CALGARY -- Albertans will no longer have to put an expiry sticker on their licence plate when renewing vehicle registrations beginning Jan. 1, 2021, as technology now allows law enforcement to read them automatically.
And Alberta will begin transitioning to highly reflective plates next fall, which are more easily scanned by automated licence plate readers.
“Alberta’s government has been looking for ways to improve and modernize the delivery of registry services for Albertans," said Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish in a release.
"By moving to reflective licence plates, expiry stickers become redundant and outdated. This common sense change cuts red tape, aligns Alberta with other Canadian provinces, and saves taxpayers money.”
Registration stickers for licence plates were first issued in 1974 and there are currently more than 5.5 million registered vehicles in the province.
The change is expected to save about $1.2 million a year, and stickers will still be required for farm vehicles and prorated commercial vehicles participating in the International Registration Plan.
Albertans will be able to keep their current plates, but the new reflective plates will be issued on a go-forward basis after the current stock of painted plates runs out in the fall.
“Cutting red tape is just common sense. We are bringing Alberta’s government into the 21st century and moving at the speed Albertans deserve," said Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction Grant Hunter.
Albertans can sign up to receive an electronic renewal notice through a registry agent, the Alberta Motor Association, or MyAlberta eServices.
Several other provinces have moved away from expiry stickers, including Quebec (1992), Saskatchewan (2012), Northwest Territories (2014) and Manitoba (2016).
Vehicle registrations expire at midnight on the last day of an assigned month, based on the letter your surname or company name starts with:
- January: A, I, J, Ke, U, X, 0-9
- February: M, Q
- March: B, Y
- April: D, G
- May: C, N
- June: Cl, H, Sc
- July: Av, Be, L, Sz, V, Z
- August: E, Gr, R
- September: F, Po, T
- October: S
- November: K, P
- December: Me, O, W
