Alberta Driver's Abstract: Cost, Types and How to Order

An Alberta driver's abstract costs $25.45 online, service charge included, when you order it yourself on the Government of Alberta's eServices site. You need a verified Alberta.ca Account, and the abstract arrives as a digital download you print. If you'd rather go in person, any Alberta registry agent can issue one. The government fee is $16, and each registry agent sets its own service charge on top of that.

There are two kinds, the Standard Driver's Abstract and the Commercial Driver's Abstract, and each can cover 3, 5 or 10 years. The commercial abstract is the one Alberta describes as built for employers: it adds Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspections and leaves out your physical description.

Cost at a glance

The catalogue lists both abstracts as uncapped products: the government fee is fixed at $16, but "maximum service charge determined by registry agent." So the counter price varies by registry, and it's worth calling ahead. Both abstracts are also listed as eligible for Alberta's seniors' discount on registry services (25% off the combined fee and service charge for people who meet the criteria in the regulations).

Standard vs commercial abstract

Neither abstract shows your driving experience or the date you were first licensed. If someone needs proof of how long you've been driving, the abstract won't give them that.

Alberta describes the commercial abstract as a way for "employers to assess safety risks associated with a driver prior to hiring them." If a job ad just says "driver's abstract" and the job involves a commercial vehicle, ask which one they want before you pay.

How to order online

1. Get a verified Alberta.ca Account at account.alberta.ca. If you aren't verified yet, Alberta says to allow 10 business days for the activation code to arrive by mail.
2. Go to the Standard or Commercial Driver's Abstract page on eservices.alberta.ca, choose 3, 5 or 10 years, and pay.
3. Download the abstract from My Digital Downloads in your account. It stays there for 365 days.

A few rules from the order page:

• The first download is only available between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. Order outside those hours and it appears at 6:00 am the next day.
• If the details you enter don't match the Motor Vehicles System, you can't finish online and have to go to a registry agent.
• If your motor vehicle file is out of date, you have to visit a registry agent to update it, and there are no refunds for this product.
• A printed copy of the digital download is required. It is an offence to alter or falsify the document.

How to order at a registry agent

1. Fill in the Request for Personal Driving and Motor Vehicle Information form (REG3394).
2. Take it to any Alberta registry agent with accepted photo ID.
3. Sign and date the form in front of the registry clerk.

If you live outside Alberta

Use the notarized version of the form (REG3392). Don't sign it until you're in front of a Notary Public, who checks your ID and notarizes both the form and a copy of your ID. Send the signed form, the notarized ID copy and the fees to an Alberta registry agent. The abstract comes back by registered mail or courier.

Accepted photo ID for this process: an Alberta or Canadian driver's licence, Alberta identification card, citizenship card, immigration card, naturalization card, permanent resident card, or passport.

Someone else picking it up for you

You complete Part 1 of the Driver's Abstract Consent (REG3387). The person collecting it must be someone you know personally and trust; they complete the Driver's Abstract Statement of Intent (REG3388), bring accepted photo ID, and sign in front of a registry clerk.

A parent or legal guardian can request the abstract of someone under 18 who isn't self-supporting or married, using REG3388.

How employers use it

Employers, prospective employers and lawyers can request your abstract with your valid written consent. Organizations that pull abstracts regularly do it under an Access to Motor Vehicle Information Regulation (AMVIR) agreement with the province. The release of driver abstract information is governed by AMVIR.

You can also order your own abstract and give the employer the printout. Ask which type and period they want first: the commercial abstract is the one Alberta positions for pre-hire safety screening.

Also need a criminal record check?

A driver's abstract only shows your driving record. Many employers hiring for delivery, courier, moving or trucking jobs also ask for a criminal record check, which is a separate document from police records, not from the registry.

SafeHire runs a name and date-of-birth criminal record check online (a search of the RCMP's CPIC database, conducted with a police service), with no appointment: order one here. It is not a vulnerable sector check. If the job involves driving children, seniors or other vulnerable people, the employer will usually need a vulnerable sector check, which only a police service can do.

If you're in Alberta's two big cities, see our Calgary and Edmonton pages for how local police checks work there.

FAQ

How much is a driver's abstract in Alberta?

$25.45 online, including the service charge. At a registry agent the government fee is $16 plus whatever service charge that agent sets, so the total varies.

Can I get my Alberta driver's abstract online?

Yes, at eservices.alberta.ca, if you have a verified Alberta.ca Account. You get a digital download that you print.

How far back does an Alberta driver's abstract go?

You pick 3, 5 or 10 years when you order, for either the standard or the commercial abstract.

What's the difference between a standard and a commercial driver's abstract?

The commercial abstract adds CVSA inspection information and leaves out your physical description. Otherwise they carry mostly the same information: licence status, convictions, demerit points and suspensions.

Does the abstract show when I was first licensed?

No. Alberta says the driver's abstract does not show driving experience or the date first licensed.

How quickly do I get it?

Online, the download is available immediately if you order between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, otherwise at 6:00 am the next day. Alberta does not publish a processing time for in-person orders, and mail orders from outside Alberta come back by registered mail or courier.

Is a driver's abstract the same as a criminal record check?

No. The abstract is your driving record from the Alberta Registrar of Motor Vehicles. A criminal record check searches police records. Some employers ask for both. See our guide to driving record abstracts across Canada for other provinces.

Sources

All checked 2026-10-17.

• Government of Alberta, Get a driver's abstract: https://www.alberta.ca/get-drivers-abstract
• Alberta eServices, Standard Driver's Abstract: https://eservices.alberta.ca/driver-abstract-standard.html
• Alberta eServices, Commercial Driver's Abstract: https://eservices.alberta.ca/driver-abstract-commercial.html
• Government of Alberta, Registry Agent Product Catalogue (effective October 1, 2026): https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/4883fcbd-8a22-400f-80d0-89f590100a9b/resource/b012651f-1677-40fc-8f97-5107111b3534/download/sartr-registry-agent-product-catalogue-2026-10.pdf
• Government of Alberta, Requesting protected motor vehicle data: https://www.alberta.ca/requesting-protected-motor-vehicle-data