Out of Country Vehicle Process
When a vehicle comes into Alberta from any other country, there are a number of steps that must be taken first. The vehicle will have to be approved by the federal government as well as provincial. The federal guidelines are policed by www.RIV.ca. This website should be your first part of researching the vehicle you’re bringing into Canada. Once you’ve satisfied the federal government, provincial is next. All on road vehicles originating outside Canada will have to pass an out of province inspection. There is one exemption for the provincial inspection which is listed below.
All other vehicles will have a process to follow for the provincial government:
- The registered owner or authorized party must attend the registry to obtain a request for out of province inspection. The person will provide proof of ownership (title from the home country or bill of sale if it wasn’t registered to you), Form 1 and their drivers licence. If the vehicle is from Japan, we will require the export certificate as well. Once the agent processes the request a fee of $9.45 will be charged and you will leave the office with the request. This document must be given to the mechanic on the date of inspection.
- Once your vehicle passes inspection, you will receive a form back from the mechanic. The form you receive is ONLY VALID FOR 14 DAYS from the date listed on the document. If this form is not received at the registry agent within those 14 days you will be required to pay the mechanic for another one.
- You will retain insurance from any insurance company that is allowed to operate in the Province of Alberta. They will provide you with a temporary insurance slip, also known as your “pink slip.”
- When you’ve got both the inspection done and the insurance issued, you will come back to the registry. At this point, the registered owner must be in the office to complete the service. You will require the out of province inspection form, valid insurance, Form 1 stamped twice, the proof of ownership (Title from the home country or bill of sale) and your valid drivers licence. The agent will then review your paperwork and issue you licence plates and registration on the spot.
United States Vehicle Exemption
Alberta Transportation allows for qualifying vehicles/owners to apply for an exemption from the out of province inspection. Please note, the final decision on whether your vehicle qualifies is at the discretion of Alberta Transportation solely. Agents at the Shawnessy Licence and Registry do not make the decision on exemption.
Brand New Vehicle Purchased in the United States of America
To qualify for exemption, you must meet the following criteria:
- The vehicle must be brand new
- The Bill of Sale must be dated within 90 days
- The Bill of Sale must have the name of the person who is registering it in Alberta. If it’s under anyone elses name or a company name, it wont qualify
- The Form 1 must have two stamps and be in the name of the person who is registering it in Alberta
- The original statement of origin or NVIS
- You must bring the vehicle to our office so an agent can verify the VIN and the odometer reading
- Your valid drivers licence must be presented
If you meet these requirements, bring all of the above documentation and the vehicle to our office. Documents must be original and you will require your valid drivers licence. The agent will process the paperwork and when we receive a positive or negative decision from Alberta Transportation, we will inform you via phone.
