Overview
Driver’s licences are valid for one to 5 years, depending on a number of factors, including your class of licence, medical status and age. It is illegal to drive with an expired driver’s licence.
There are 3 options to renew your driver’s licence.
Renew online
Class 3, 5, 6 and 7 driver’s licences are eligible for online renewal. The online site can only be used if your driver’s licence is not expired and you are renewing your driver’s licence without changes. If you require any changes to your driver’s licence, for example a name or address change, you must apply for the renewal in person at a registry agent office.
Online driver’s licence renewals require a verified account. If you do not already have an account, allow 10 business days after signing up for your activation code to arrive in the mail. Finalize your verification using the activation code before completing your online driver’s licence renewal.
If you have outstanding fines, you will not be able to renew your driver’s licence online. If you choose to pay your fines online first, you must wait 2 to 3 business days for the payment to process before you can renew online.
If your licence has already expired, visit a registry agent to renew in person.
To renew online, you will need:
- verified account
- valid driver’s licence
- credit card (VISA, MasterCard or American Express)
- current web browser (Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Firefox, Chrome or Safari).
Start your online driver’s licence renewal
Renew in person
Bring your driver’s licence to a registry agent to renew.
Drivers with a medical condition (licences with a condition medical code “C”), 75 years of age or older or who hold a professional driver’s licence Class 1, 2 and 4 must bring a completed medical form. A medical examination required to obtain or renew a driver’s licence is not insured under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan. As an uninsured service, physicians are permitted to charge patients for drivers’ medical exams. Physicians are private business persons and are able to determine their own rates or fees related to uninsured services.
If the photograph on your licence is 4 or more years old, a new one will have to be taken.
If you do not require a medical for renewal, you can renew your licence up to one year before the expiry date. Some things to consider when choosing the time to renew your licence:
- you’re planning a vacation
- other life events will make it difficult for you to renew your card when it expires
- you’re moving
- you will save on paying the extra change of address fee and will extend the term of your licence
If your driver’s licence expired more than 6 months ago, you’ll need to provide proof of legal entitlement to be in Canada (birth certificate, passport, etc.), as well as proof of your residency in Alberta (utility bill, residential lease agreement, etc.).
If it expired more than 3 years ago, you will need to pass the written and road tests before a new driver’s licence will be issued.
Renew or replace a driver’s licence remotely
If you require a new driver’s licence and you are unable to attend a registry agent in person because you are either temporarily outside of Alberta or are medically homebound, you can apply for a new licence by completing the Remote Driver's Licence/ID Card Application (REG11197).
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 can send your application and the applicable fees to any Alberta registry agent.
At the time of your next driver’s licence service, you will be required to provide proof of Alberta residency and Canadian legal presence.
Cost for renewing a licence
The maximum charge for renewing a driver's licence card is outlined in the Registry Agent Product Catalogue.
Replace a driver's licence
Get a replacement licence at a registry agent for a fee if your licence has been lost, stolen, or destroyed.
If your licence was stolen, it is recommend that you contact the police and obtain a police report. You will receive a police case report number that will be recorded with Alberta registries.
You will need to provide valid identification to replace your driver’s licence.
Interim driver’s licence
The registry agent will provide you with a 30-day temporary interim licence to use until your new driver’s licence arrives in the mail (up to 21 days). If you renew your card online, you can download your temporary interim licence. You can keep the downloaded licence on your mobile device, or print it.
You can keep your previous Alberta driver’s licence as government-issued photo identification until your new one arrives in the mail, but you must securely destroy your previous driver’s licence card and tear apart the temporary driver’s licence when the new card arrives. It is an offence to have more than one driver’s licence.
Your new licence card will arrive in the mail within 3 weeks of your application date.
If your card has not arrived in 21 days, call the number on the back of your temporary licence. You may be asked to go back to the registry agent office to order a no-charge replacement, and you’ll be issued a new 30-day temporary driver’s licence.
If you don’t report a missing card within 60 days of the day you applied, you may be charged for a replacement.