Alberta woman says marriage record rejected as ID for licence renewal
Posted Aug 21, 2026 8:32 am.
Albertans are continuing to share frustrations with the new identification rules for renewing their health cards and driver’s licences.
That includes one woman from Spruce Grove who says she’s facing challenges with her marriage licence.
Eighty-three-year-old Bernice English, a widow, never expected to have her marriage of 59 years questioned.
“I don’t ever think I felt disrespected like I did on Tuesday when they said no,” English told CityNews.
“It’s my life. It’s my proof. It shows what I did. Why can you not accept that?”
English and her late husband David were married in Quebec more than 60 years ago.
She went to the registry this week to find out what she needs to renew her driver’s licence, knowing new ID requirements are now in place for Alberta’s combined driver’s licence and health card with citizenship markers.
But when she showed the registry agent her marriage registration – needed to prove her legal name change and citizenship – she was told it wasn’t acceptable because it doesn’t include “vital statistics.”
Unsure how to get those from another province, English is now looking at getting a passport for some alternative ID – an added expense and hurdle she says is difficult for her.
“You only have one now. It’s got five identifications on it, but it is one piece of paper. It just blows my mind that people can actually think this is helpful,” she said.
CityNews asked the Ministry of Service Alberta about cases like English’s.
A spokesperson says out-of-province marriage certificates are a valid piece of additional ID that can be used to help prove citizenship, adding Albertans will have a 60-day and 30-day notice before their cards expire so they have time to track down the documents they need.
–With files from Lauren Boothby
