Motor Vehicles

 

Residency Requirements for Registration

If you are a new resident of Alberta or are visiting Alberta for any duration equal to or greater than 90 days, you need to register your vehicle in Alberta. This has to be done before the 90th day. New residents must also obtain an Alberta Driver's Licence within the same time period.

Exceptions: If you are temporarily working in Alberta but are a legal resident of a jurisdiction outside Alberta, you may continue to use the valid registration so long as your vehicle in Alberta for less than 183 days in a calendar year (from January 1 to December 31). As usual, you must have valid insurance on the vehicle in whichever province it is registered.

If you are staying in Alberta as a full time student and attending an accredited institution, or you are working here as part of a co-op program of study, you may use your valid registration and licence plates from your home jurisdiction. You must also have valid insurance on the vehicle and the registration must contain your name (either exclusively or jointly with another individual(s)). You should also carry proof (letter) from the accredited institution verifying your full time student status for presentation to a law enforcement officer should it be required.

Note: The above rules apply to private (non-commercial) vehicles only. For more detailed information on Alberta's Drivers Licencing processes, please see the Motor Vehicle Registration page on the Service Alberta website.

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Veterans' Licence Plates

Application form (pdf)

The Government of Alberta introduced a special Veterans' Licence Plate in 2005 to honour the contributions of Alberta veterans. Veterans' licence plates can be used on vehicles with passenger class registration, such as passenger cars, SUVs, station wagons, minivans, motor homes and light trucks. The plates are also available for farm vehicles with class 2 commercial registration. Veterans who are eligible for the special licence plate have two payment options:

1. They can pay just the $22.45 exchange fee (when the plate comes up for renewal on the regularly scheduled renewal date, eligible plate holders will then pay the full cost of their annual renewal)
2. They can renew their vehicle registration ahead of their regularly scheduled renewal date and only pay the cost of their next annual vehicle registration (the $22.63 plate exchange fee will not be charged in the case of early registration renewal)

Eligible veterans can obtain the plates from Registry Unlimited.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Completed application form that has been approved by The Royal Canadian Legion
• Personal identification
• Proof of ownership for the vehicle
• Proof of valid insurance

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 Personalized Licence Plates

A personalized licence plate (also known as vanity plates) can have up to seven characters, either letters, spaces, or numbers. Personalized plates can be issued for almost every registration class except Dealer, Antique or Disabled. Alberta Registries reserves the right to reject requests for personalized plates for any reason, which includes ethnic slurs, religious slurs or foul language.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Valid Alberta driver's licence
• Other acceptable piece of identification
• Valid Alberta mailing address

Payment for the plate must be made when placing the order. The ordering process will take between six-to-eight weeks.

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Parking Placards for Persons With Disabilities

A parking placard and/or disabled licence plate enables those with the greatest needs to use specially designated parking facilities. The placards are issued to individuals who provide proof of eligibility under this program. An applicant requesting plates must either have the vehicle(s) registered in the name of the person with the disability or be a joint owner on the vehicle registration.

To apply for a placard, an application form (pdf) : must be completed by your physician, physiotherapist or occupational therapist and submitted to Registry Unlimited.

To qualify, an individual must be unable to walk more than 50 metres.

There are three types of placards:

• Blue placards, which can be issued to those with long-term disabilities and are valid for five years
• Blue placards, which can be issued to those with Permanent disabilities that can be self-declared every five years without the medical personnel signature
• Red placards, which can be issued to those with disabilities that are temporary in nature, but will affect them for a period of three to twelve months (Note: A visitor in need may use their valid (non-expired) parking placard from their home jurisdiction during their vacation or visit to Alberta.)

A visitor in need, without an existing placard, may apply for a temporary red placard for the duration of their visit. Visitors will be considered for a parking placard and should contact a registry agent for more information.

Additional information and program highlights are available at Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• An application completed by your physician, physiotherapist or occupational therapist
• Proof of vehicle ownership

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Intransit Permit

An Intransit Permit is required to move an unregistered vehicle from one location to another in Canada. A time-limited permit may be issued to permit the movement of the vehicle without registration. Permits are not valid outside of Canada.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Proof of ownership if the vehicle is being moved outside of Alberta
• Proof of identification
• Proof of valid insurance
• Description of the vehicle including the make, year and serial number

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Vehicle Seizures

Under the Vehicle Seizure Program, drivers stopped by a peace officer and found to have their operator's licence suspended will have the vehicle they were driving seized and impounded for a period of 30 days. If the vehicle seizure involves the same suspended driver and owner within a three-year window, the seizure period is 60 days.

The Vehicle Seizure Program fact sheet (PDF) will give you some important information about the review process. Please read this carefully before purchasing an Application for Hearing form from Registry Unlimited.

More information on the Alberta Vehicle Seizure Program is available on the Transportation Safety Board website.

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Change of Address for Vehicle Registration

If you change your address, you are required by law to update the address information on your vehicle registration within 14 days. To do this, stop by Registry Unlimited. There is no fee to update the address information on your vehicle registration. Your new registration certificate will be mailed to you free of charge, or it can be printed at the registry agent office for a service fee

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Proof of ownership for the vehicle
• Proof of identification
• New mailing address

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Lost/Stolen Plates or Tabs (Year Stickers)

If you wish to declare your licence plates lost or stolen and require no replacement, you should report the loss to the police and visit Registry Unlimited to fill out a licence plate declaration form. There is a service fee for declaration of lost/stolen plates or tabs. For pricing information on this declaration fee, see our Pricing page.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Your operator's (drivers) licence or two pieces of identification
• Your licence plate number

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Canceling a Registration

To cancel your licence plates and registration, visit Registry Unlimited. The prorated unused portion of the original registration fee (if any) will be refunded by mail minus a $10.00 administrative processing fee. Clients are responsible for paying the $9.00 (+GST) agent service fee.

If you move to another province and surrender your licence plate to the other jurisdiction, you may make a request in writing to Service Alberta (see www.servicealberta.ca for mailing information) that your registration be cancelled and any refund (if any) be mailed to you. The other jurisdiction can provide you with verification that you have surrendered the plate. Include this with your correspondence.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• Your registration, plates and stickers which you must surrender to the Registry Unlimited clerk
• Identification verifying that you are the registrant

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Registering an Imported Vehicle From Outside Canada

In order to register a vehicle in Alberta imported from outside Canada you must complete a Transport Canada Vehicle Import Form (Form 1) which you will receive at the time of import from the Canada Border Services Agency. Details on the importing process can be found here.

Based on these documents, there may be other requirements depending on your specific situation (i.e. valid Alberta insurance, identification etc.), a registry agent can assist you in determining this. Note: Off highway vehicles, prorate vehicles and trailers are exempt from the requirement for an Out of Province Inspection. A commercial vehicle might be exempt from an Out of Province Inspection when a Commercial Vehicle Inspection Certificate was issued within the last 14 days. For further information, please contact Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation.

Checklist of items to bring with you - Step One

• Proof of Ownership of the Vehicle
• Transport Canada Vehicle Import Form (Form 1)

Based on these documents, we will provide you with the appropriate inspection request form that you need to present to the inspection station. Once you have the completed inspection form from the inspection station, return to Registry Unlimited with all the documentation in Step Two to complete your vehicle registration.

Checklist of items to bring with you - Step Two

• Proof of Ownership of the Vehicle
• Proof of valid Alberta insurance
• Transport Canada Vehicle Import Form (Form 1)
• For used vehicles, either an Out of Province Vehicle Inspection, Salvage Vehicle Inspection or Commercial Vehicle Inspection form as applicable
• For new vehicles, a New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS) or Certificate of Origin

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Vehicle Information Report

A Vehicle Information Report (VIR) provides information about a vehicle's registration history in Alberta. The report is produced using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). A VIN is the unique serial number assigned to every vehicle by the manufacturer or the Insurance Bureau of Canada's assigned VIN program. An accurate and complete VIN must be provided to complete a VIR request.

The information contained in the VIR includes:

• The date and time of the report
• Vehicle description - year, make, model, style, colour, fuel type, odometer reading if available
• Vehicle status - active, salvage, non-repairable, unsafe, rebuilt, etc
• Vehicle registration - date vehicle first entered on system, licence plate classification, registration history date and location (no personal information for any current or previous owner is shown, including licence plate numbers)
• Lien information - provides the number of liens and other related instruments which are registered in the province of Alberta and associated with the serial number (detailed information, such as the secured party and the party to whom the money is owed, can be determined by purchasing a separate Personal Property lien search)

The VIR only shows information from the Alberta Motor Vehicle System. It does not include any information from other provinces or countries where the vehicle may have been registered. To obtain these types of broader searches, please ask your registry agent about other service providers specializing in these types of reports.

Checklist of items to bring with you:

• An accurate and complete VIN   
  

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Acceptable Identification

A client must provide acceptable and sufficient identification (ID) when applying for a motor vehicle service.

Temporary documents and/or photocopies of documents are not acceptable.  All documents must be originals and may be subject to verification with the issuing entity. All documents must be valid; expired documents are not acceptable.

There are two types of identification: primary photo identification and support documents. Primary photo identification is issued by municipal, provincial, or federal agencies and contains a photo, legal name, and date of birth. Support documents must contain at least two data elements such as name, date of birth, signature, address or legal presence.

 
Some examples ofprimary photo identificationare(this is not an all-inclusive list):

• Alberta driver’s licence/ID Card.
• Photo driver’s licence (from another jurisdiction).
• Photo identification card issued by another Motor Vehicle jurisdiction or government issued photo identification.
• Citizenship, Immigration, Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card.
• Canadian Armed Forces Identification Card.
• Passport.
• Municipal, Provincial or Federal Police Force Identification.

Some examples of acceptable original support documents (certified documents are acceptable) are (this is not an all inclusive list):

• Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate or Civil Marriage Statement.
• Municipal, Territorial, Provincial, Federal Government Employee Card.
• Chequing or saving account statements.
• Cancelled cheque with imprinted name and address.
• Utility, telephone, gas or cable TV bill in client’s name.
• Property tax bill or receipt, land title or mortgage documents.
• Income tax receipts.
• Insurance documents (life, auto, residential, etc.).
• Bankcard or credit card. (Bankcard must have name printed on the front)
  
• Citizenship card.
• Refugee travel document.
• Student authorization.

Some examples of unacceptable support documents are:

• Interim/temporary driver’s licence.
• Business cards.
• Cheque cashing cards.
• Library card.
• Video club membership cards.
• Financial responsibility card (insurance).

Acceptable Residency

A resident of Alberta is a person who:

• Is lawfully entitled to be or to remain in Canada.
  
  and 
• Makes his or her home in, and is ordinarily present in Alberta.

Neither temporary documents nor photocopies of documents will be accepted; all documents must be originals. 

Legal Presence Documents

The following primary documents (proof of legal presence) may be considered in determining if a client is lawfully entitled to be or to remain in Canada:

• Valid Canadian passport.
• Provincial/Territorial Government issued birth certificate.
• Canadian Indian Status Card (Federal government issued).
• Record of Landing.
• Permanent Resident Card.
• Canadian Citizenship Certificate.
• Student Authorization (Federal government issued).
• Employment Authorization (Federal government issued).
• Visitor Record (Federal government issued).
  • Issued to missionaries authorized to drive.
  • Out of country spouses of Canadian citizens and Alberta residents (proof of marriage required).

Alberta Residency Documents

Some examples of original support Alberta residency documents (this is not an all- inclusive list) are:

• Utility, telephone, gas or cable TV bill in client’s name.
• Current bank and/or credit card statements.
• Mortgage documents or residential lease containing a client’s physical address.
• Income tax return.
• Written confirmation of employment (including contact name and telephone number).
• Written confirmation from an educational institution in Alberta indicating dependents are attending school.
• Alberta Social benefits documents.
• Land Title documents.

NOT ACCEPTABLE

• Cell phone mail
• Health Care Card
• Blue Cross/ Hospital Cards

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Driver’s Licence

A person must apply for a driver’s licence within 90 days of the date the person moved to Alberta to take up residence, regardless of whether the person travels outside Alberta during the 90 day period. 

Non-Resident Student

A non-resident student is a person who:

• Is ordinarily a resident of another province, state or country and has moved to Alberta to attend an educational institution on a full-time basis.
  or
• Is working in Alberta as part of a co-op program of study or internship program.

A non-resident student is exempt from the requirements to obtain an Alberta driver’s licence when they:

• Hold a valid driver’s licence from their home jurisdiction.
  • A student may use their driver’s licence to operate the same type or class of motor vehicle as authorized by their home jurisdiction.

Members of the Armed Forces

Members of the armed forces are not required to obtain an Alberta driver’s licence when they have a valid driver’s licence issued by their home state or country and are driving their privately owned vehicles. This policy applies to:

• Members of Her Majesty’s forces.
  and
• Members of armed forces of a country other than Canada who are in Canada under the Status of Forces Agreement (NATO).

Vehicle Registrations

A person must register their vehicle within 90 days of the date the person moved to Alberta to take up residence, regardless of whether the person travels outside Alberta during the 90 day period.

Non-Residents – Employment in Alberta

Clients who are non-residents of Alberta and are currently employed in Alberta are not required to register non-commercial vehicles when:

• Their motor vehicle has valid registration and plates from their home jurisdiction.
• The client has a valid financial responsibility card (insurance) relating to the motor vehicle.

183 Day Non-Resident Exemption

Clients who are non-residents of Alberta must register their vehicle when the vehicle is located in Alberta for a cumulative period of 183 days or more in a calendar year.