3.25.03 Road Test Permits / Bookings

Policy

Road tests in Alberta are conducted by either Government Driver Examiners (employed by the Government of Alberta) or Private Driver Examiners (employed or contracted by registry offices and authorized as Registry Agent Personnel).

Government of Alberta Driver Examiners may conduct road tests for all classes of licences, but will primarily conduct road tests for classes 1, 2 and 3; see 3.25.04 Government Road Tests. Government road tests require the appropriate class and type (G for Government) of road test permit to be processed in MOVES.

Private Driver Examiners may conduct road tests for classes 5 and 6; see 3.25.05 Privatized Road Tests. Registry agents are responsible for scheduling and organizing private road tests that will be completed at their office. Private road tests require the appropriate class and type (P for Private) of road test permit to be processed in MOVES.

Requirements

Privatized Road Test Permits/Bookings

For Private road tests, a registry agent:

  • Must maintain their own road test schedule.
  • Must not choose or allow a client or driver training school to request a particular examiner for a client if multiple examiners are available for their location.
  • Is responsible for developing their own policies regarding rescheduling, cancellation and client no shows of appointments scheduled at their office and providing them to the client prior to the booking of the appointment.
  • Must only enter the road test permit into the DaRT system, not Road Test Scheduler.

A private road test permit:

  • Must be purchased in person at a registry agent at the time of the road test.
    • Road test appointments may be scheduled online, however the private permit must be purchased in person prior to the road test.
    • Exception: Authorized no charge road test permits must be purchased at the time of booking. See the “Authorized No Charge Road Test Permits” section below.
  • Must be issued in the name of the person taking the road test.
    • Any individual can purchase a road test on behalf of another individual, including driver training schools.
      • A Letter of Authorization is not required.
      • Road test eligibility cannot be verified when an individual is purchasing a road test permit on behalf of another individual with the exception of a parent/guardian purchasing for a minor.
  • Must be used at the registry office it was purchased.
    • A private road test permit may only be used at a different registry office if that office belongs to the same ownership group as the office it was originally purchased at.
  • Is not transferable.
  • Is required prior to dispatching a road test on the Dispatch a Road Test (DaRT) system.
    • May only be used by DaRT once.
    • Must not be cancelled in MOVES once used by DaRT.
  • Is valid for one year from the date of purchase.
  • Once validated as passed, the results are valid for one year from the date of the road test.

Government Road Test Permits/Bookings

A government road test permit:

  • Must be purchased in person at a registry agent or online through eServices.
    • A no-charge road test permit must be purchased in person.
    • A road test permit for residents of the Northwest Territories (NT) who are completing a Class 1 road test in Alberta must be purchased in person if the client does not already have an MVID on MOVES.
      • Create the client on MOVES using their NT address.
  • Must be issued in the name of the person taking the road test.
    • Any individual can purchase a road test on behalf of another individual, including driver training schools.
      • A Letter of Authorization is not required.
      • Road test eligibility cannot be verified when an individual is purchasing a road test permit on behalf of another individual with the exception of a parent/guardian purchasing for a minor.
  • May be used to book a road test at any registry agent or off-site location in the Road Test Scheduler system.
  • Is not transferable.
  • Is required prior to scheduling a road test on the Road Test Scheduler system.
  • Is valid for one year from the date of purchase.
  • Once validated as passed, the results are valid for one year from the date of the road test.

Note:
When issuance of the road test permit and the conducting of the road test do not occur on the same day, the registry agent must verify the client's eligibility prior to the check-in of the road test. If the client is not eligible on the road test date, the test must not proceed.; see 3.25.04 Government Road Tests, 3.25.05 Privatized Road Tests.

Notice of Driver Education Course Completion form (TRANS0047 or DPLS0047)

A registry agent may use the Notice of Driver Education Course Completion form (TRANS0047 or DPLS0047) or an existing ‘Q’ Air Brake Endorsement to allow a client to book and go on a road test using a vehicle equipped with airbrakes.

Clients who have a Class 1 driver's licence or a ‘Q’ Endorsement on their MOVES client file are not required to present further proof of air brakes to a registry agent.

Note:
Clients are advised to retain their original course completion form.

In-Person Booking

A registry agent must:

  • Validate a client’s eligibility prior to issuing a road test permit.
    • This includes validating driving time through the Date First Licenced Summary Display screen for clients who are in the GDL program.
    • When the screen displays a current Learner Eligible Exit Date, a Class 5 road test permit can be issued.
    • If a client is applying for a Farm-Restricted Class 1 licence, the client must provide a completed Application for Farm-Restricted Class 1 Licence (DPLS13510).
  • Inform the client of other eligibility requirements, as necessary, that must be met prior to the road test such as knowledge tests, airbrake endorsement course completion, medical and vision requirements; see 3.00.01 Driver Licence Classifications.
    • If a client does not meet all requirements at the time of the road test, the test must not proceed, and the client will be required to purchase a new test permit.
  • Process the appropriate class and type (G for Government, P for Private) of road test permit on MOVES.
    • The road test permit must be processed as a single service, with no other services included in the payment transaction envelope.

Note:
Clients and driver training schools cannot request a particular driver examiner. When there is only one examiner available for the time requested by the client, the booking may proceed. Clients who wish to request an examiner of a particular gender for religious reasons must be directed to contact the AARA or AMA booking teams to arrange a road test.

For Government conducted road tests, a registry agent must:

  • Enter all required client information into Road Test Scheduler.
    • If a client does not have an email address, the registry agent can use their email address and print the Road Test Confirmation for the client.
  • Enter the road test permit number.
    • A client can choose not to schedule a road test at the same time as purchasing the road test permit and can schedule through eServices on their own.
    • If a client has special requests in relation to language or the gender of the Driver Examiner, refer the client to Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC).
  • Provide the client with the test permit.
    • The client will be emailed a Road Test Confirmation that includes the road test permit number and other important road test information for the client.  

Note:
A registry agent cannot book a road test for a client by logging into eServices as an Albertan and entering credit card information and cannot accept credit card information for over the phone bookings.

Rescheduling a Government Road Test Appointment

A government conducted road test can be rescheduled at any registry agent location or online. Road tests can be rescheduled up to 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time without penalty. A client cannot reschedule a road test within 24 hours. If the client does not attend their scheduled road test they will be required to purchase a new road test permit.

A client must:

  • Provide the test permit number.
    • If the client is in person at a registry agent and does not have the permit number, the registry agent can validate the test permit number on MOVES through the Test Permit Display in the Display Menu.  
  • Select a new date, time and/or location for the road test.

Cancelling a Government Road Test Appointment

A government conducted road test can be cancelled at any registry agent location or online. Road tests can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time without penalty. If a client cancels a road test within 24 hours they will be required to purchase a new road test permit.

The road test appointment:

  • Must be cancelled on Road Test Scheduler.
    • The MOVES test permit file will be updated to reflect that the test permit has been cancelled and cannot be reused to book another road test.
    • The road test permit does not have to be returned.
  • Will be refunded to the client if cancelled with more than 24 hours’ notice. All road test cancellation refunds will be reviewed by DES.
    • If the road test permit was purchased online, the refund will be issued to the credit card that was used for payment.
    • If the road test permit was purchased at a registry agent, a refund cheque will be generated and mailed to the address on the client file.

Lost Road Test Permits

A physical road test permit is not required to complete a road test or to process operator reclassification services. If a client has lost their road test permit and/or their confirmation email from Road Test Scheduler, a registry agent can provide the test permit number from the MOVES Test Permit Display to the client. The road test permit number can be confirmed in person at a registry agent or over the telephone. 

Authorized No Charge Road Test Permits

All no charge road test permits must be purchased in person at a registry agent at the time of the booking. Road test permits may be issued at no charge with approval from the following departments:

  • Driver Monitoring and Compliance (DMC), Driver Fitness - Authorized no charge road test permits are issued when any of the following occur:
    • An approval alert is placed on the clients MVID.
    • A Notice to Report letter from DMC, Driver Fitness.
      • If the client does not have their letter from Driver Fitness and there is no alert on file, a registry agent may send an email to Driver Fitness to confirm if the client is authorized to complete a no charge road test.  
    • Condition Code E (Periodic Driver Examination) authorized by DMC, Driver Fitness.
  • Examinations and Licensing – Authorized no charge road test permits are issued when an approval alert is placed on the clients MVID.

Note:
If a client fails a medical no-charge road test, the client must reclass their driver’s licence to a Class 7 learner’s licence.

Registry Agents must use the Test Permit Display in MOVES to ensure the authorized no-charge test permit was not already issued to the client.

When a client does not pass the no charge road test or does not show up to a scheduled no charge road test and requires a subsequent road test, the client is responsible for all associated fees.

If a client is scheduled for a no charge road test and does not show up to their appointment, TEC will reimburse the registry agent. To be reimbursed for a no-show no charge road test, a registry agent must:

  • Send an email to TEC.RevenueAdmin@gov.ab.ca with the following information:
    • Subject line to read “No Show No-Charge, MVID (insert client MVID), P# (insert Registry Agent P#), Date of Road Test (insert scheduled date of road test).
    • Body of email: Road test permit number. 
  • Dispatch the road test to the driver examiner using the DaRT  system.
    • Once the road test has been dispatched, the process is then completed by the driver examiner.
       

Northwest Territories Class 1 and Class 6 Road Testing 

The Government of Alberta has entered into an agreement with the Northwest Territories (NT) to allow residents from each jurisdiction to complete Class 1 or Class 6 road tests in either jurisdiction. This means an Alberta resident may complete a Class 1 or 6 road test in NT, and NT residents may complete either road test in Alberta.

Fees

A registry agent:

  • Cannot charge a service fee for booking, rescheduling or cancelling a government road test.
    • This applies to booking, rescheduling or cancelling a road test for another registry agent location.
  • Will receive a monthly payment of the $28 service charge for government conducted tests for eligibility confirmation and check-in that occurred at their registry agent location, including for authorized no-charge road tests; see 1.10.17 Registry Agent Service Charge Reimbursement & 3.25.04 Government Road Tests.

For test permit fees; see the Registry Agent Product Catalogue (pdf).


Date Originally Issued: Nov 14, 1989
Date Last Revised: Aug 01, 2025