New Urban Registry

Out of Province and Out of Country

Exchanging Driver’s Licence from Another Province in Canada

If you are arriving from another province in Canada and have a driver’s licence from that province, you have 90 days to exchange it for an Alberta driver’s licence. You will need to provide the documents mentioned in Applying for Alberta Driver’s Licence or Identification Card (hyperlink) AND:

  • Your out of province licence
  • If you have lost your out of province licence you will need to provide an Abstract, Confirmation Letter, or Driver History Report that shows the status of your licence, issue date, expiry date and licence details from the issuing province.
  • If you are suspended in another province, you will first have to clear your suspension in that province prior to being issued a licence in Alberta.
  • If your licence has been expired for longer than 3 years, you will need to redo the knowledge and road test, though you may be exempt from the usual waiting periods.
  • Your Out of Province licence will not be returned to you. Out of Province licences are held securely for one week for validation and then securely destroyed.

Exchanging a Commercial Licence from Another Province in Canada

Class 1 Licence

If you are exchanging a Class 1 driver’s licence from another province, you will be subject to Alberta’s commercial driver training policies.
You will need to provide the documents mentioned in Applying for Alberta Driver’s Licence or Identification Card AND:

  • Out of Province Licence
  • If you have lost your out of province licence you will need to provide a Confirmation Letter or Driver History Report that shows the status of your licence, issue date, expiry date and licence details from the issuing province.
  • If you are suspended in another province, you will first have to clear your suspension in that province prior to being issued a licence in Alberta
  • Your out of province licence will not be returned to you. Out of province licences are held securely in office for validation for one week and then securely destroyed
  • Medical please visit Driver Licence Medicalsfor more information. Medical is not required for knowledge testing.

Any holder of an out of province class 1 driver’s licence that has been expired for 3 years or more must pass a Class 1 ELT program knowledge and road exam. If you fail one of the two tests on your first attempt, you will be required to take the MELT course prior to trying the test again

Listed below are the licences that would not require a Class 1 ELT courses prior to being switched to an Alberta Class 1:

  • British Columbia – Class 1 – with ELT Designation
  • Manitoba – Class 1 – with ELT Designation
  • Ontario – Class A
    • If a ELT Program has been completed in Ontario and you would like the designation added to your licence (recommended) you would need to bring 3-year driver’s abstract indicating ELT from Ontario prior to switching over your licence.
  • Quebec – Class 1
    • must bring a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) in truck transportation

OR

  • Transcript that shows the completion of all the following courses:
    • Métier et formation
    • Possibilitéssystèmes camion
    • Réglementation
    • État du camion
    • Techniques de base de conduit
    • Planification d’un voyage
    • Chargement et déchargement
    • Conduite mil. rural/autoroutes
    • Voyage avec livraison
    • Intégration milieu de travail
  • Saskatchewan – Class 1 – with MELT Designation

All other Canadian Jurisdictions:

  • If you have held a class 1 licence for more than 24 months
    • ELT road and knowledge test are not required can reclass to class 1
  • If you have held a class 1 licence for 12-24 months
    • Can challenge the ELT knowledge and road test
    • If the client fails the knowledge or road on their first attempt, they will be required to complete the Class 1 Learning Pathway before trying again
  • If you have a class 1 licence for less than 12 months
    • You must complete the Class 1 Learning Pathway.

Clients with a class CE licence from Ukraine applying for a commercial licence in Alberta:

  • If you have greater than 5 years of experience with a class CE in the last 10 years:
    • You are not required to take the Class 1 Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) program course
    • You must pass the MELT knowledge and road exam
  • If you have 2-5 years of class CE driving experience within the last 10 years:
    • You must take MELT (Experience and Equivalency Program)
    • You must pass a MELT knowledge and road exam
  • If you have less than 2 years of class CE driving experience in the last 10 years:
    • You must take the MELT course
    • You must pass a MELT knowledge and road exam

Other Commercial Licence

If you are from another province in Canada and have a current driver’s licence from that province, you have 90 days to exchange it for an Alberta driver’s licence.

You will need:

  • Out of Province Driver’s Licence
  • If you have lost your out of province licence you will need to provide a Confirmation Letter or Driver History Report that shows the status of your licence, issue date, expiry date and licence details from the issuing province. If your licence has been expired for 3 years or longer you will need to do full re-testing
  • If you are suspended in another province, you will first have to clear your suspension in that province prior to being issued a licence in Alberta
  • Your out of province licence will not be returned to you. Out of province licences are held securely in office for validation for one week and then securely destroyed
    • For information about proof of entitlement in Canada, please visit What is Proof of Entitlement (hyperlink).
    • For information about proof of residency in Alberta, please visit What is Proof of Residency (hyperlink).

You will need to bring a Driver’s Medical.Pease visit Driver Licence Medicals for more information (Hyperlink).

Exchanging a Licence from the United States

You may exchange a U.S. licence for an Alberta licence without needing to retest. Please note a U.S. driver’s licence can only be exchanged for Alberta Class 5, 6, and 7 licences. If your licence is a commercial class, it will be downgraded to a class 5 licence. You will be required to fully re-test before you can obtain a commercial class licence.

  • If your U.S.licence is expired, you must submit a record of your driving history or an official written confirmation letter from the U.S. licensing authority detailing the content of the driver’s licence
  • If your licence has been expired for longer than 3 years, you will need to redo the knowledge and road test, though you may be exempt from the usual waiting periods.
  • If your U.S. licence does not state that you have been driving for at least two years, you may receive a Class 5 GDL licence in Alberta. If you have been driving for more than 2 years and wish to be exempt from the GDL program, you may be required to provide a record of your driving history to prove your driving time.

Exchanging a Licence from a Reciprocal Country

The process to exchange your out-of-country driver’s licence in Alberta depends on the country your licence is from and whether a reciprocal agreement exists between Alberta and that country.

Reciprocal Agreement Countries – Driver’s Licence

The following countries have a reciprocal agreement with the province of Alberta:

  • Austria
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Germany
  • Isle of Man
  • Japan
  • Netherlands
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Republic of Korea
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
  • United Kingdom (England, Scotland and Wales)

If you hold a valid licence from one of these countries, you may exchange your licence directly for an Alberta Class 5 licence without needing to retest.

  • If your licence is not in English, you will be required to provide an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an English translation. French translations are not accepted in Alberta. A list of approved private translation companies can be found here [INSERT LINK].
  • If your licence is expired, you will not be able to directly exchange your licence. You will need to apply through the GDL Exemption program and will be required to retest.
  • If your reciprocal licence does not state that you have been driving for at least two years, you may receive a Class 5 GDL licence in Alberta. If you have been driving for more than 2 years and wish to be exempt from the GDL program, you may be required to provide a record of your driving history to prove your driving time.
  • You cannot exchange a commercial licence from outside of Canada for an Alberta commercial licence (with the exception of the Ukraine). If you hold a commercial licence from another country, you will be reclassed to a Class 5 licence and will be required to retest for commercial purposes.

Reciprocal Agreement Countries – Motorcycle Licence

The following countries have a reciprocal agreement with the province of Alberta to directly exchange for a Class 6 Motorcycle licence:

  • Australia
  • Isle of Man
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Switzerland

If you hold a valid motorcycle licence from one of these countries, you may exchange your licence directly for an Alberta Class 6 licence without needing to retest.

  • If your licence is not in English, you will be required to provide an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an English translation. French translations are not accepted in Alberta. A list of approved private translation companies can be found here [INSERT LINK].
  • If your licence is expired, you will not be able to directly exchange your licence. You will need to apply through the GDL Exemption program and will be required to retest. See Exchanging a Licence from a Non-Reciprocal Country for more details.
  • If your reciprocal licence does not state that you have been driving for at least two years, you may receive a Class 5 GDL licence in Alberta. If you have been driving for more than 2 years and wish to be exempt from the GDL program, you may be required to provide a record of your driving history to prove your driving time.

Exchanging a Licence from a Non-Reciprocal Country

If the issuing country of your licence is not listed in Reciprocal Agreement Countries from a Driver’s Licence[LINK] andis not from the United States or Ukraine, it is considered a non-reciprocal licence.

When your country of origin lacks a reciprocal licensing agreement with Canada, you will be required to retest. You will be eligible to apply for GDL exemption to waive the normal waiting times between licences.

In addition to the legal entitlement and residency documents, you will need to provide:

  • Any and all driver’s licences you are in possession of, both valid and expired
  • If the licence is not in English, you will be required to provide a translation. A list of approved translators is available here [INSERT LINK]
  • If your licence does not state that you have been driving for at least two years, you may be required to provide additional documentation to prove your driving history. If you do not provide proof, you may receive a GDL (probationary) licence.
  • If your most recent licence has been expired for more than a year, a statutory declaration stating why the licence was not able to be renewed is required. We can provide this statutory declaration for $30.

Your first step will be to take the knowledge test. Please arrive at New Urban Registry with all your documents at least one hour before closing (we stop testing at this time to ensure that all clients have enough time to complete the test). Study material for the knowledge test can be found here. [LINK:https://open.alberta.ca/publications/drivers-guide]

Once you pass the knowledge test, we will issue you a Class 7 learner’s licence. We will then submit your non-reciprocal driver’s licence for approval from the government. The approval process can take as many as three weeks. During this time, you will not be able to drive alone and will need to follow all rules required of a Class 7 driver.

Please note that your out-of-country licence will not be returned to you and will be shredded once your application is approved.

Once approval is granted, please note that you will not be contacted. It will be your responsibility to contact us to inquire about your status. You may call us or come into the office to see us in person. Once you have confirmed your approval, you may then book your road test.

If your application is denied, we will provide you with an explanation as to why and how best to proceed.

When the road test is completed, you may exchange your Alberta Class 7 learner’s licence for a Class 5 driver’s licence. If you have been credited at least two years of driving experience, you will be eligible to apply for a commercial licence.

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