Policy

ATTENTION:
Please refer to COVID-19 Emergency Interim Policies which provides details for temporary exceptions to this policy.

When applying for motor vehicle services, a client must provide sufficient documentation that can be used to establish these key data elements:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Photograph
• Legal presence in Canada
• Residency in Alberta

A resident of Alberta is a person who is lawfully entitled to be in and remain in Canada and makes their home in, and is ordinarily present in Alberta.

Note: 
It is a criminal offence for a client to falsify information on a driver’s licence or ID card. It is a criminal offence for registry agent personnel to knowingly assist a client with improperly or fraudulently obtaining a driver’s licence or ID card. A registry agent should be prepared to satisfy law enforcement, or the courts, that they completed due diligence in verifying the identity of the client.

Canadian Driver’s Licence Agreement (CDLA) and the Acceptable Verifiable Resource List (AVRL)

The CDLA is a formal agreement between Canadian jurisdictions that promotes the one-driver-one-record principle. One of the objectives of the CDLA is related to security; to securely accept individuals into the driver’s licensing system by determining that “they are who they say they are” and to ensure that each individual “remains the same person” throughout all subsequent dealings with any and all motor vehicle administrations across Canada – in effect a single identity.

The AVRL is a tool that has been developed to determine which source documents are verifiable and secure, and what data elements they can be accepted to prove.

Acceptable Verifiable Resource List (AVRL)
RESOURCE DOCUMENT(S)	DATA ELEMENTS
	A Full Legal Name	B Date Of Birth	C Photo	D Legal Presence in Canada	E Residency in Alberta [1] – see footnote below
Government Issued Driver Licence/Identification card			•
Alberta Driver’s licence or ID Card (may be expired up to six months)	•	•	•
Images of client on MOVES			•
Enhanced Canadian Driver Licences/Enhanced ID Cards	•	•	•	•
Canadian Issued Travel Documents (i.e. Passport*) Regular passport (dark blue) is issued to Canadian citizens Diplomatic passport (burgundy) is issued to Canadian citizens Special passport (green) is issued to Canadian citizens Temporary passport (white) is issued to Canadian citizens  Emergency Travel Document (light green single sheet) is issued to Canadian citizens. Note that these types of documents are retained by CBSA at the border and should therefore not be in the possession of applicants in Canada.  Certificate of Identity (grey) is issued to Non-Canadians lawfully admitted to Canada as permanent residents who meet certain conditions. Travel Document for refugees (blue) is issued to Non-Canadians who have been determined to have Convention refugee or “protected person” status in Canada.	•	•	•	•
Aviation Document issued by Transport Canada			•	•
Certificate of Election of Surname	•
Certificate of Resumption of Surname	•
Certificate of Change of Name (Legal name change)	•
Canadian Provincial/Territorial Government-issued Birth Certificate	•	•		•
DND Driver Permit (DND404)/Military ID cards NDI20 and NDI21	•	•	•
Ontario/Quebec Health Card/BC Services Card/Ontario Photo Card		•	•
Marriage Certificate	•
Court Order (Legal Name, DOB, Court Seal)	•	•
Common Law (Adult Interdependent Relationships Act) A Statutory Declaration stating they have been in a relationship of interdependence for a continuous period of not less than three years; or If there is a child of the relationship by birth or adoption, a copy of the child’s birth certification showing parentage; or If the person has entered into an adult interdependent partner agreement with the other person under the Act, a copy of the agreement.	•
Métis Nations of Alberta Card			•
Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS)	•	•	•	•
Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document (TCRD)	•	•		•
Record of Landing (IRCC) (IMM 1000)				•
Permanent Resident Card (IRCC)	•	•	•	•
Canadian Citizenship Certificate with Photo (IRCC) (issued prior to Feb 1, 2012)	•	•	•	•
Certificate of Canadian Citizenship without Photo (IRCC) (issued after Jan 31, 2012) with validation from Registries Assurance [2 – see footnote below]	•	•		•
E-certificate of Canadian Citizenship (IRCC) with validation from Registries Assurance [2 – see footnote below]	•	•		•
Study Permit (IRCC) (IMM 1442)	•	•		•
Work Permit (IRCC) (IMM 1442)	•	•		•
Visitor Record (IRCC) (IMM 1442)	•	•		•
Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5688) with validation from Registries Assurance [2 – see footnote below]	•	•		•
Letter from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicating client is approved for permanent residency or a work, study or visitor permit (includes expiry date). [3 - see footnote below]	•	•		•
Proof of extension application for expired or soon-to-expire (within 90 days) work, study or visitor permits. [3 - see footnote below] Confirmation from IRCC (status report from Government of Canada website) Postal receipt for the sent application to IRCC Proof of payment for applicable permit extension paid to IRCC A letter from an immigration lawyer or consultant verifying that an extension application has been submitted to IRCC				•
Temporary Resident Permit (IRCC) (IMM 1442)	•	•	•	•
Refugee Protection Claimant Document (IRCC) (IMM 1442)	•	•	•	•
Valid Foreign Passport with Appropriate Immigration Documents (Super Visa and Temporary Resident Visa) [4 - see footnote below]	•	•	•	•
Valid Foreign Passport without Appropriate Immigration Documents [4 - see footnote below]	•	•	•
US Passport Card	•	•	•
Nexus Card and FAST/EXPRES Card indicating Citizenship in CAN		•	•	•
Nexus Card and FAST/EXPRES Card indicating Citizenship in a country other than CAN		•	•
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade/Affaires mondiales Canada (DFAIT) Canada Identity Cards/Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Canadian Identity Cards	•	•	•	•
Consent for a Minor (REG3138) form and/or ID presented by an adult who is able to provide consent to a minor as outlined in 2.00.02 Minor – Consent /Self Sufficiency					•
Utility, Gas, Phone or Cable Bill					•
Bank or Credit Card Statement					•
Residential Lease Agreement, Mortgage Document or Land Title					•
Income Tax Assessment Summary					•
Alberta Social Benefit Statements or Cheques					•
Pay stub					•
Written Confirmation of Alberta Employment (must be signed and dated within the last 15 days)					•
Written Confirmation from an Alberta Educational Institution (must indicate the applicant is a full-time student)					•
Written Confirmation from the Alberta Hutterite Colony stating they are a resident of the colony.					•

[1] This is not an all-inclusive list of documents that may be accepted for proof of Alberta Residency. This table provides examples of documents that have been determined to be acceptable, however other documents may also be accepted.

[2] Certificate/E-certificate of Canadian Citizenship:

As this document does not contain security features, a registry agent must contact Registries Assurance to confirm the document can be accepted. Registries Assurance will confirm the validity of the document with IRCC. A registry agent must:

• Create the MVID on MOVES if the client does not already have an MVID.
• Email a copy of the document/e-certificate to Registries Assurance, and;
• Call Registries Assurance to confirm the validity of the document if an immediate response is required;
  OR
• Wait for an email response from Registries Assurance on whether the document can be accepted or not.

The document must not be accepted as identification for any data element until the document is confirmed to be valid by Registries Assurance.

Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5688):

When a client presents a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) document (IMM 5688), a registry agent must check the client’s MVID for an alert from Registries Assurance stating the document has been validated. If the CoPR has been validate, a driver’s licence or ID card may be issued for a full term.  If there is no alert from Registries Assurance, a registry agent must:

• Issue a driver’s licence/ID card for a one-year term.
• Send a copy of the CoPR to Registries Assurance for validation.

Once Registries Assurance has validated the CoPR, an alert will be placed on the client’s MVID advising the client can have a full term at their next renewal.

[3] A letter from IRCC indicating client is approved for permanent residency or a work, study or visitor permit (includes expiry date) may only be accepted for a driver licence / ID card renewal. This document must not be used when creating a client or issuing a driver’s licence/ID card for the first time.

[4] Effective March 1, 2022, Ukraine embassies and consulates extended the expiry of some Ukrainian passports for up to five years. If a client presents an expired Ukraine passport, it may be accepted for five years after the original expiry date.

• All documents must be valid (i.e. original and not expired) unless stated otherwise.
• Alberta Residency documents must include the client’s name, an Alberta address and be dated within 90 days. These documents may be presented as original mailed statements or electronic statements.
• If a client’s surname differs from the surname on their source document, a second document such as a Marriage Certificate, Certificate of Change of Name, or other document that satisfies data elements of name, date of birth and photo is required.
  • If a client was previously known with this different surname in MOVES, additional documentation may not be required; see 2.05.01 Individual Client Creation & Demographic Changes.
• If a client is using an assumed name (assumed given name or assumed through marriage/adult interdependent partnership), they must be created with their full legal name and the legal name must be tracked on MOVES; see 2.05.01 Individual Client Creation & Demographic Changes.
• If the documentation is not in English, the client must present a translation of the contents of the document. For a list of approved document translators; see QR 3.10 - Approved Translators (pdf). When accepting a translated document, the registry agent must ensure that the document is an original and contains the following:
  • The name, contact information and signature of the individual that completed the translation;
    and
  • The name of the organization or the professional designation that the individual is affiliated with.

Note:
Original identity documents must not be retained by a registry agent

Driver’s Licence / ID Card Services

To apply for a driver’s licence or ID card, a client must provide source documentation that is sufficient to establish these key data elements:

• For an operator first or operator out of province first service – photo, legal name, date of birth, legal presence and Alberta residency. See 3.15.01 Operator First and 3.15.02 Out of Province Operator First.
  • It is best practice to ask the client if they have previously held an Alberta driver’s licence/ID card in a different name prior to processing the service.
• For all other driver’s licence/ID card services – photo, legal name and date of birth.
  • For these service types, a valid Alberta interim driver’s licence/identification card receipt can be accepted for the data elements of name and date of birth.
  • Note: Some operator services may require additional proof of legal presence and Alberta/or residency (i.e. client is here on a work, study or visitor permit, Code F removal, etc.).

Note: 
If a client is unable to provide identification that meets the applicable requirements noted above, additional options may be available; see the “Alternate Identification Options - Clients Unable to Meet Identification Requirements” section below.

A registry agent must:

• Complete the Identity Verification Section on the Application for a Driver’s Licence / ID Card form.
  • The “AVRL Compliant” check box is only applicable to Operator First, Out of Province Operator First, and Operator Renewal services where a client is required to provide proof of legal presence (such as a client with an alert indicating legal presence is required or referencing a temporary resident permit, a client with a condition code G on their driver’s licence/ID card, etc). If the client has presented identification that meets all AVRL data elements, check the “AVRL Compliant” check box on the Driver’s Licence / Identification Card Application (when applicable). The “AVRL Compliant” check box must not be checked off if an alternate identification option was used when processing one of these service types.
• Record the type of document(s) presented by a client and the associated reference number (e.g., birth certificate number, passport number, etc.) on the application form.
  • When a client presents an Alberta driver’s licence or ID card for ID, only the type of document must be recorded on the driver’s licence/ ID card application form. The number does not need to be recorded. 
  • For immigration documents, only the client identification reference number (the number in large red font) is required.
  • For documents used to prove Alberta Residency, only the type of document needs to be recorded. Reference numbers do not need to be recorded.

For further information on operator services, see the applicable policy in section 3.15 Operator Service Transaction.

For further information on expiry terms for driver’s licences/ID cards, see 3.05.03 Expiry Terms.

Note:
The client is not considered AVRL Compliant if they are using an assumed given name on their driver’s licence/ID card. Do not check the “AVRL Compliant” check box on the driver’s licence/ID card application (if applicable) if the client is using an assumed given name.

For additional information on clients exchanging a driver’s licence from:

• Canadian provinces or territories; see the appropriate sub-section in 3.10 Reciprocal Licensing. 
• The United States; see 3.10.13 United States Driver’s Licence.
• A reciprocal agreement country; see 3.10.14 Reciprocal Agreement Countries.
• A non-reciprocal agreement country; see 3.10.15 Non-Reciprocal Out of Country Drivers.

Clients in Alberta for Professional Driver Training and Employment

A client from outside Alberta may be recruited for potential employment in Alberta that requires additional driver training.  These clients may be unable to meet the standard Alberta residency requirements but require an Alberta driver’s licence for driver training and testing purposes.

These clients must:

• Complete a statutory declaration which states they are in Alberta for professional driver training purposes;
  and
• Provide a letter from a Licensed Driver Training School confirming they are enrolled in professional driver training.

Client Creation and Vehicle / Miscellaneous Services

Being “AVRL Compliant” is specific to DL/ID card services only. There is no requirement for a client to be AVRL compliant for other services. For client creation and vehicle / miscellaneous services, a client must provide identification that contains:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Photograph

Note:
No identification is required for clean vehicle renewals.

While the AVRL is a tool primarily meant as a reference for DL/ID card services, it may also be used as a reference for examples of ID that may be acceptable for client creation and vehicle / miscellaneous services. 

In addition to the documents listed in the AVRL, a registry agent may accept:

• A valid driver licence/ID card issued by a government outside of Alberta to satisfy the requirements of name, date of birth and photo.
• A valid Alberta interim driver’s licence/identification card receipt to satisfy the requirements of name and date of birth.
  • If no photo is available and the client already exists on MOVES, a registry agent may view the client’s image on MOVES and verify the client information pertaining to their MOVES file (knowledge verification).

Note: 
If a client is unable to provide identification that meets the applicable requirements noted above, additional options may be available; see the “Alternate Identification Options - Clients Unable to Meet Identification Requirements” section below.

A registry agent must record the type of document presented for identification and the associated reference number on the motor vehicle application if there is an application associated to the type of service being completed.

Services Completed on Behalf of Another Client

A registry agent must record, on the application, the identification provided by a client who is authorized to complete a service on behalf of another client.

Alternate Identification Options - Clients Unable to Meet Identification Requirements

In exceptional circumstances, when a client is facing undue hardships, and/or is unable to provide identification that satisfies the required data elements for the applicable service type, a registry agent may use one or multiple of the following options to satisfy the missing AVRL data element(s) of name, date of birth, photo and Alberta residency:

• Validate a client’s photo on MOVES.
• Complete knowledge verification.
  • Knowledge verification consists of using open ended questions to verify any information about an individual whose identity can reasonably be determined from the information contained on MOVES. For example:
    • Verify/validate the client’s name, date of birth and signature on MOVES.
    • What type of vehicle do they drive?
    • What is their last address on file, telephone number, etc.
• Accept personal identification from a parent or legal guardian on behalf of a minor.
• Accept a “Single Journey Travel Document” or “Single Journey Travel Document for Resettlement to Canada” issued by IRCC for proof of name and photo.
• Accept an “Emergency Travel Document for a Single Journey Only” issued by IRCC for proof of name, date of birth, and photo.
• Accept two documents that are satisfactory for proof of name and date of birth, when there is no proof of photo.
  • If a client is also unable to provide two documents that are satisfactory for proof of name and date of birth, a registry agent supervisor or manager may sign the driver’s licence/ID card application in lieu of proof of photo if they are satisfied with the identification documents presented and believe the client is who they say they are. The registry agent/supervisor/manager may accept alternative documents/options to verify a client’s identity.
• Accept a statutory declaration completed by the client, which states the client is a resident of Alberta, to satisfy the requirement of proof of Alberta Residency for driver’s licence/ID card services.
• A letter of incarceration issued by a correctional / remand centre in Alberta may be accepted for proof of photo, name, date of birth and Alberta residency when the person is applying for a Condition Code F DL or ID card; see 3.20.05 Code F – Re-Enrolment Required Program.

The above options do not apply to proof of legal presence.

A registry agent must:

• Capture a new image of the client at the SIMS station.
• Not check of the “AVRL Compliant” box on the driver’s licence/identification card application (if applicable).

Houseless Clients

When a houseless client is applying for an Alberta ID card and cannot provide acceptable identification, a registry agent may accept an original 'Identity Certification Form' from an individual, who is employed by an approved agency by Alberta Community and Social Services, on behalf of the houseless client.

Do not accept this form if any fields are not populated.

Note: 
Completion of the 'Identity Certification Form' confirms the agency has exercised due diligence in verifying the client's residency and identity and eliminates the need of any further documentation by the registry agent.

The authorized individual of the approved agency must:

• Accompany the houseless client to the registry agent office.
• Provide an originally completed 'Identity Certification Form' printed on agency letterhead.
• Provide proof of their employment with the agency. This can be in the form of agency identification, agency business card, a letter confirming employment on agency letterhead, etc.
• Provide their Alberta Identification Card or Alberta Driver’s Licence as identification.

A registry agent must:

• Ensure the authorized individual's Alberta Identification Card or Driver's Licence number matches the number provided on the Identity Certification Form.
• Record the number of the authorized individual's ID on the houseless client's ID card application form.
• Send the original 'Identity Certification Form' for imaging as a support document.

If the houseless client previously held an Alberta ID card or Alberta driver's licence and cannot provide acceptable identification a registry agent must:

• Check the most recent image on file to ensure the client's identity.
• Verify the client's signature on file.
• Complete knowledge verification by validating demographic/operator/vehicle information on MOVES (e.g. previous address, phone number, vehicle registration).

Alberta Address

When the houseless client is applying for an Alberta ID card or an Alberta driver's licence and does not have a physical Alberta address, a registry agent may accept an 'Address Authorization Form' from an agency approved by Community and Social Services, allowing them to use the address of the agency. 

Do not accept this form if any fields are not populated.

A registry agent must:

• Ensure the 'Address Authorization Form' is printed on agency letterhead. 
• Enter the agency's address in the first address line of the client file.
  • If the client has a post office box number this address must be entered in the postal address field.
• Send the original 'Address Authorization Form' for imaging as a support document.

Houseless clients may require both forms (Identity Certification and Address Authorization) when the client cannot provide acceptable identification and a physical Alberta address.

Fraudulent Identification

Regardless of the type of service the client is requesting, when a registry agent does not believe the client is who they claim to be, or believes that fraudulent identification has been presented, a registry agent must:

• Email a copy of all documents presented by the client to SIU at SIUDIV@gov.ab.ca. 
• Place an alert on the clients file which states it is suspected that the client presented fraudulent identification.
  • If the client is not already created on MOVES, a file must not be created for the purposes of placing an alert on MOVES.

For additional information concerning the handling of fraudulent MOVES applications, see “Fraudulent Document Recognition Part V – What Should I Do?”. If a registry agent is still uncertain on how to proceed, they may contact SIU by phone during business hours.

Note:
If a registry agent is certain that a client is an impostor or committing fraud, they may call the police and report “fraud in progress.” 

No attempt should be made to hold the client if they wish to leave. The following steps should only be taken when there is no perceived danger to staff or clients:

Driver’s Licence / ID Card Services

When possible:

• Complete the driver’s licence/ID card transaction without the client knowing they suspect fraudulent activity.
• Obtain a photo of the client.

Vehicle / Miscellaneous Services

A registry agent must not process a vehicle or miscellaneous service if fraud is suspected.

Imaging

All supporting documents must be sent for imaging; see the appropriate sub-section in 1.15 Imaging.

Date Originally Issued: Nov 14, 1989
Date Last Revised: Aug 15, 2025