09/03/2026
Notice to our Alberta Registries Clients:
After 2 full months post July 2, 2026, when the GOA amended Alberta Drivers Licenses and ID cards to now include your AB Healthcare number & a citizenship marker; we thought it was time to make an informational update post. Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we have navigated staffing changes at the same time as brand-new procedures, rules, programs & regulations regarding driver’s licenses/ID Cards and Alberta Health Care. It has come with plenty of new training, learning & new systems our agents have never worked on before July 2, 2026. To say it has been a challenge is putting it lightly.
We would like to clear the air about the combined Driver’s License/ID Card and Alberta Health Cards as there is some misinformation circulating!
1. You are NOT required to make any changes to your healthcare or driver’s license/ID Card until your driver’s license is up for RENEWAL. You can find your DL/ID expiry date on the front of your card. Or, when your next operator service is required, like a DL replacement if your license has been lost or having your license re-classified to a new class of DL.
2. To get the combined AB Health & Driver’s License/ID card we NEED either your digital Alberta Health care card or the ORIGINAL PHYSICAL card, as well as ORIGINAL PHYSICAL and VALID proof of legal presence documents such as Passport, Birth Certificate, Permanent Residency Card etc. Photos or copies of these documents are not sufficient.
3. If you bring in your Birth Certificate as proof of legal presence, and your last name does not match your driver’s license (maiden name vs married name etc.) we will need a marriage certificate or other legal document for name tracking.
4. You CAN come in to get the new combined card early, the cost for this service is $28.65.
5. Driver’s License and ID Card services will not be processed after 4:30pm. This is due to the fact Alberta Health Services support line is not available after 4:30, we are unable to call support for assistance with services if required (which is needed in MANY cases). The service itself also now takes much longer than renewing a DL used to, every Albertans renewal case is different, but some renewals have increased to a 30–40-minute service for something that used to take 5-10 minutes. Exceptions will not be made for individuals who come in after 4:30 for these reasons. We understand this may upset some people, but we must remain firm on this new rule.
Our staff are entitled to lunch breaks and will take them when scheduled to ensure they get the time they need to be at their best, and to ensure all staff are able to have a lunch break. Registry staff don’t take coffee breaks, so they are certainly entitled to their 1 hr lunch breaks.
Most of all, Registry Agents are human, errors can happen, they are trying their best, this has been big change for Registry Agents and registry owners, I can assure you all, everyone is doing their best to serve you and handle the change in stride while still dealing with regular day to day operations. Please be kind. Service can and WILL be denied if you do not conduct yourself in a reasonable manner!
Lastly, we would like to remind our clients of our operating hours which have always been 8:30am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday and we are closed weekends and Statutory Holidays.
Thank you so much for your continued support and understanding!
