Alberta First Province to Add Citizenship Status to Driver’s Licences for Election Integrity

The government of Alberta says it will introduce legislation this fall to add Canadian citizenship status to provincial driver’s licences and ID cards, a move it says will streamline access to services, reduce red tape, and strengthen election integrity.

The update was announced Sept. 15 and will take effect in the fall of next year for all new and renewed Alberta licences and ID cards.

There will be no additional cost to the regular cost of obtaining a licence for the new status marker, which will read as “CAN” for citizens.

“With a single, secure card proving both identity and citizenship, Albertans will face fewer hurdles when applying for government services. This will also strengthen the integrity of elections and other systems that rely on proof of citizenship,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in a Sept. 15 news release.

Smith said that in addition to eliminating the need to carry multiple documents to access government programs, elections will be safeguarded by ensuring only Canadian citizens get to vote. Although driver’s licences will still be available to eligible residents and immigrants, non-citizens will not receive the citizenship designation on their licences.

“Adding a Canadian citizenship marker to Alberta’s drivers licenses will also strengthen Alberta’s election system by helping ensure that only eligible citizens cast ballots, protecting the integrity of our democratic process. It also positions Alberta to respond quickly to future legislative changes and aligns with international standards,” the province said.

Opposition to the changes came from Alberta’s NDP immigration critic Lizette Tejada, who issued a statement on Sept. 15 that questioned the necessity of the citizenship status marker and said it will cause unnecessary delays when Albertans apply to get their driver’s licences or renew their licences.

“Once again, this government engages in virtue signalling while creating bureaucracy and red tape for everyone,” Tejada said. “Is the [United Conservative Party] government now planning on illegally and unconstitutionally restricting programs from legal residents of Canada?”

The province also recently said it is releasing a new digital wallet system for smartphones that can store health card data, with driver’s licences available to be stored in the digital wallet next year.