B.C. RCMP officers start switching to navy-blue shirts

Frontline RCMP officers in British Columbia have started wearing new navy-blue uniform shirts in place of the force’s traditional grey shirts, the B.C. RCMP said Tuesday.

The phased rollout began in October for officers in frontline positions at detachments, the force said. The national rollout started in spring 2025 and has moved province by province over the past 12 months as shirts become available under a national distribution plan.

During the transition, the public may see officers on duty in either the grey or the navy-blue shirt, the RCMP said. Both are official RCMP uniform, and officers may keep wearing either for the foreseeable future.

Major crime investigators and officers in specialized units, such as the Emergency Response Team, the Uniform Gang Enforcement Team and the Underwater Recovery Team, will keep their current unit uniforms or plain clothes.

The force acknowledged the change may raise questions. Citing recent incidents of people impersonating police officers, the RCMP encouraged anyone with doubts about an officer’s identity to ask for official identification or call the local detachment’s non-emergency line to confirm the officer is working in the area.

The RCMP said the new shirts are part of its continuing effort to modernize its uniform. The full release includes photos of the new shirts.

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