Banff 
Are you planning to visit a registry office this week to get a replacement vehicle license plate?
1920 license plate; First year of painted border on Alberta plates; Credit: Jerry “Woody”/Flickr
Alberta says motorists must report lost or stolen licence plates to the police before requesting a replacement plate from registry agents. The new rule which comes at the recommendation of the Provincial Auto Theft Review Committee is effective January 19th.
The province says early reporting of lost or stolen plates allows police to be on alert for licence plates that may be used for illegal purposes.
“It is common practice for criminals to disguise their stolen vehicles by attaching an unreported stolen plate associated to a vehicle of a similar make and model,” said Mark Neufeld, Calgary police chief, and president, Association of Alberta Chiefs of Police said in a statement.
“This tactic allows auto thieves to engage in high-risk criminal activities undetected. This includes dangerous driving, hit-and-run collisions, robberies and break and enters. Mandatory reporting of lost and stolen licence plates will go a long way to making life more difficult for thieves and help keep Albertans safe.”
A police file number is required to request a replacement for their lost or stolen plate at the registry office.
According to the news release, Albertans can file a report at their local police station, over the phone, or online. Albertans can also make the complaint directly from the registry office at the time of service if the police were not previously notified.
The change does not apply to personalized licence plates which are issued in pairs as reporting a lost or stolen personalized plate requires the licensee to return the other plate, rendering the plate configuration unusable.
Announcing the new rule, Minister of Service Nate Glubish said, “Requiring a police report for a lost or stolen licence plate is a common-sense change to make. In doing so, we are ensuring police have accurate information that can better help them when interacting with motorists and is crucial for an investigation.”
This change comes after a successful pilot at 12 registry agent offices across Alberta in 2021.
Alberta registry agents issued 46,307 replacement licence plates in 2020 of which 30,687 plates were reported as lost and 15,620 plates were reported as stolen.
