New integrated licences leading to longer waits at Alberta registries

Adding health care numbers, citizenship marker will ‘take a little bit longer initially’: minister

Alberta’s new integrated driver's licences and identification cards are causing delays at registries across the province.

Rolled out on July 2, the new licences and identification cards now include an individual’s citizenship status and health care number, eliminating the need for physical paper cards.

As Albertans go to renew or apply for a new licence, registries across the province are reporting delays.

Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally said that adding health care numbers and citizenship markers adds additional steps to the process, leading to longer wait times.

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“Of course it's a new process, so it's going to take a little bit longer initially,” Nally said in a recent interview with CBC News. “So that's what we're seeing.”

To apply for a new card or renew an existing one, Albertans need to show proof that they are legally allowed to be in Canada, photo identification and their existing health care card.

Previously, Albertans only needed their current licence or identification card and a piece of secondary identification, such as a credit card, to confirm their signature and name.

The changes to what is considered proper identification is also contributing to longer wait times, Nally said.

“The best thing that Albertans can do to make their experience as seamless as possible is to bring in the proper documentation.”

The Alberta Motor Association and the Alberta Association of Registries both declined interview requests.

Confusion over necessary documents

Elizabeth Volden has lived in Grande Prairie for more than 30 years, after immigrating to Canada from Germany in 1975. Volden holds two Canadian birth certificates — a government of national defence certificate of birth and a certificate of birth abroad.

In late July, she had a trip planned to visit family in the Maritimes, but knew her identification card had expired.

Beginning in early July, Volden said she attempted to renew her identification card four times, and spent over four hours at the registry.

Over the course of these four visits, Volden brought both birth certificates, her old identification card and her health care card.

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“I went into the licencing centre and they told me ‘no,’ they need to see a landed immigrant card of some sort. And I said well, I don't have one of those,” Volden told CBC News.

Registry agents also requested to see her marriage certificate, and asked her husband to fill out a form, verifying they were actually married, Volden said.

On her fourth and final visit to the registry, Volden was told she had to go to Service Canada and apply for a new certificate of birth abroad that included her photo.

“It just doesn't make sense,” Volden said. “I have my two birth certificates and one says I am a Canadian citizen and I got rejected on both.”

“So I went home, very [heartbroken] because now I can't get an identification card and I can't get on the plane.”

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Others have reported similar issues.

Ann Palmer has lived in Alberta since the early 1950s, when she immigrated to Canada from Germany. She currently lives in Edmonton with her husband.

Two weeks ago, Palmer went to her neighbourhood registry to renew her identification card. Similar to Volden, Palmer was asked to supply her marriage certificate, along with a certificate of Canadian citizenship, birth certificate and health care card. Palmer and her husband spent two hours at two registries.

“When she looked at my citizenship document, she said they couldn't … use it,” Palmer said. “They couldn't take it because it doesn't have a bar code.”

Ahead of the upcoming October referendum, Palmer is worried she won’t be able to vote.

“I don't know if they'll let me vote because my ID expires on September 14th,” Palmer said. “I don't even know if I'll get a new ID before then.”

Nally said he has heard of other stories similar to Volden and Palmer’s, and that he regrets the stress this new process may place on Albertans.

“Anybody would be experiencing that kind of anxiety,” Nally said. “It's certainly unfortunate, and I don't want to discount that.”

For Albertans who do not have the necessary documents, Nally said the provincial government is offering an interim 60-day drivers licence or identification card while they wait to get the documents needed.

For Volden, she is frustrated by the whole process.

“I had to jump into hoop after they threw hoop after hoop,” she said.

Katie Teeling is a reporter with CBC News in Edmonton. She can be reached at katie.teeling@cbc.ca.