Driver Licence Translation for an Alberta Registry Exchange
Exchanging a foreign licence at an Alberta registry agent and the card is not in English or French? Send both sides. In Alberta a licence translation goes through the higher certification, $99 plus GST for the card, with the class, restriction codes and dates laid out the way the counter expects to see them.
What it costs
A licence card counts as one document, front and back together, and in Alberta it is priced at the certified-translator rate. Driving records and letters that come with it are priced as ordinary documents.
Certified licence translation
- Prepared for an Alberta registry exchange, with the certification the counter expects
- Licence class, restriction codes, issue and expiry dates rendered in English
- Signed certification with a copy of the original attached
- Certified PDF and stamped hard copy by Canada Post included
Regular certified translation
- For the documents that travel with the licence: driving records, abstracts, letters of experience
- Also the usual service for immigration, school and employer documents
- Certificate of accuracy, translator's signature, copy of the original attached
- Most orders in 1-2 business days
Notarized translation
- For consulates and foreign institutions that ask for notarization
- Sworn declaration before a commissioner attached to the translation
- Takes 2-4 days longer than a regular certified order
Prices do not include GST (5%). Passport stamp $7 each. Xpresspost $30 when the paper copy is time-sensitive. The exact price is confirmed after we see your files, and you pay only after you approve it.
What is in the licence package
A driver licence is short, but the certification around it is what the registry agent looks at. Every order includes all of this.
- Both sides of the card translated, including small print on the back
- Licence classes, endorsements and restriction codes kept as codes, with the English meaning
- Names transliterated to match your passport spelling when you send it
- Signed certification statement with the translator's name and details
- A copy of the original attached to the translation
- Certified PDF by email, stamped hard copy by Canada Post
How to order
Photograph both sides
Flat, well lit, no glare. Add the driving record or letter of experience if you have one.
Upload the files
Use the order form and say the translation is for an Alberta registry exchange.
Approve the price
We confirm the price and the turnaround before anything is charged.
Get the translation
Certified PDF as soon as it is ready, stamped hard copy by Canada Post, Xpresspost if the date is tight.
Driving documents we translate
Send everything from the same file together. One quote for the whole set is usually cheaper than ordering piece by piece.
| Document | Regular certified |
|---|---|
| Driver licence, front and back | $99 |
| Each additional page of a certified licence order | $69 |
| Driving record or letter, one page | $59 |
| Driving record, two pages | $99 |
| Certified PDF or hard copy by Canada Post | free |
Prices are per document and do not include GST. Records and letters are counted by their own page count, not at the licence rate.
What slows an order down
Licence orders already take longer than short certificates, so these four are worth avoiding.
- Only the front of the cardThe back carries categories, restrictions and issue notes. Without it the translation is incomplete.
- Glare across the licence numberA photo taken through the laminate hides digits. Tilt the card instead of the phone.
- Two spellings of your nameIf the passport spells your name differently than the licence, send the passport page so we can match it.
- A tight registry appointmentLicence translations run 2-4 business days or more, depending on the language. Tell us the date in the form and we will say honestly whether it fits.
Questions we get about licence translations
Does a registry agent require a certified translation?
If the licence is in a language other than English or French, the registry agent will usually ask for a certified translation before processing the exchange. Requirements depend on your situation, so follow the instruction you were given at the counter.
Do I have to send both sides?
Yes. The back of the card usually carries the licence categories, restriction codes and issue notes, and the translation has to show them.
How much does it cost in Alberta?
The licence card is $99 plus GST, front and back together, because a registry exchange goes through the higher certification. A driving record or letter of experience sent with it is priced as an ordinary document: $59 for one page, $99 for two.
Can you translate a driving record and a letter of experience?
Yes. Send them with the licence and the whole set is quoted together, each document by its own page count.
Will the translation replace my licence?
No. It is a certified English version of the document you already have, so the office reviewing your file can read it. Whether a foreign licence can be exchanged is decided by the registry, not by us.
What if my name is spelled differently on my passport?
Send the passport page with the licence. We transliterate the name to match the identity document you use in Canada and note the original spelling.
Send both sides and get a price
Upload the licence, add the driving record if you have one, and we confirm the price and the turnaround before any payment.