register travel trailer alberta

If you have bought a trailer that was last registered in Alberta, you must register it in your name. Trailer plates are continuous, which means that you only pay to register that trailer and plate once. You do not renew them like a motor vehicle. In order to register a trailer, you will be asked to provide a bill of sale. Alberta Registries do not need to see insurance to register the trailer. However, you must make sure to let your insurance company know that you have purchased a trailer to have it added on to your insurance policy. If the trailer is brand new, you will have to provide an original NVIS (New Vehicle Information Statement) or Statement of Origin.

When you bring in the paperwork for the trailer, the name on the bill of sale must be the person that is coming into the office. If the person named on the paperwork is unable to come in, they can sign an authorization letter allowing someone else to register the trailer.

If the trailer is a homemade Trailer, you will be required to undergo the Assigned VIN program.

Authorization forms may be brought in, or faxed in. You may download and print this form here .

Vehicle Registry Fees

*All prices include GST.

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What Are Alberta’s Trailer Insurance Requirements?

In Alberta, there are a few things that trailer owners need to do before they are considered ‘street-legal.’ For one, all motor vehicles and trailers that travel on Alberta public roadways are required to be registered. In order to register a trailer, an individual (18 or older – or with the written consent of a guardian or a parent) must apply. All vehicles must be registered within three months of changing one’s primary address to Alberta.   

But what about insurance? Do you need insurance on a trailer in Alberta? Alberta has a few trailer insurance requirements – namely, that any motorized vehicle, be it a car, a truck, a commercial van, or some other recreational vehicle, must be insured with a public liability insurance policy. It is illegal to operate a motorized vehicle on Alberta public roadways.  

Read on for further information about trailer insurance in Alberta requirements.  

How to Correctly Insure Your Alberta Trailer  

Having the right insurance is vital to you and your passengers’ peace of mind, beyond the fact that it may be mandated. Is travel trailer insurance required in Alberta? In Alberta, non-motorized trailers – including travel trailers that are not self-propelled, utility trailers, toy haulers, etc. – are not required to be insured, unlike their motorized counterparts. That being said, it is still highly recommended that Albertan trailer owners carry coverage to fully protect their investment. Here is how to insure your Alberta trailer – motorized or not.  

Note that, if you own a recreational vehicle that is self-propelled, then you are required to provide proof of valid Alberta travel trailer insurance when you register your vehicle. For travel trailers and vehicles being towed, you can technically purchase insurance whenever – but ideally when you first rent or buy the vehicle.   

Trailers being towed may have coverage under your existing auto insurance, but this only applies to liability. Unfortunately, as soon as that trailer is no longer hitched to your vehicle, your auto insurance won’t cover it if anyone is injured in or around your trailer’s premises. You’ll also probably want to purchase coverage to ensure that your trailer is protected from potential damages, seeing as a trailer is a considerable investment. The coverage that your existing property and auto policies may offer is somewhat limited, so it’s advised you purchase a separate policy in most cases.  

Coverage Types for Alberta Travel Trailer Insurance  

Unless your trailer is a self-propelled recreational vehicle, there is no mandatory trailer insurance requirements for Alberta trailers. Coverage options include, but are not limited to:  

• Travel Trailer Liability – If your vehicle is self-propelled, you’ll need to carry this coverage. This protects you from any expenses arising due to personal injury or damages to third parties.  
• Comprehensive – This optional coverage protects your trailer from damages outside of collisions and accidents with stationary objects, such as vandalism, theft, hail, and fire.  
• Collision – This optional coverage protects your trailer from damages as a result of an accident with another vehicle, the ground, or stationary object.  
• Emergency Roadside – This coverage option provides protection for expenses arising due to an unexpected breakdown.  

It’s worth noting that if you are leasing or renting your travel trailer, the company you are borrowing through may have coverage requirements. Third-party liability may be a bare minimum, as borrowing companies will want to protect their investment. You may be required to carry collision/comprehensive coverage, depending on who you are renting through.  

Is Travel Trailer Insurance in Alberta Expensive?  

Travel trailer insurance in Alberta will vary in cost, depending on how much coverage you purchase, the type/make of trailer you operate, etc. Self-propelled vehicles will be more expensive to insure for a few reasons, but price may go up based on a variety of factors.

Standalone policies may be more expensive than simply insuring your trailers under your car policy, but they will ensure that your trailer still has coverage while it is unhitched. In addition, separate policies will also protect your property and auto policies’ coverage from being depleted if you ever need to make a claim. Finally, self-propelled trailers require a standalone policy as a vehicle.

If you are concerned about cost, discuss your options with RecProtect’s expert trailer insurance brokers . We can help you find options for coverage in Alberta that will preserve your peace of mind – on the road and while your trailer is stationed.   

Is your trailer insurance costing you more than it should? Discover how much you could save on trailer insurance with our quick and easy quote calculator.

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OUT OF PROVINCE (BROUGHT FROM WITHIN CANADA)

WHAT YOU NEED TO REGISTER YOUR OUT-OF-PROVINCE VEHICLE (AND GET ALBERTA LICENCE PLATES)

• Out of Province Vehicle Inspection Certificate (from a mechanic authorized to complete Alberta inspections)
• Alberta Auto Insurance
• Proof of Ownership
• Alberta Photo ID

OUT OF PROVINCE VEHICLE INSPECTION

An Out of Province Vehicle Inspection is needed before you register your vehicle in Alberta.

Step 1: Purchase an Out of Province Vehicle Inspection Request form from our registry  (you will take this form to the mechanic performing the inspection). You require proof of ownership of the vehicle (bill of sale or lease documents).

Step 2: Contact an authorized mechanic for an appointment and provide them the out of province inspection form at time of inspection. Find a vehicle inspection center near you . Make sure you select Out of Province inspection, not Commercial or Salvage inspections.

Step 3: Once completed (and the vehicle passes inspection) the mechanic will give you the Out of Province Vehicle Inspection Certificate. The certificate is valid for only 14 days from the date shown under Date of Completion. Do not delay bringing it into our registry so that we can enter into the Alberta Motor Vehicle system.

INSPECTION EXCEPTIONS

You do not require an Alberta Out of Province inspection for a trailer or off-highway vehicle.

You may not require an Alberta inspection for a passenger vehicle that meets the following criteria:

New Vehicles (from within Canada)

• Bill of Sale or Lease dated within 90 days and
• Mileage under 5000 km

Used Vehicles from within Canada

• Government Inspection within 90 days from another Canadian jurisdiction, for commercial vehicles only. For other exceptions, please visit here

Along with the information above, your vehicle must also be present at time of registration in order to have the serial number physically verified.

OUT OF PROVINCE (BROUGHT FROM OUTSIDE CANADA)

What you need to register your out-of-country vehicle (and get alberta licence plates).

• Registrar of Imported Vehicle (RIV) Vehicle Import Form
• Personal Identification

IMPORT FORM 1

When you enter Canada, the Canadian Border Services Agency will provide you with a Vehicle Import Form – Form 1. Keep this form in your vehicle until it is licenced as you may be asked to show it if stopped by a police officer.

REGISTRAR OF IMPORTED VEHICLES (RIV) INSPECTION

• Once you have paid the required RIV fee online, the RIV will forward you an inspection form by e-mail, fax, or postal mail – depending on the communication method you have requested.
• This inspection form will contain all the information you will need to determine exactly what modifications will be needed to pass the RIV inspection.
• If modifications are required, you will need to have them done and inspected at a  federal inspection location .

Once your vehicle has passed the federal inspection, the inspection center will stamp your Vehicle Import Form – Form 1.

The Form 1 document must have 2 stamps:

• At the top from the Canadian Border Services Office stamped at the border
• In either section 16 or 17 stamped at the federal inspection location that your vehicle was inspected at (eg. Canadian Tire)

Approximately 1 week after successfully passing the federal inspection, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles will send you a Canadian certification label with instructions on where to attach it to your vehicle.

For additional information about this process, visit the Registrar of Imported Vehicles .

New Vehicles (from outside Canada)

• Bill of Sale or Lease dated within 90 days
• Original Certificate of Origin or State issued title
• Form 1 import form obtained at time of import into Canada
• Mileage under 5000 km or 3107 miles
• The vehicle must be physically present at a registry in order to inspect the VIN number

Jasper schools to reopen mid-September, divisions say: Council approves loosened RV parking restrictions

Schools in Jasper will open for classes on Sept. 17, the local divisions announced on Tuesday. 

Grande Yellowhead Public School Division's chief executive officer and superintendent, Carolyn Lewis, confirmed her staff is preparing for that date during an interview with CTV News Edmonton Tuesday morning. 

Jasper's third school, École Desrochers, is also expected to open then, the Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord division confirmed via email. 

Although the schools were not structurally damaged when a wildfire burned down about 30 per cent of the mountain park town at the end of July, they needed to be cleaned for smoke, ash and dust. 

The cleaning required is extensive: the ventilation systems need to be inspected and ceiling tiles replaced, as they may have absorbed ash particles. 

Additionally, Lewis said the division is preparing a group of mental health specialists to work with staff before the return, as well as students and families when classes resume. 

Referring to wildfires that affected Grande Yellowhead communities Edson and Wildwood in 2023, Lewis said, "We found that when students and staff returned to school, they really needed to talk about their experiences."

She continued, "We want to give a lot of room and space for that to happen so that people can locate themselves, they can take into consideration what they're going through and what they have gone through."

Lewis expects to have adequate staffing levels, despite about 40 per cent of staff losing their homes in the fire. 

The provincial government and Alberta Education have been working with the division to find temporary housing for those employees. 

"It's just devastating for us. They've been so strong and positive," she commented. "It is our hope that they will all be able to be in the area between Hinton and Jasper to provide and support the school opening."

Families whose homes were destroyed in the fire and who will not be living in Jasper at the start of the school year can register children for school in the community where they are staying. 

Transportation will be available between Hinton and Jasper as of Sept. 17. 

Grande Yellowhead says families are welcome to register their children in Jasper if they move back at a later point in the school year. 

"Our students have had such a traumatic experience that to come back to something that is familiar and ready for them, welcoming for them, is going to be very comforting," Lewis said. 

A virtual town hall for Grande Yellowhead staff is scheduled for Tuesday night and another for families on Wednesday. 

Lewis said additional information will be provided and questions answered then . 

RELAXING RV RESTRICTIONS

Part of Jasper council's efforts to get residents back into town is relaxing the regulations around RV parking in the townsite.

On Tuesday, council unanimously approved an earlier decision by town administration to:

• waive the 72-hour time limit for parking an RV or trailer on a roadway in front of a resident’s home;
• allow trailers to be left unattached on a roadway; and
• allow the use of RVs or trailers as transitional accommodation until Sept. 15.

Residents cannot keep RVs or trailers in public parking lots.

In neighbourhoods with severe fire damage, RVs and trailers cannot be parked on roadways so that emergency and utility workers and contractors can access those areas.

Council stressed these relaxed regulations are only for residents and are temporary.

Council will reexamine the regulations again before the Sept. 15 end date to see if an extension is needed.

Council also unanimously voted to not form a remuneration review committee that had previously been approved before the wildfires.

A review of council pay is required ahead of a municipal election; Jasper's next is scheduled to take place in October 2025.

Instead, council voted to have administration conduct a review and report back.

"The complexity of hosting, coordinating additional committee meetings and incorporating members of the public would be particularly challenging given our limited capacity at this time," Chief Administrative Officer Bill Given said.

In the meeting, Coun. Scott Wilson also brought up that the current and the future Jasper town council will have to put in more work than is considered normal and that the pay should reflect that.

"In Jasper, council member pay is so small that, frankly, even an increase in it in response (to) the additional work that you've been doing is really going to be immaterial to the overall municipal financial picture," Given said.

He suggested looking at how other municipalities that have gone through wildfires like Slave Lake, High River and Wood Buffalo compensated councillors.

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