BC's Bill 44 'Naughty or Nice' List: The Full Breakdown (All 87 Local Governments)

Which cities actually complied with Bill 44 — and which ones quietly blocked density?

Here is the definitive list of all 87 municipalities and regional districts subject to Bill 44 (SSMUH), updated to December 9, 2025. For a full breakdown of what Bill 44 requires, see the complete Bill 44 guide.

If you invest, develop, or advise in BC — this is the list that matters.

The Nice List — Fully Compliant (Zoning Active)

These cities met the June 2024 deadline.

Density is live.

Bill 25 enforcement is not triggered here.

Metro Vancouver (18 Municipalities)

1. City of Vancouver (R1-1 active)
2. City of Surrey
3. City of Burnaby
4. City of Coquitlam
5. City of North Vancouver
6. City of New Westminster
7. City of Port Coquitlam
8. City of Port Moody
9. City of Delta (Adopted June 2024; refining in 2025)
10. City of Maple Ridge
11. City of Pitt Meadows
12. City of Langley
13. City of White Rock
14. District of North Vancouver (strict slope rules)
15. Bowen Island
16. Village of Anmore
17. Village of Belcarra
18. Village of Lions Bay

Fraser Valley (6 Municipalities)

1. Abbotsford
2. Chilliwack
3. Mission
4. District of Kent (Agassiz)
5. District of Hope
6. Village of Harrison Hot Springs

Vancouver Island & Coast (24 Municipalities)

1. Victoria
2. Saanich
3. Nanaimo
4. Langford
5. Campbell River
6. Courtenay
7. Colwood
8. Comox
9. View Royal
10. Sidney
11. Central Saanich
12. North Saanich
13. North Cowichan
14. Ladysmith
15. Qualicum Beach
16. Parksville
17. Port Alberni
18. Duncan
19. Lake Cowichan
20. Esquimalt
21. Squamish (⚠️ Flood Hazard DPA overrides density in key zones)
22. Sechelt
23. Gibsons
24. Sooke (compliant but resistant)

Interior & Okanagan (17 Municipalities)

1. Kelowna
2. Kamloops
3. West Kelowna
4. Vernon
5. Penticton
6. Salmon Arm
7. Merritt
8. Lake Country
9. Summerland
10. Peachland
11. Coldstream
12. Armstrong
13. Enderby
14. Spallumcheen
15. Oliver
16. Revelstoke
17. Radium Hot Springs (opted in)

Kootenays & North (13 Municipalities)

1. Prince George
2. Cranbrook
3. Fort St. John
4. Dawson Creek
5. Terrace
6. Prince Rupert
7. Nelson
8. Castlegar
9. Trail
10. Williams Lake
11. Quesnel
12. Smithers
13. Fernie

The Naughty List — Restrictive / Hostile Compliance

These cities “technically” complied but deployed tactics that block density in practice.

High Bill 25 override risk.

District of West Vancouver

While West Vancouver originally resisted, they did comply in August 2024 under threat of ministerial order.

Whistler

Units 3 and 4 in a 4-plex often must be employee-restricted with 100% employee-housing covenants on new units, which kills ROI and makes projects unfinanceable.

Township of Langley

Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs) used as a density tax to make multiplex development financially unviable.

City of Richmond

Large swaths exempt due to Flood Plain and ALR designations, severely limiting where density can actually be built.

District of Oak Bay

Design Guidelines weaponized to bottleneck applications and slow down or prevent multiplex approvals.

The Exempt List — Official Hall Passes

Exempt due to infrastructure or emergency conditions:

1. Osoyoos — EXEMPT until 2029
2. Greenwood — EXEMPT until 2028
3. Wells — EXTENSION - In Process for zoning update by end 2025
4. Northern Rockies RM — Adoption Imminent - Public Hearing December 8, 2025 to Adopt Official Community Plan

Honourable Mention: Kitimat (extended to 2030)

Analysis for Investors & Developers

The Squamish Trap

Yes, they’re “compliant.”

But the Flood Hazard Development Permit Area map overrides most downtown SSMUH entitlements.

Know before you buy.

The Whistler Trap

On paper: compliant.

In reality: Units 3 and 4 in a 4-plex often must be employee-restricted, making them unfinanceable and unprofitable.

About Regional Districts

The “87” includes specific Electoral Areas inside urban containment boundaries.

For most investors, the municipalities listed above are the real playing field.

What Bill 44 Actually Created

Before this compliance map made any sense, Bill 44 had to create a new asset class — converting single-family lots into multiplex development sites with measurable ROI. That foundational shift is what turned compliance status into something worth tracking.

Ontario tried a similar approach with Bill 23. The BC Bill 44 vs Ontario Bill 23 comparison breaks down what each province got right, what they got wrong, and why BC’s approach has produced more actual permits.

If You’re Investing or Developing Under Bill 44, Precision Matters

The SSMUH program explains how these provincial rules translate into actual property rights at the local level. At VanPlex, we run parcel-level PlexScore™ analysis across compliant municipalities to identify:

• Viable vs. non-viable lots
• Hidden blockers (DPAs, flood zones, slope bylaws, covenants)
• ROI thresholds
• Partner cities with the strongest pro-density policy alignment

Bill 44 created opportunity — but only in the right locations.

If you want the full BC Multiplex Viability Map or PlexScore™ insights for your property, contact us to get started.

Note: This list is accurate as of December 9, 2025. Municipal policies can change. Always verify current zoning and development permit requirements with local planning departments before proceeding with any development plans.