I recently got my Alberta callsign license plates. The following is a short instruction manual on the process (as of the end of March 2016):
Get Your Callsign on Your Vehicle
To get your callsign on your Alberta vehicle license plate, you must
- · be a resident of Alberta
- · have an Alberta driver’s license
- · have an Alberta vehicle registration. (The registered owner of the vehicle must be the registered owner of the callsign.)
- · have Alberta vehicle insurance
- · have a VE6 or a VA6 callsign from Industry Canada
If you have these things, you can now apply to get your callsign on your Alberta License Plate from your local Registry Office. It is a very simple procedure. Getting the screws off your old license plate may be difficult.
Here is how to do it:
1. Go to your local Alberta Registry Office and bring with you
- · your Alberta driver’s license
- · your Alberta vehicle registration. (The registered owner of the vehicle must be the registered owner of the callsign.)
- · your Alberta vehicle insurance
- · your Radio Amateur License from Industry Canada
2.
At the Registry Office, ask to apply for a Radio Amateur Callsign Vehicle License Plate.
(Do not be surprised if the officials in the Registry Office have to look up the procedures for your application. You may be the first person to ask for this service.)
The callsign license plate is free, but there may be an application fee.
(I paid $9.95 in March 2016 for the application fee.)
3. Wait four to six weeks for your new license plate to arrive by Canada Post.
(I got my two duplicate license plates after 5 weeks of submitting my application. One plate went on my car. The second duplicate will be used to replace the first if the first one ever becomes rusted or damaged. Meanwhile, I have placed the second one in my radio shack as a wall decoration.
NOTE: Do not affix your new license plate to your car at this stage.)
4.
Return to your local Alberta Registry Office and bring with you:
- · your Alberta driver’s license
- · your Alberta vehicle registration
- · your Alberta vehicle insurance
- · one new callsign license plate
(Do not forget to put tools in your car, so that you can remove your old license plate and affix your new plate in the parking lot outside the Registry Office.)
5. At the Registry Office, ask to register your new license plate. This will take about 15 minutes and will cost about $22.50 (March 2016) to register the new plate. Additional charges may apply. Mine cost $84.45 (March 2016) to register my new callsign license plate and to register my vehicle for the next 12 months. Your fees may be different.
6.
Once your new license plate is registered, the old license plate on your car is no longer valid. Even before leaving the parking lot of the Registry Office, take off the old plate and put on the new one. Keep the old one as a souvenir. Do not throw it into the dumpster, as someone with criminal intent may put your old license plate on a stolen car. Your old license plate can be traced to you. Just take the old license plate home as a keepsake.
If your experience in taking off your old license plate is anything like mine, this is where the fun begins. My old plate was put on with a power drill at the car dealership. To remove the screws on my old license plate, I sought out the help of a mechanic who, after using a special tool, was able to remove the screws holding in the old plate. Thereafter, it was easy to put the new callsign plate on my vehicle.
Good luck! Drive proudly!
Sincerely,
-Nick VA6LEO April 6, 2016
