Alberta drivers can now put Moraine Lake on the back of their vehicles, but they don’t have to.
The province’s new licence plate went on sale at registries on Monday, Nov. 9. It’s the first new standard design in more than 40 years, replacing the red-and-white “Wild Rose Country” plate introduced in 1984.
It shows Moraine Lake, Alberta’s wild rose and the words “Strong and Free.”
If you’re happy with your current plate, you can keep it. If you want the new one, the main question is whether to pay now or wait until you renew.
What the new plate costs
| Your situation | What you pay for the plate |
|---|---|
| Switch anytime | $35 ($20 government fee plus $15 registry fee) |
| Switch when you renew your registration | $15 registry fee, plus your normal renewal |
| Registering a vehicle for the first time | No plate fee, just normal registration fees |
| Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged plate | No plate fee, just normal registration fees |
| Keeping your current plate | $0 |
Waiting until renewal saves you $20. Keep in mind that the $15 is on top of your regular renewal fees, not the total.
It costs more than first announced
When the province unveiled the design in November 2025, it said switching early would cost $28, and getting it at renewal would cost nothing extra.
Now it’s $35 to switch early and $15 at renewal. The difference is the registry agent’s service charge, which the province’s page now lists separately.
Do you have to switch?
No. There’s no requirement to get the Moraine Lake plate. Your current plate stays valid as long as it’s in good condition, and renewing your registration doesn’t mean you have to swap it.
The only exception is a worn plate. If yours is faded, peeling or hard to read, the province says you need to replace it, and an unreadable plate can get you a fine. In that case, the new plate is free.
You’ll get a new plate number
Switching means a new number. You can only keep your number if you have a personalized plate, so check with your registry about the options.
If your number changes, update it everywhere it’s linked:
Your car insurance
Parking apps and paid-parking accounts
Workplace, condo or residential parking permits
Toll, car-share or fleet accounts
Parking is the easy one to miss. If your app still has your old number, it won’t match the car.
Why it says “Strong and Free”
The province says the motto is a nod to Canada’s national anthem, and to Alberta’s position as “a strong and sovereign province within a united Canada.” It also echoes Alberta’s Latin motto, Fortis et liber, which means “strong and free.”
Not everyone likes it. Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian group has criticized the slogan, calling it a “dog whistle for separatists.” The government says it’s about provincial pride within Canada.
Either way, it’s your choice. You can keep your old plate for as long as it’s readable.
You can’t actually drive to Moraine Lake
Here’s the ironic part. Moraine Lake is in Banff National Park, and since 2023, Parks Canada hasn’t allowed personal vehicles on Moraine Lake Road. You can get there by Parks Canada shuttle, public transit, a commercial tour or by bike, but not in your own car.
So the lake on your plate is one place your car can’t take you.
How Albertans picked it
The province put eight designs to a public vote in the fall of 2025. More than 240,000 votes were cast over three rounds. That’s votes, not voters, since people could vote in more than one round.
Moraine Lake beat a runner-up design showing mountains, oil rigs and two people riding a horse.
The new plate also uses reflective material, which makes it easier for police and automated cameras to read in low light, and harder to counterfeit.
How to get one
Go to any Alberta registry agent and tell them whether you’re:
switching a plate you already have
renewing your registration
replacing a lost, stolen or damaged plate
For a lost or stolen plate, report it to the police where it happened and get a police file number first. For a damaged plate, you’ll need to sign a declaration that it’s damaged.
Ask the registry what to do with your old plate.
The province’s other plates, including conservation, Oilers, Flames and Support Our Troops, are separate programs with their own ordering. This new design only replaces the standard plate.
The bottom line
Want the new look? Wait until renewal and pay $15, or pay $35 to get it now.
Plate damaged or new car? You’ll get the new plate at no extra plate fee.
Happy with what you’ve got? Keep it. It’s still valid.
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