Suspended Driver Program vehicle seizure review

Overview

You may request a vehicle seizure review if:

you are the driver and recipient of the Seizure Notice under Section 35(1) of the Traffic Safety Act by establishing one or more of the grounds set out in Section 11 of the Vehicle Seizure and Removal Regulation.
your vehicle was seized pursuant to section 94, 94.1 or 173 of the Traffic Safety Act

Suspended Driver Vehicle Seizure Program vehicle seizure review request

To request a review, you must:

apply online within 7 days of the issuance of the Seizure Notice
select a preferred date for your written review
provide your contact information for preferred method of contact
provide a written submission
agree to the terms and conditions
pay the non-refundable application fee of $150

Hardship is not considered a ground for review of a vehicle seizure.

Owners are responsible for all costs involved in the vehicle seizure. Applying for a review does not guarantee the return of your vehicle.

Representation

If you choose to be represented by a lawyer or an agent, you must enter the representative’s information and upload the completed Consent to Representation form to the SafeRoads portal.

You are responsible for any costs for the representative.

Translator

You can use a translator for your written review submission if you need translation to the English language.

You must make arrangements for the translation and submission of your written review and are responsible for any costs for the translator.

Scheduling your review

After you submit your request for a review through the SafeRoads portal you will receive notification from SafeRoads Alberta by your preferred contact method within 2 business days with confirmation of your review date and time.

Any supporting documents, records, representations, arguments and evidence you want to have considered as part of your review must be submitted through the SafeRoads portal.

Request for late review

If you did not apply for a review within 7 days of the date of issuance of your Seizure Notice or your review was deemed abandoned, you can submit a request for a late review up to 12 months after the date of issuance.

To request a late review, you must:

apply through the SafeRoads portal
provide the reason for your request
provide any required supporting documentation
pay the non-refundable fee of $50

An application for late review is limited to the grounds listed in the Provincial Administrative Penalties Regulation. Find out more about late review requests on the Find your notice page.

You will be notified of the decision to approve or deny your request through the SafeRoads portal.

Uploading your supporting documents

You and/or your representative must submit all of your supporting documents through the SafeRoads portal at least 2 full calendar days before the scheduled review. (Section 11 of the Vehicle Seizure and Removal Regulation).

Supporting documents may include:

your written submission
photographs
video and/or audio recordings
witness statement(s)
technical materials

SafeRoads Alberta will only accept supporting documents submitted through the SafeRoads portal. No other forms of submission will be accepted or considered as part of the review.

For more information about supporting document requirements including accepted file formats and sizes, please see SafeRoads support.

During the review

The adjudicator will consider only the supporting documents provided by you or your representative and the law enforcement agency within the required timelines, as well as the Traffic Safety Act, the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act, and associated regulations in order to render their decision to confirm or cancel the Seizure Notice.

As all vehicle seizure reviews are written, you or your representative do not attend the review.

After the review

After your review is complete, the adjudicator will make their decision to confirm or cancel your Seizure Notice.

You will be notified by your preferred contact method when the adjudicator’s decision is available in the SafeRoads portal. The date that the decision is made available on the SafeRoads portal is considered the date the decision was provided to you in accordance with Section 22 of the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act.

If your Seizure Notice is cancelled, a Seized Vehicle Release Authorization will be provided to the tow lot where your vehicle is impounded to release your vehicle.

If your preferred method of communication is by telephone, a copy of the decision will be delivered by mail to the preferred mailing address as identified in the SafeRoads portal. The Government of Alberta has no control of Canada Post delivery dates so you may receive the mailed copy of the decision after the 30 days.

Judicial review

You may seek judicial review of decisions rendered by SafeRoads Alberta by filing an application with the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta ,in accordance with section 47.1 of the Traffic Safety Act.

If you wish to serve a copy of your Originating Application on the Director by email, visit Service of commencement documents on the Crown for more information.