choose the "Retired" as the reason for change.
Why does the PRRD reject some civic address applications?
The PRRD is unable to approve every Civic Address Application. We will send you a rejection letter detailing why we have rejected the application, and offer guidance to resolve the issue if possible.
Below are the most common reasons why we may reject applications:
- Missing proof of land ownership or current landowner consent
- Not compliant to zoning bylaws
- Not compliant to Agriculture Land Commission Act
- Distance from a named Ministry of Transportation and Transit road
- Landlocked parcel with no easement on title for driveway access
- Landlocked parcel with no agreement with Crown for driveway access
- Illegal suite
- Empty lot, which we review on a case-by-case basis
- Unmanned structure, which we review on a case-by-case basis
- Safety issues
How can I check to see what my civic address is?
You can find it using our Interactive Web Map or call the PRRD Dawson Creek Office at 1-250-784-3200. Please make sure that you have your PID, Roll or Legal Description ready. If your Civic Address is in our database, it is available to emergency services.
What can I do if first responders could not find my address during a 911 call?
You can email the PRRD to report the issue and we will investigate. Please provide us with the following information:
- Your name and contact information
- Name of the 911 caller if different
- Date and Time of the 911 Call
- Civic Address of the emergency response destination
- The type of emergency response was requested (e.g. fire, ambulance, police, or other)
- Description of the problem
What can I do if my road name sign does not match the road name in my civic address?
Please email the PRRD or call 250-784-3200, and we will investigate the issue. If possible, please include a photo of the road name sign and a sketch or map of the intersection with an ‘X’ marking the location of the road sign. We will work with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to verify the official road name and to correct any issues.
Do I need a permit to build a driveway access directly off a road or highway?
Yes, learn how to apply for a Highway Use Permit from Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
Contact Us
Peace River Regional District (PRRD)
1981 Alaska Avenue,
Dawson Creek, BC
V1G 4H8
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