Guides

Buying, importing and documenting a car in Canada

Plain-language guides, checked against official sources. No sales pitch — the product appears only where it solves the step.

• 7 min read · Checked September 19, 2026Importing a JDM car to Canada: the 15-year rule, chassis numbers and the paperwork to keepHow the federal 15-year rule works, what Alberta asks for before a Japanese-market car gets plates, and the records worth keeping from day one.
• 6 min read · Checked September 19, 2026Buying a used car privately in Alberta: a checklist that fits on one pageThe checks Alberta recommends before you pay a private seller — ownership, registry report, lien search, inspection — plus how to read the service history.
• 5 min read · Checked September 19, 2026Lost the service book? How to rebuild your car’s service historyWhere to look for missing service records — the car, old shops, your own email and bank statements — and how to reconstruct a history you can honestly show a buyer.
• 5 min read · Checked September 23, 2026Winter tires in Alberta: the law, the dates that apply next door, and when to switchAlberta does not require winter tires — but Banff’s highways, BC and Quebec do, on set dates. Which tires count, and when to book the changeover.
• 4 min read · Checked September 28, 2026Scan your car’s paper history with your phone and turn it into a dated service recordInvoices, receipts, a bill of sale: scan the folder with an iPhone or Android, add it to your car in one go, and get the history sorted by date.