Licensing Information

ALBERTA’S GRADUATED LICENSING SYSTEM

Please visit Service Alberta to get all the details.

RENEWING AN OPERATOR’S LICENSE

You will receive an email or text renewal reminder for operator’s licenses four to six weeks before the expiry of the license. If you haven’t signed up for reminders, please click here.

Renewals must be done in person. Only residents of Alberta are eligible to renew. Anyone 75 years or older is required to submit a medical report and have their vision checked. Medical reports are also required for holders of Class 1, 2, and 4 licenses and for all licenses with a condition code “C” endorsement.

REPLACING A LOST OR STOLEN LICENSE

If your license has been lost, stolen or destroyed, you may obtain a replacement license by visiting our office. You will be required to present two pieces of identification, preferably a Birth Certificate, Passport, Social Insurance Card, Credit Card, a recent T4 slip, your Current Tax Return or Tax Assessment. A signature and birthdate must be included in the pieces of ID you bring. For stolen licenses, you will need to bring in a police report along with above ID’s.

RENEW OR REPLACE A LICENSE WHILE OUTSIDE OF ALBERTA

If you require a new driver’s licence while temporarily outside of Alberta, you can apply for a new licence by completing the Renewal / Replacement Licence for Alberta Residents Temporarily Outside of Alberta form (REG11197) (PDF, 237 KB).

You must have last held an Alberta driver’s licence and will need to provide proof of identification and Alberta residency with your application.

You must attend a registry agent office within 14 days of returning to Alberta and you will be required to provide proof of Alberta residency and Canadian legal presence.

EXCHANGING A NON-ALBERTA OPERATOR LICENSE

A valid license from another Canadian jurisdiction can be exchanged for an equivalent class (Classes 1 through 7). Testing is not normally required, but a vision test and a medical are necessary when exchanging for a Class 1, 2 or 4 license.

A valid license from an American jurisdiction can be exchanged for a Class 5, 6, or 7 license only. Residency requirements must be met before an Alberta license will be issued.

Anyone coming from outside Canada and the United States is required to meet residency requirements and to undergo complete testing. Applicants exchanging a license from Austria, Belgium, France Germany, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, or United Kingdom will not be required to undergo testing because of our reciprocal licensing agreements with these countries.

IDENTIFICATION CARD

A photo identification card is available to an individual who is not the holder of a valid Alberta Operator’s License. The card is clearly marked for identification purposes and does not entitle the person to operate a motor vehicle under any circumstances. To obtain an ID card the person must bring in two pieces of identification, one preferably a Birth Certificate. The minimum age is 12, and applicants under the age of 18 must provide parental consent.

DRIVERS ABSTRACT

A Driver’s Abstract shows your driving history for the previous 3, 5, or 10 years. You must apply in person or fill out a Driver’s Abstract Consent form for the person who will pick it up for you.

There are two types of Driver’s Abstracts – the information can be found here.

Types of driver abstracts

There are 2 types of abstracts that can be requested for 3, 5 or 10 year periods:

Standard Driver Abstract

A Standard Driver Abstract provides information from an individual’s driving record, including:

driver information (name, address, licence number and issue date, etc.)
driver’s appearance (height, weight, sex, etc.)
current status of the driver’s licence
conviction information
demerit points
suspensions.

The driver abstract doesn’t show the individual’s driving experience or the date first licensed.

Commercial Driver Abstract

A Commercial Driver Abstract allows for employers to assess safety risks associated with a driver prior to hiring them. It provides most of the same information as the Standard Driver Abstract plus information about Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspections.

However, the Commercial Driver Abstract does not include information about the driver’s appearance.

LICENSE CLASSES

Class 1 License

Permits an operator to drive:

any motor vehicle, or combination of vehicles, other than a motorcycle
class 6 type vehicles, for learning only

The minimum learning or licensing age is 18. Requirements: vision screening, written and road test, medical report and airbrake certificate. Vehicle for road test: tractor-trailer combination with three or more axles and air brakes. For more information, please click here.

Class 2 License

Permits an operator to drive:

any motor vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that the holder of a Class 3, 4 and 5 operator’s license may operate;
any bus
classes 1 and 6 type vehicles, for learner only

The minimum learning or licensing age is 18. Requirements: vision screening, written and road test, and medical report, airbrake certificate for vehicle with airbrakes. Vehicle for road test: a bus with a seating capacity exceeding 24 including the operator. For more information, please click here.

Class 3 License

Permits an operator to drive:

any motor vehicle, or combination of vehicles that the holder of a Class 5 operator’s license may operat
a single motor vehicle with three or more axles
a motor vehicle with three or more axles towing a trailer with one or more axles, if the trailer is not equipped with airbrakes
classes 2 and 4 type vehicles without passengers
all motor vehicles included under Class 1, 2 and 6, for learning onlyNo holder of a Class 3 operator’s license shall operate a motor vehicle:
that has a seating capacity of more than 15, while that vehicle is transporting any person including the operator
to transport passengers for hire

The minimum learning or licensing age is 18. Requirements: vision screening, written and road test, airbrake certificate if the vehicle is equipped with airbrakes. Vehicle for road test: any single motor vehicle having three or more axles.

Class 4 License

Permits an operator to drive:

a taxi, ambulance or bus (including school or kindergarten buses) where seating capacity is not over 24, excluding the operator
all motor vehicles included under Class 5
all motor vehicles included under Classes 1, 2, 3 and 6, for learning only

The minimum learning or licensing age is 18. Requirements: vision screening, written test, medical report, required if operator does not hold a class 1, 2 or 3 license.

Class 5 License

Permits an operator to drive:

a two axle single motor vehicle, excluding a motorcycle
a two axle motor vehicle towing a trailer with one or more axles, if the trailer is not equipped with airbrakes
a recreational vehicle or any combination of a recreational vehicle and a trailer, if the trailer has not more than two axles and is not equipped with airbrakes
a moped
Classes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 type vehicles, for learning onlyNo holder of a Class 5 operator’s license shall operate a motor vehicle:
that has a seating capacity of more than 15, while that vehicle is transporting any person including the operator
to transport for hire

The minimum learning age is 14. The minimum licensing age is 16.

Requirements: road test. Vehicle for road test: any two axle motor vehicle excluding a motorcycle.

Class 6 License

Permits an operator to drive:

a motorcycle or a moped
all motor vehicles under Class 5, for learning only

The minumum learning age is 16. Requirements: written and road test.
Vehicle for road test: motorcyle without sidecar.

The minimum learning age is 14. The minimum licensing age is 16.
Requirements: road test. Vehicle for road test: motorcycle.

Class 7 License

Permits an operator to drive:

a moped
a motor vehicle referred to in the Class 5 category, as a learner only
a motorcycle, as a learner only, if the operator is at least 16 years of age The minimum learning or licensing age is 14. Requirements: written test and vision screening.

For Further Information On This Program, Click Here.

PRICE LIST – GST included

Renewal of an Operator’s License

$93.00
Replacement License

$28.00
Exchanging a non-Alberta Operator’s License

$100.00
ID Card

$49.00
Driver’s Abstract (3, 5 or 10 year)

$30.00