4.55.08 Vehicle Ownership Correction (VOC)
Policy
A Vehicle Ownership Correction (VOC) or a Vehicle Registrant Change service is processed when additions, deletions or corrections are made to the registered owner(s) of a vehicle. For example to:
- Correct a clerical error.
- Add a name.
- Delete a name.
- Change the ownership of a joint registration when one of the joint members is deceased. Proof of death must be provided, see 4.00.01 Vehicle Ownership, Creation and Registration Documents.
- A client who was bequeathed the vehicle or who has purchased the vehicle and was not a member of the joint registration must purchase a new licence plate or transfer the newly acquired vehicle to an existing licence plate with valid registration in their name.
- Change a company name to a personal name(s) or vice versa. All owners (shareholders) of the company must be included. Example:
- Blue Sky Diving Inc. (owned by Mr. Peter Smith and Mrs. Mary Smith) may change the name on the registration from Blue Sky Diving Inc. to Peter Smith and Mary Smith; signatures of all company owners (shareholders) are required.
- Registry agents must complete a Review Legal Entity History CORES search to ensure ownership details match prior to processing the VOC service.
- When there are no shareholders listed, contact Registries Assurance.
- Blue Sky Diving Inc. (owned by Mr. Peter Smith and Mrs. Mary Smith) may change the name on the registration from Blue Sky Diving Inc. to Peter Smith and Mary Smith; signatures of all company owners (shareholders) are required.
- Adding/removing a joint member for a Specialty Plate; see 4.45.09 Specialty Licence Plates.
- Change ownership of personalized licence plates:
- Between immediate family members including parents, siblings, children, spouses, common-law spouses, grandparents, grandchildren, and in-laws.
- A VOC is not permitted for Veterans' plates unless the individual has a veterans attribute.
- Between company/individual, when the individual is the sole owner of the company.
- Purchased as a gift.
- The personalized licence plate which was gifted must not have been registered to a vehicle at any point in time prior to the VOC service.
- Between immediate family members including parents, siblings, children, spouses, common-law spouses, grandparents, grandchildren, and in-laws.
- Change from one division/department to another within the same company or government (municipal/provincial/federal).
- Correct a joint client file.
- Amalgamate multiple joint MVIDs as directed by Alberta Agriculture (farm attribute).
Note:
The signatures of all registered owner(s) are required for a Vehicle Ownership Correction.
Requirements
A client must:
- Provide acceptable identification; see 2.05.02 Acceptable Identification/Enrolment.
- Provide proof of insurance; see 4.00.02 Insurance Documents.
- Sign the application form.
- For information on joint client signatures, see 2.00.01 Client Types.
To complete a VOC, a Vehicle Registrant Change (REG3179) form (xdp) must be completed.
Additional Requirements
In addition to the registration requirements, the client may have to provide one or more additional documents depending on the registration class. See the appropriate class section for details.
Note:
When processing a VOC for a disabled plate (3-dsbl) from one MVID to another MVID with the “dsblperm” attribute, a registry agent must also add the “disabled” attribute to the client file to complete the VOC. Once the VOC is complete, the “disabled” attribute must be removed from the MVID.
Procedure
Approval
Approval from the Registries Assurance is required to:
- Correct a clerical error.
- Change from one division/department to another within the same company or government (municipal / provincial / federal).
- Correct a joint client file.
- Amalgamate multiple joint MVIDs as directed by Alberta Agriculture (farmer attribute).
Registries Assurance approval is not required for:
- Change of ownership of personalized licence plates between immediate family members, including parents, siblings, children, spouses, common-law spouses, grandparents, grandchildren, and in-laws.
- Change of ownership in joint registrations where one of the joint members has deceased.
- Company / individual, when the individual is the sole owner of the company.
Personalized Licence Plates
When a personalized licence plate does not have an active registration number, or has never been registered to a vehicle, a registry agent must:
- Process the VOC fees in Record Unapplied Money under the client’s MVID; see 1.10.11 Record Unapplied Money.
- Contact Registries Assurance to have the VOC service completed.
- Process the applicable vehicle registration service.
Registration Fees
For VOC fees see the Registry Agent Product Catalogue (pdf).
No Charge
The following regulation codes are used to process a no charge VOC service:
- Regulation 00-nil to override the government fee
and - Regulation no-comp to override the registry agent’s service fee.
A no charge VOC service is processed when:
- Correcting a clerical error.
- Vehicles owned by:
- Government (federal, provincial, and municipal).
- School boards.
- Health districts.
- A surviving member in a joint registration of a Veterans’ plate has not been approved by the Legion; see 4.45.08 Veterans’ Plates.
- A plate exchange is required before the VOC service; see 4.55.04 Plate Exchange.
The reason for the no charge VOC service must be indicated on the vehicle registration application.
For reimbursement information; see 1.10.17 Registry Agent Service Fee Reimbursement.
Imaging
The signed application form and all supporting documents must be sent for imaging. See the appropriate sub-section in 1.15 Imaging for details.
Date Originally Issued: Nov 14, 1989
Date Last Revised: Jun 10, 2021