Reliable Alberta Vehicle Registration in Calgary

All about Commercial Registrations

For commercial vehicles like trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, etc., commercial registration is necessary. You must provide written documentation of the following in order to register your business vehicles:

• Gross vehicle weight: You will be expected to provide details of the total weight of your vehicle including the maximum load it is designed to carry.
• Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC): This is required of you meet one or more of the following conditions: 
  
  • A Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC) is required for a:
  • Commercial vehicle with a registered gross weight of 11,794 kg or more that will operate only in Alberta
  • A vehicle (bus) designed to carry 11 passengers or more (including the driver)
  • A farm or commercial plated vehicle with a weight of 4501 kg or more and travels outside of Alberta

• Commercial inspection: Your vehicle will need to provide evidence of passing annualor semi-anuual examinations if: 
  

  • Your combined weight is over 11,794 kg annually

  • Your vehicle is originally designed with a seating capacity of 11 or more (such as a school bus, commercial bus, commercial passenger van semiannually)

A commercial vehicle with a seating capacity of 10 or less (including the driver), that receives no compensation. The passengers for such a vehicle must be  employees or contract workers of the registered owner, members of the registered owner or other persons satisfactory to the board.

Special Registrations Classes

Special registrations are issued for:

Antique Vehicles

Antique vehicles include motorcycles and are defined by:

• At least 25 years old
• Only operated as a collector’s item in exhibitions, club activities, parades and transportation to and from these activities
• Driven to and from a garage for servicing
• Never used for general transportation

Dealer Plates

Dealer licence plates are issued to manufacturers of motor vehicles, dealers of motor vehicles, clients engaged in the business of servicing motor vehicles. A dealer plate is affixed to a vehicle and that fulfils the following criteria:

• Kept for sale by a manufacturer or dealer
• Used by manufacturers, dealers or their employees/agents for testing, servicing, promotion of sales, personal use for promotional purposes by dealer’s or employee’s family members
• Not for hire
• Not carrying freight other than goods that are the property of the vehicle owner or the employee/agent using the vehicle for personal use
• Used by a purchaser or prospective purchaser to drive the vehicle with the dealer’s plate without dealer or employee

Ham Radio Operator Plates

Ham radio operator plates may be issued to clients that maintain a valid Amateur Radio Operator Certificate issued by Industry Canada. Ham radio operator plates must bear the ham radio operator’s call letters as displayed on their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate issued by Industry Canada.

Special Registration Programs

There are a number of special registration programs designed especially for the residents of Alberta. These include:

Prorate Program

Alberta is a member of the International Registration Plan (IRP), a reciprocity registration agreement among Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions. This program applies to Alberta carriers who travel in Alberta and at least one other province or state. Rather than obtaining and paying for plates and registration in each jurisdiction, prorate offers the advantage of proportionate licencing in Alberta.

As part of the IRP, the Alberta Transportation Prorate Services’ office calculates registration fees for prorate approved commercial vehicles. The fees are calculated based on the percentage of total distance travelled within each jurisdiction. All prorated registrations expire on March 31 of each year. For more information please call Prorate Services at 403-297-2920 or visit their website.

Quarterly Licencing Program

The Quarterly Licencing Program is used by clients who have an annual registration fee of $500 or more per vehicle, and want to split their registration into a quarterly rate or whose vehicles are part of the Permanent Fleet Program. Clients cannot register or renew their vehicle registrations for less than one full quarter.

There are four quarterly registration periods:

• January 1 to March 31
• April 1 to June 30
• July 1 to September 30
• October 1 to December 31

Specialty Vehicles

Modified, Homemade, Amalgamated Vehicles, Trailers & Motorcycles are included in specialty vehicles and are assembled from new and/or used parts. The licence plate class issued for specialty vehicles is determined by the use of the vehicle.

In addition to the requirements noted for the applicable licence plate class, the following must also be presented by the client if the vehicle, trailer and/or motorcycle is assembled from used or new parts without a vehicle identification number:

• A processed Assigned Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Application form from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Depending on the vehicle, trailer and/or motorcycle an inspection may be required.
• Vehicles, trailers and/or motorcycles with unusual operating characteristics must be referred to Alberta Transportation Safety Branch for an inspection to ensure compliance with basic equipment requirements