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Alberta to roll out new ID cards in July, replacing provincial paper health cards

  • The Canadian Press

  • Canadian Press

  • June 3, 2026

Alberta's government is issuing new and renewed cards that will incorporate personal health numbers and Canadian citizenship markers as shown in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Government of Alberta (Mandatory Credit)

EDMONTON -- Alberta's government says it will begin rolling out three-in-one identification cards, ultimately replacing the province's long-reviled paper health cards

Starting July 2, new driver's licences and ID cards will include resident's health numbers and citizenship markers, a move the government says will streamline access to services.

But the inclusion of a citizenship marker has drawn concern it will lead to discrimination.

The iconography of the card is changing, too.

An oil pumpjack replaces the icon of a dinosaur fossil, and the words "Alberta Strong and Free" mark the back.

Eventually, the cards will be made available for children who are eligible for provincial health-care insurance.

This report by was first published June 3, 2026.