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Part of Licensing and owning a vehicle

Update driving documents

You have to update your driver’s licence or vehicle registration within 14 days of a change to your personal information.

Overview

If you change your name or address, you will need to update your driver's licence and vehicle registration through a registry agent and provide supporting documentation. You must apply at a registry agent in person with identification to have your name and/or address changed on your driver’s licence and/or vehicle registration within 14 days of the change taking place.

The registry agent will give you a temporary licence and you will be able to retain your current licence card to use as identification until your new licence arrives in the mail. Canada Post cannot forward your licence to another address. It is your responsibility to ensure your retained licence card and the temporary licence are destroyed once your new licence arrives.

A change of name or address has an associated fee but if you request an early renewal of your driver’s licence or vehicle registration, you will only pay the renewal fees and there will be no additional cost for the address and/or name change. For more information, see the Registry agent product catalogue.

Change of address

When you change your address, you must provide both your physical and mailing address within Alberta.

Physical address

A physical address can be:

  • a street address
  • a legal land description
  • a rural 911 address (with a reference street or avenue, address unit and access road)

Mailing address

A mailing address can be:

  • a physical address including postal code
  • a PO Box address including postal code

If Canada Post has changed your address or postal code, they will issue you a notice of the change. If you have one of these notices, there will be no charge to change your address on your driving documents.

Change of name

When changing your name, you will need to provide supporting documents to the registry agent to prove that your name change is legal.

If you have already legally changed your name, provide a Legal Change of Name Certificate.

Married name

To change to a married name, you will need one of the following:

  • a marriage certificate issued by government
  • an acceptable identification document that contains your name, date of birth, and photo

Common law relationship

To change to a common law relationship name you will need to provide one of the following:

  • a signed Adult Interdependent Partner Agreement
  • a statutory declaration stating that you have lived with the other person for at least 3 years
  • a statutory declaration stating that you are in a stable relationship with your partner and there is a child from the relationship (by birth or adoption)
    • you will need to provide documentation of the child

For more information, see the Adult Interdependent Relationships Act.

Changing back to a previous name

If you are changing your name back to a previous name, you may need to provide one of the following:

  • a marriage certificate or divorce certificate
  • a birth certificate
  • an acceptable identification document that contains your name, date of birth, and photo

If you previously had an Alberta driver’s licence, identification card, or vehicle registration in the name you are changing back to, additional documentation is not required. Visit an Alberta registry agent to determine if you are required to provide additional documentation.

Amend sex information

Apply to change the sex marker on your driver’s licence or identification card to "F", "M", or "X."

An individual is eligible to self-declare to amend the sex on their driver's licence or ID card if they are:

  • at least 18 years of age
  • presenting an amended birth certificate or record of birth at any age
  • less than 18 years of age, but are married or an adult interdependent partner
  • less than 18 years of age, and are providing both parents’ or their guardians’ consent
  • less than 18 years of age, and there is a court order dispensing with the parents/guardian's consent

To apply for a change to the sex marker on your licence or ID card, visit an Alberta registry agent and request the change.

The registry agent will print off the application form with your updated information and ask you to verify the requested changes.