Getting Your Alberta Driver’s License

For teenagers around the world, getting a driver’s license is an exciting rite of passage that most dream of for years. It is oftentimes the first real taste of freedom a teenager gets, and therefore, the first real step forward into adulthood. It is a wonderful privilege, but with it, comes a great deal of responsibility. The first major responsibility lies in actually obtaining your driver’s license.

There are several things you should know about obtaining your Alberta driver’s license. First, all applicants must provide proof that they are a legal resident of Alberta, Canada. Individuals who have just moved to Alberta are required to apply for a driver’s license within 90 days. At fourteen years of age, a person can apply for a learner’s license if he or she has the consent of his or her legal guardian. Individuals who are at least eighteen years old can apply for a regular driver’s license. Individuals who are younger than eighteen years of age can apply for an Alberta driver’s license if they are married or otherwise emancipated.

Graduated Driver Licensing
Before they are allowed to take the road test necessary to obtain an Alberta driver’s license, individuals must fulfill several requirements, as well as complete particular driving experiences. These requirements are known as the Graduated Driver Licensing program, or GDL for short. This program was created to ensure that all new drivers have the proper knowledge, skills and capabilities to operate a motor vehicle safely and responsibly. It also provides new drivers with the instruction and experience necessary to pass the road tests.
All Graduated Driver Licensing requirements must be met prior to taking the road test, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure this is done. An applicant who attempts to take the road test before he or she has completed the required driving experiences will have his or her road test automatically voided.

Testing
Before taking the road test, an applicant must pass the Driver Knowledge Testing System. This is a computer-generated test consisting of thirty random questions. An individual passes the test if he or she answers at least twenty-five of these questions, or eighty percent, correctly. Passing this test earns the applicant a learner’s permit, which is valid for one year. With a learner’s permit, a person is only allowed to drive a motor vehicle with a licensed driver in the car.

The final step in obtaining an Alberta driver’s license is passing the road test. The test must be scheduled in advance with a representative of the driver registry. A professional, licensed driving examiner will be the person who actually conducts the road tests. The purpose of this test is to critique the applicant’s driving skills and ability.