Quick answer
To sell a junk car in Alberta you need government photo ID, a signed bill of sale, and proof that you own the vehicle. You keep your licence plate, take it to a registry agent to cancel the registration, and call your insurer to end the policy. If the registration certificate is lost, that is not a deal-breaker, because in Alberta the certificate is not proof of ownership anyway.
Is the registration certificate proof of ownership in Alberta?
No, and this trips up a lot of Calgary sellers. The Government of Alberta states that a vehicle registration certificate is issued only to the current registered owner as proof of valid registration, and that an original registration certificate does not constitute proof of ownership (alberta.ca). The same page notes the certificate is not needed to prove ownership during a private sale.
What actually proves ownership is the document that put the vehicle in your name. Alberta lists a bill of sale, a lease, a probated will or letters of administration as proof of ownership documents when registering a vehicle (alberta.ca: Register a vehicle). For a scrap sale, the paper trail runs the other way: you sign a new bill of sale that hands ownership to the buyer.
At Cash 4 Junk Cars Calgary we still like to see your current or most recent registration because it confirms the VIN, the plate and the registered name in one place. If you cannot find it, keep reading.
The bill of sale: what Alberta says it must include
A standard bill of sale is the document Alberta uses for private vehicle sales, and the province says it must be used in order to transfer ownership of the vehicle (alberta.ca: Standard bill of sale). There is a free fillable provincial form, REG3126, or the buyer can supply one. Either way, the required fields are the same:
- Full name and address of the seller and the buyer
- The vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Make, model or series, style, colour and year
- The price paid
- Signatures from both the buyer and the seller
Alberta also recommends, though it is optional, adding the odometer reading, phone numbers, ID details, witness signatures, whether the vehicle was paid in full, the payment method, where it was last registered, and any liens or encumbrances against the vehicle (source). When we buy a car we complete the bill of sale on the spot, you get a signed copy, and it records the cash amount we hand over.
Keep that copy; the dated bill of sale is your evidence that ownership moved on that day.
What do you do with the licence plate?
In Alberta the plate belongs to you, not the car. Take it off before the tow truck leaves. Alberta lets you use an existing licence plate and registration on another vehicle for up to 14 days, as long as you carry proof of ownership and insurance until the transfer is done at a registry agent (alberta.ca: Transfer a vehicle registration). So if you are replacing the junk car, you can move the plate to the new one rather than buying a fresh registration.
If you are not replacing it, cancel the registration and get a refund on any unused months. We do not need the plate and will not take it.
Cancelling the registration and insurance
To cancel, go to any registry agent and fill out the Licence Plate / Parking Placard Cancellation form (REG3106). Alberta says to bring acceptable ID, your licence plate, and payment for the registry agent’s service fee (alberta.ca: Cancel a vehicle registration). A $10 plus GST cancellation fee is deducted from the refund, and if you are owed money the cheque arrives by mail in roughly 4 to 6 weeks. Refunds are applied against unpaid fines first, so if a cheque never shows, that is the usual reason.
If you cannot get to a registry office, Alberta allows another person with a valid Alberta driver’s licence or ID card to cancel on your behalf using a signed Authorization for Vehicle Services form (REG0169) (source).
Insurance is a separate call. Alberta requires valid insurance for any vehicle on a public roadway (alberta.ca), so once the car is gone there is nothing left to insure. Phone your broker or insurer with the date on the bill of sale and ask them to cancel or transfer the policy from that date. Do it after the pickup, not before, so the car stays covered until it leaves.
What if the registration is lost?
Two options, and you may not even need the first one. Registry agents can issue a duplicate registration certificate; it is listed among the vehicle registration services they provide, and it can be requested in person or by phone, fax, mail or secure email (alberta.ca: Registry agents).
The second option is to skip the certificate altogether. As covered above, the certificate is not proof of ownership. Bring your government photo ID and whatever ownership document you have, such as the bill of sale from when you bought the car, and sign a new bill of sale to us. If you want independent confirmation of the car’s history, anyone can order a Vehicle Information Report with the VIN, online with an Alberta.ca Account or through a registry agent, which shows the vehicle’s status and its Alberta registration dates and any liens on file (alberta.ca: Vehicle information report).
One edge case: if the car is registered in someone else’s name, such as a parent or a partner, we need that person’s ID and signature, or the estate paperwork if the registered owner has died. Alberta names a probated will or letters of administration as valid ownership documents in that situation (source).
Who at the registry agent handles this?
Any of the more than 200 authorized registry agents listed on Alberta’s Find a registry agent tool can handle registration cancellation, duplicate certificates and plate transfers; these are all part of the motor vehicle services registry agents deliver on behalf of the province (alberta.ca). In Calgary that includes AMA branches and dozens of private registries. There is no special department; tell the counter you are cancelling a plate and they will hand you form REG3106.
The same office can run a Personal Property Registry lien search if you want to confirm the car is clear before selling it (alberta.ca: Find a registration). Fees vary by agent, so check the Registry Agent Product Catalogue that Alberta links from its cancellation page.
Paperwork checklist for scrapping a car in Calgary
- Government photo ID for every registered owner
- Proof of ownership: your original purchase bill of sale, or the registration if you have it
- A standard bill of sale to the buyer, signed by both sides, with VIN, year, make, model, colour and price
- The licence plate removed and kept
- A trip to a registry agent with the plate, ID and form REG3106 to cancel the registration
- A call to your insurer or broker after pickup to end the policy
What to do next
Call Cash 4 Junk Cars Calgary at 403-390-0585, any hour, any day. Tell us the year, make, model and where the car is, and we will give you a cash offer from $100 to $10,000 depending on the vehicle. Towing is free across Calgary and the surrounding towns, our driver brings the bill of sale, and you get paid in cash before the car leaves. Our yard is at 4525 6a St NE if you would rather drop it off yourself.
