3.10.15 Non-Reciprocal Out of Jurisdiction Drivers

Policy

Clients originating from a jurisdiction that has not signed a Reciprocal Licensing Agreement with Alberta who are lawfully entitled to be or to remain in Canada and have now established residency in Alberta cannot exchange their out of jurisdiction driver’s licence for an Alberta driver’s licence without full testing.

Clients are only eligible to apply for an Alberta Class 5 or 7 licence and must complete and pass the following:

  • Knowledge test.
  • Vision screening.
  • Class 5 Road Test.

To issue an Alberta driver's licence, the service is processed as an Operator First service; see 3.15.01 Operator First.

Exceptions – Proof of Continuous Licensing

When a client is exchanging a non-reciprocal licence and they previously held a Canadian or other reciprocal licence, they may be exempt from taking a knowledge and/or road test. The client must prove they have been licenced continuously without any interruptions. The client must:

  • Surrender their valid non-reciprocal driver’s licence.
    • If the licence is not valid, the client has not been licensed continuously and the client is not eligible for this exception.
  • Provide proof they previously held a driver's licence from Canada or any other jurisdiction that has a reciprocal licensing agreement with Alberta prior to being issued the non-reciprocal driver’s licence.
    • Acceptable proof is an official document (such as a confirmation letter or a driver's abstract), not dated more than 90 days, from the jurisdiction’s licensing authority detailing the content of the driver’s licence, or the physical licences if the client is still in possession of them. If the client is in possession of previously issued driver’s licences from jurisdiction’s outside of Alberta, they must be surrendered.
    • The issue date of the non-reciprocal licence must be prior to the expiry of the reciprocal licence (they must overlap to prove continuous licensing).
      • Full testing is required if the reciprocal licence expired before the non-reciprocal licence was issued.
      • If the non-reciprocal driver’s licence is from Italy, and the expiry of that driver’s licence is between January 31, 2020 and August 30, 2020, the licence is considered valid until August 31, 2020. The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation extended these expiry dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Provide a written English Translation of any documentation provided that is not in English.
Note:
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 professional designation that the individual is affiliated with.

    A registry agent must:

  • Complete an across Canada CCMTA IRE search (explosive – AC) to confirm the Canadian driver’s licence.
  • Submit all supporting documentation, including copies of licences and/or proof of licensing, for imaging.

Licensing Requirements

A client must:

Note:
A registry agent must courier the non-reciprocal out of jurisdiction driver's licences/IDP to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on a daily basis.  Failure to comply will impact the client.

Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) Program

Clients originating from a jurisdiction that has not signed a Reciprocal Licensing Agreement with Alberta are subject to the GDL Program; see 3.20.02 Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) Program. They will be issued a Class 7 licence upon completing and passing the following:

  • Knowledge test.
  • Vision screening.

They must hold the Class 7 Alberta learner’s licence for one year before obtaining an Alberta Class 5 GDL driver’s licence unless they apply for and receive an exemption from the GDL Program; see below.

GDL Exemption Program

Clients originating from a jurisdiction that has not signed a Reciprocal Licensing Agreement with Alberta who are lawfully entitled to be or to remain in Canada and have now established residency in Alberta can apply for exemption from the GDL Program.

Clients choosing to make applications through the GDL Exemption Program must submit a completed Application for GDL Exemption Form (pdf) and submit the required documentation outlined in the GDL Exemption User Guide (pdf). Registry Agents and/or clients may use the Application for GDL Exemption Checklist (pdf) to ensure all required documentation is submitted with the application.

All licensing documents submitted for GDL Exemption must be in English or accompanied by a written English translation. An IDP is not an acceptable translation document.

Note:
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 professional designation that the individual is affiliated with.

Clients may complete the Class 7 knowledge test prior to submitting their application for GDL exemption.
Clients who successfully pass the knowledge test and vision screening must surrender all driver’s licences, IDP's or any supporting documentation regarding driving history issued by a jurisdiction outside of Alberta before being issued any class of Alberta driver's licence in accordance with Section 13(1) of the Operator Licensing & Vehicle Control Regulation.

Driver Licences/Documents that Can be Authenticated by SIU

All clients who provide confirmation of previous driving experience where SIU can authenticate the documents must pass the following:

  • Class 7 knowledge test.
  • Vision screening.
  • Class 5 road test.

Upon completion of the Class 5 road test, clients who have more than 24 months driving experience will receive a Class 5 driver’s licence. Clients with less than 24 months driving experience will receive a Class 5 GDL driver’s licence. 

Driver's Licences/Documents that Cannot be Authenticated

Some clients driving history cannot be verified because their home jurisdiction will not/cannot authenticate their driving documents. These drivers may receive credit for previous driving experience when document validation is not possible.

If SIU is unable to authenticate a client’s driver’s licence or documentation the client will be advised by SIU (by letter or MOVES Alert) of further requirements and/or their eligibility for a driver’s licence. For further details, refer to the GDL Exemption User Guide (pdf).

Note:
Registry agents may print the 'GDL Exemption Denied Alert' screen and give to the client. This alert will detail SIU requirements that the client must comply with.

Registry agents must ensure that all required documentation is attached to the Application for GDL Exemption. Incomplete documentation will extend the SIU review process.

Imaging

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


Date Originally Issued: May 08, 2006
Date Last Revised: Jun 26, 2023