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How to Check Vehicle Registration Status in Alberta 

How to know if your license plate is expired

As an upstanding citizen of Alberta, you always want to stay on the right side of the law. Something that might seem trivial, like driving with an expired vehicle registration might get you in trouble with penalties, like paying fines and even licence suspension.  

Unfortunately, your vehicle registration certificate has an expiry date and failing to renew it beforehand, might be a costly mistake to amend. There are ways to prevent that from happening. One way is to check your vehicle registration status and find out if your vehicle registration is active before it’s too late. In this post, we will go through the process from A to Z.  

How to Check the Status of Your Vehicle Registration 

You have six options if you’d like to check the status of your vehicle registration. 

Before we start with the five options, let’s go over the requirements for vehicle registration renewal.

What you need for online vehicle registration renewal in Alberta and driver’s licence plate: 

  • Valid insurance  
  • Current vehicle registration certificate 
  • Updated web browser 
  • Credit or debit card 

Once you visit the Goldkey Registry website and provide all the information needed, you will get a digital download of your vehicle registration certificate. If you have outstanding fines, you need to pay them first before renewal. You can do that through the Goldkey renewal form.

Here is how to check if your vehicle registration is expired or active.

1-Find Your Vehicle Registration Certificate

You can check the status through the vehicle registration certificate. In most cases, you will find it in the glove compartment of your car. If it’s missing, look around inside the vehicle.

What a Vehicle Registration Certificate Typically Includes:

  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
  • License plate number
  • Owner’s name and address
  • Vehicle details (make, model, year)
  • Registration expiry date

2-Find the Expiry Date of Your Vehicle Registration

Check the expiry chart here. The expiry date is based on the first letter of your last name or company’s name. For example, if your last name is Norton, your expiry date is in May. So, you need to renew your vehicle registration before midnight on the 31st of May.

3-Check Online Through Your Alberta.ca Account

  • You can check the status of your vehicle registration or renew it through the online website provided by the Alberta government. You need a verified Alberta.ca Account
  • Once you provide all the information needed, you will get a digital download of your vehicle registration certificate.
  • Note that you can’t use this online system to renew your vehicle registration if you have outstanding fines or need to change the name or address of registered owner.
  • Also note that not all motor vehicles require registration. Types of cars that require registration include a passenger vehicle, off highway vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and farm vehicles.

Note: This is slower than other options, as you may have to wait for weeks to receive a response.

4-Contact Your Registry

Need to find out if your vehicle registration is expiring soon? Give us a call at 403-934-2375 or send us an email. We would be happy to assist you.

5-Request a Vehicle Information Report (VIR)

A vehicle information statement is a report that provides a non-protected report about any registered vehicle in Alberta only. Here’s what you can find out when you request a vehicle information report.  

  • A description of the vehicle that includes its year, make, model, style, colour and fuel type. 
  • The status of the vehicle, whether it’s active, rebuilt, salvaged…etc. 
  • Odometer reading if you’ve provided one.  
  • Date and location of registration. 
  • Number of liens registered against the car if there are any.  

How to Request a Vehicle Information Report 

  1. You need your vehicle identification number  
  2. The fee for acquiring a vehicle information report is $21.10 inclusive of service charges. 
  3. Request it through the Alberta eServices Portal or the Goldkey Registry.  
  4. Or visit a registry agent office in person.  

Read More:

6-Visit a Registry Agent Office in Person

If it’s convenient for you, visit a registry office to get things done. You can either visit the Alberta official registry agent or your preferred registry agent office. Visiting a registry office allows you to find all the information you need, pay outstanding fines and make address changes.

These are the documents you need when you visit a registry agent office:

  • driver’s license
  • proof of insurance (pink card)
  • vehicle registration certificate (optional)

Related: What Do You Need to Register a Vehicle in Alberta?

Why You Need to Check the Status of Your Vehicle Registration 

Knowing how to check the status of your vehicle registration certificate is handy in these situations: 

  • If you’re not sure about the renewal date of your vehicle registration and licence plate. 
  • You signed up for a registry that provides an auto-renewal option, and you want to ensure that they renewed your registration in time.  
  • You’ve just moved the vehicle ownership of your car and want to make sure the information was added correctly. 
  • A change of address was made, and you want to make sure it was processed correctly. 
  • You’re not sure if you have outstanding fines that might prevent renewal.  
  • You lost your registration documents and want to ensure that your registration is still valid before requesting new documents.  
  • You’re concerned that the vehicle registration is suspended for any reason. 
  • You want to buy a used car and make sure that its registration is valid.  

How to Find the Expiry Date of Your Vehicle Registration 

In some cases, you don’t need to purchase a vehicle information report to know the status of your vehicle registration certificate. If you’re certain you have no outstanding fines or liens, you just need to know the expiry date to renew beforehand.  

As we previously mentioned, you can find your expiry date in the expiry chart. It is based on the first letter of your name or your business name. Each letter corresponds to a month. If your month is May, you need to renew before the 31st of May at midnight.

What Happens If You Don’t Renew Your Vehicle Registration on Time 

Driving without a valid vehicle registration is illegal. If you’re caught driving with an unregistered vehicle, you may face these consequences. 

  1. The fine for driving without a valid registration in Alberta is typically around $230 but may vary. 
  2. Law enforcement may impound and tow your unregistered car. You will have to register the car and pay any associated fees- in addition to towing fees- to retrieve your car. 
  3. Driving a car with expired registration may void your insurance in some car insurance policies.  
  4. If your unregistered car is involved in an accident, the insurance company may deny your claim. 

Read More: The Benefits of Online Vehicle Registration Renewal in Alberta

To Wrap Up 

Driving without a valid vehicle registration is bad news. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to prevent that. One of these ways include checking the status of your vehicle registration regularly and ensuring it’s renewed on time. With the Alberta e-services website and registries like the Goldkey Registries, you can easily check the status of your vehicle registration and renew it before it’s too late. Drive safe and have peace of mine you’re abiding by the laws now! 

Renew Your Registration Online Now

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