Vehicle registration and Licensing

First-Time Registration of your Car

If you buy a car that was previously registered in Alberta (not a brand-new car) it must be registered under your name.
The cost will be prorated to correspond with your expiry date.

You will be asked for 3 documents:

  • Bill of Sale (we can supply with a Bill of Sale form free of charge) or lease documents
  • Your proof of insurance (pink slip)
  • Identification

Generally your Driver’s License will be sufficient identification to prove that you are the person on the Bill of Sale.

If we find that the vehicle was previously “written-off” (known as “salvage”) by an insurance company and has that status on the system you’ll need to have it inspected by an authorized mechanic before registration can be completed.

A person under 18 years old must have parental consent to register a vehicle in their name.

If a vehicle is being registered jointly all parties should be named on the Bill of Sale and all parties should be present. If this is not possible the absent parties must sign an authorization letter that gives their consent to be included on the registration.


If you wish to have another person register the vehicle for you, the person named on the Bill of Sale must sign an authorization letter. This gives the person permission to register the vehicle on your behalf. Authorization letters can be faxed to (403) 288-0391.

Request an Online Vehicle Information Report

 for Alberta used vehicle information.

New Vehicle Registration

If you are registering a brand-new vehicle that has never been registered before you will be asked for the 3 documents described above plus the New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS). The auto dealership will provide you with the NVIS when you buy a new car. In this case a fax is not acceptable. You must bring in the original document and it will be retained by us.

Registration Renewal

If your car was previously registered in Alberta you will need to renew prior to the expiry date. When you come in to renew your registration you will be asked for current registration and/or Identification and proof of insurance. If your car is currently insured your “pink slip” will do. If you do not have your pink slip with you your insurance agent can fax over a copy to (403) 288-0391

In-Transit Permit

This permit allows you 3 days to drive a vehicle from one location to another. If you are moving the vehicle within Alberta you must present your pink slip. If you are taking the vehicle in to or out of Alberta you must also provide a Bill of Sale.

Registration of Out-of-Province

All vehicles that were last registered outside of Alberta must be inspected by an authorized mechanic before being registered within our province.

Visit our Registry with your Bill of Sale and we’ll do a search on the vehicle to find out its previous status.

Depending on that status you will be required to either have an Out of Province (safety) Inspection or a Salvage Vehicle Inspection done.
We will provide you with a Request for Inspection form (Click here for Pricing). We also have a list of some of the authorized mechanics available. For a complete list of inspection stations, visit Alberta Transportation at:

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/2821.html

After the inspection is completed you must return the form to us within 14 days and the vehicle will be registered with the record from the previous province closed out.

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