Service Alberta Vehicle Licence Plate & Registration

Name of the Organization : Service Alberta
Type of Facility : Vehicle Licence Plate & Registration
Province : Alberta
Country : Canada
Website : http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/572.cfm

Vehicle Licence Plate and Registration

Important Information Regarding Vehicle Registration Policies, Procedures and Forms :
This information is intended to clarify the requirements for vehicle registration, including signatures, forms, allowed electronic copies and required originals.

Related : Service Alberta Vehicle Registration Renewals & Online Fine Payment : www.statusin.org/4226.html

Vehicle registration is normally for a maximum term of 1 year and a minimum term of three months.

Although these requirements are not new, enhancements have been made to procedures and forms to address issues at the ‘front lines’ based on input from registry agents. Following is a summary

Original Signatures

** Original signatures are required on ALL Applications for Vehicle Registration (REG0405) by the owner(s) identified in the ownership document or Authorized Representative as identified in the Authorization for Vehicle Registration form.
** This has always been required by law as per the Traffic Safety Act. Registry agents, as agents of the crown, cannot sign these forms on behalf of their clients. They cannot be agents of the crown and agents for the client. It is a conflict of interest and can have legal ramifications.

Corporate clients (dealership, fleet management department/company,finance department-leasing company) :
** We will now ‘officially’ accept electronic and faxed documents from AMVIC licenced dealers.

** Agents were previously accepting faxed and electronic documents from dealerships without authorization and were in contravention of existing policy, originals were always a requirement. However, we have changed policy to allow this practice for AMVIC licenced dealers, fleet management departments and fleet management companies.

** Any employee authorized by the dealership named in the Authorization for Vehicle Registration can sign the Authorization for Vehicle Registration form when picking up registration certificates at the registry agent office. Alternatively, we will also now allow an agent to deliver unsigned Authorization for Vehicle Registration forms to the dealer for signature, and then take the signed top portion of the form back with them to the office.

The Authorization for Vehicle Registration form (see “Requesting Vehicle Services on Behalf of Someone Else” below :
** This approved form must be used by all dealership clients to designate an authorized representative when the dealership is requesting registration on behalf of the client.

** All information collected by the government must comply with the Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy Act. All forms used by Government are approved by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner prior to use and contain the legally required FOIP statement.

** Accepting non-standardized forms from different organizations or ones the agent has created themselves can result in ineligible information being collected or required information not being collected. Therefore, we have standardized our forms to ensure we are responsibly collecting only the minimum information required for the programs to be delivered and protecting the personal information of Albertans.

** We have found that some dealership staff have been completing and signing these forms themselves instead of having the registered owners sign the form. This is not an acceptable legal practice and can have serious consequences.

Note :
The Authorization for Vehicle Registration form is posted on the Service Alberta website with details on its uses. The Confirmation of Power of Attorney form can be obtained from a registry agent if required.

Overview of the Forms
** UPDATED Authorization for Vehicle Registration (REG0169) : The purpose of this form is to notify the registrar who the owners are appointing as the authorized representative to act on their behalf and/or to identify registrants not shown on the proof of ownership documents.

** The power to act on behalf of the owner(s) is granted directly to the authorized representative and cannot be further granted to someone else. For example, if the owner(s) have authorized a dealership to request registration on their behalf, the dealership may not legally give authorization to someone else to act on behalf of both them and the owner(s). Only the authorized representative may legally request and sign the vehicle registration on behalf of the owner(s).

**This document ONLY sets out who may request the service on behalf of the owners and what motor vehicle service is being requested.

** NEW Confirmation of Power of Attorney for Fleet Management Vehicle Registration Authorization (REG0005) : The purpose of this form is to notify the Registrar who the owners are appointing, by way of a Power of Attorney, as the authorized representative to act on their behalf.

** This is an alternate, more specialized version of the standard Authorization for Vehicle Registration form that is used when there is an existing power of attorney already granted. This form would not usually be used by a dealership. It was developed for fleet management companies operating under a power of attorney.

Vehicle Registration and the Law :
** The Traffic Safety Act governs motor vehicles programs. The Traffic Safety Act has 21 supplemental regulations that cover all aspects of the requirements that must be met. The requirements for a Vehicle Registration Application are contained within the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation.

** This regulation sets out the legal requirements that MUST be met before the Registrar (through his/her authorized registry agents) may accept an Application for Vehicle Registration. The original signature of the owner(s) or an authorized representative of the owner(s) is a requirement of the registration process.

** Alberta Authorized Registry Agents cannot also act as an agent for the client or dealership and sign any of the required registration forms on the client or dealer’s behalf. This is a serious conflict of interest. The Integrity of the vehicle registration program relies upon compliance with legislation and established policies/procedures including the proper use of official forms by the public and stakeholders.

Requesting Vehicle Services on Behalf of Someone Else :
** There are a number of vehicle services that can be requested by an authorized representative on behalf of the vehicle owner(s). In order to request services on behalf of someone else, the authorized representative must provide the original, fully completed and signed Authorization for Vehicle Registration form signed by the vehicle owner(s) to the Alberta Registry Agent at the time services are requested.

** Alternatively, if the authorized representative cannot provide the original signed form, the owner(s) may fax the signed authorization form directly to the registry agent. A fax or photocopy of the authorization form will not be accepted from the authorized representative.

The eligible services include;
** Transfer licence plate
** Issue new licence plate
** Renew registration
** Cancel registration/plate
** Issue duplicate registration
** Apply/exchange/cancel/renew disabled parking placard
** Replace licence plate expiry tab
** Exchange licence plate
** Modify registration/plate ownership

Authorization for Vehicle Registration Form

Part 1 – Owner/Lessee Information :
must contain the name and drivers licence numbers of all current owner(s) and the full name of the person they are authorizing to request the service on their behalf (the authorized representative).

Part 2 – Vehicle Information :
must contain the current licence plate number, make, model, year and full 17 digit vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle.

Part 3 – Service Type Request :
is where the owner(s) identify the type of service that they are authorizing the authorized representative to request on their behalf.

Part 4 – Registration Particulars :
** is only completed for special registration requests when the registrant(s) are not going to be shown exactly as the owners on the bill of sale. Some examples may include;
** parents may own a vehicle but want to allow the vehicle to be registered and used by their teenager
** a vehicle is owned by 2 or more people, but they want the vehicle registered in only 1 of the names
** a vehicle is owned by a wife and she wants to add her husband as a registrant

Select the first checkbox if :
the vehicle registrants are to be the same as the owners shown on the bill of sale. The first check box “Register vehicle(s) in my/our name(s) only as shown on proof of ownership” is selected and the remainder of part 4 is left blank.

Select the second checkbox if :
adding a registrant to the registration that is not shown on the bill of sale. The second check box “Register the vehicle(s) in Joint names (provide details below)” is selected and the full name, drivers licence number, signature and date of signing for the person being added is completed.

Select the third checkbox if :
the vehicle registration is to be in the name of a person(s) that are not shown on the bill of sale. The third checkbox “Register the vehicle in the name(s) shown below” is selected and the full name, drivers licence number, signature and date of signing for the person(s) to be shown as the registrant(s) is completed.
Or
the vehicle registration is to be in the name of only some of the owners that are shown on the bill of sale. The third checkbox “Register the vehicle in the name(s) shown below” is selected and the full name and drivers licence number for the person(s) to be shown as the registrant(s) is completed. This person(s) must sign and date the document in the signatures area already, so signing and dating in this area for this type of scenario is not required.

Part 5 – Owner/Lessee Signatures :
must be signed and dated by ALL of the owners of the vehicle as identified in Part 1 of the form. This form is not a proof of ownership form, it only identifies what services may be requested on an owners behalf and who is authorized to request it. If there are more owners signatures required that cannot be accomodated on the front of the form, they may use the back of the form as additional space.

Residency Requirements

** On July 17, 2006, residency requirements changed for vehicle registrations in Alberta.

** If you are a new resident of Alberta, you must register your vehicle(s) and obtain an Alberta driver’s licence within 90 days of moving to the province, even if you travel outside Alberta during those 90 days.

** 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 and plates from your home jurisdiction up to a maximum of 183 days in a calendar year (January through December). However, you must obtain an Alberta registration if your vehicle has been in Alberta over the 183 day limit. You must also have valid insurance on the vehicle.

** If you are visiting Alberta, you may use your valid registration and plates (with valid insurance) from your home jurisdiction, provided you do not take up residency in Alberta. However, if you do take up Alberta residency, you must obtain Alberta registration and plates within 90 days.

** 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.

** The above rules apply to private (non-commercial) vehicles only.

Insurance Requirements for Vehicle Registration :
To register a vehicle in Alberta, you MUST present a valid financial responsibility card (pink card) issued from your insurance company. The insurance company must be licenced to sell insurance in Alberta and all registered owners to be endorsed on the certificate of registration must also appear on the insurance certificate.

Vehicle Registration Terms :
The exception is passenger vehicles. These can be registered for a 1 or 2 year term and the same minimum 3 month term.