How Much Does It Cost to Get Your Licence in Alberta?

How much does it cost to get your licence in Alberta? The answer has two halves. The government half is small: a knowledge test, a Class 7 card, a road test and the change to a Class 5 card. The lesson half is bigger, and you control it.

Alberta says the whole path takes a minimum of 3 years. Here it is in four steps:

1. Class 7. From age 14, pass the knowledge test and a vision test, then buy the card.
2. Learner time. Hold the Class 7 for at least 12 months.
3. Class 5 probationary, called Class 5-GDL. From age 16, pass the road test and a vision test, then pay to change your licence.
4. Full Class 5. From age 18, after 2 years as a probationary driver. No advanced road test is needed since 1 April 2023.

You pay the government at steps 1 and 3. Lessons sit in between.

How much does it cost to get your learners in Alberta?

How much is a learner's licence in Alberta? Two items at the registry agent: the knowledge test and the Class 7 card. Each fee has two parts, a government fee and the registry's service charge, and the last column adds the two together. The fees below are from the Registry Agent Product Catalogue in force from 1 September 2026.

A longer card costs more on the day but lasts longer, so ask the registry which terms it offers.

How much do road tests cost in Alberta?

The Class 5 road test moves you from learner to probationary driver, and you book it through a registry agent. Alberta.ca says registry agents set their own road test fees and must publish them online. So how much do road tests cost? The small government fee below, plus whatever your registry posts. Your own car must meet all legal and safety requirements. You can also book our car.

Class 5 licence Alberta cost: the new card

After you pass, a registry agent changes your licence to Class 5 probationary. Alberta.ca calls this exchanging your licence card, and the catalogue caps the charge. That exchange line is the second row above. Alberta.ca also says you can extend the card's expiry for several years at this step, so ask the registry what yours will cost.

Do registry agents charge extra on top of government fees?

Yes, on every item in this post. For capped items, a registry can charge less than the maximum, never more. For the Class 5 road test the catalogue calls the charge market dependent, so each registry sets its own. That is the main reason the cost to get your licence in Alberta differs from one family to the next. Compare two or three registries before you book.

Do you pay again if you fail a test?

For the knowledge test, yes. Alberta.ca says it can be taken once per day and must be paid for each time. For the road test, the Government of Alberta's Class 5 road test fact sheet says you may not take another test that day. Ask the registry what a second attempt costs. Budget for one retry on each, or arrive ready the first time.

A sample budget from learner to licence

Here is the whole cost to get your licence in Alberta for one learner in Zone A: Edmonton South and Beaumont. It assumes one attempt at each test, a 5-year Class 7 card, the largest service charges and one lesson path. The registry's road test charge is left out.

So how much does it cost to get your licence in Alberta on this path? Just under a thousand dollars, before the registry's road test charge. A learner who knows the Driver's Guide well can skip the preparation course. In Zone B, Edmonton Downtown and Edmonton North, the Full Course is $595. In Zone C, Sherwood Park, it is $645. Insurance for a new driver is a separate cost, so ask your insurer.

What City Driving School offers

City Driving School is an Alberta Transportation approved driving school, teaching in Edmonton since 2009. Pick the course that matches your learner's step:

• Before the knowledge test. Class 7 Learner Preparation, $150 plus GST, in class, gets you ready for the knowledge test.
• Between the two tests. The Full Course, from $545 plus GST in Zone A, is 15 hours of theory and 10 hours in the car. Those are the hours Alberta lists for Class 5 driver training. Alberta says that training at a licensed school may cut the 24-month probation by up to 6 months.
• Road test week. Car Use for Road Test, $90 plus GST, is our car at the registry on test day. Car Use with Training, $150 plus GST, adds an hour with an instructor first.

Pickup and drop-off are free for in-car lessons inside our service areas. Our instructors, men and women, are certified by Alberta Transportation. Bring your Class 7 licence to every lesson, and book a lesson when you are ready.