AMVIC — the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council — is the delegated authority that regulates and licenses vehicle dealers, salespeople, and related businesses in Alberta, and administers consumer protections for retail vehicle sales.

How do I check if a dealer is licensed in Alberta?

Ask for the business name and use AMVIC’s public licensee search to confirm the business and salesperson are licensed and in good standing. The name on the licence should match the business you’re dealing with.

Curbstoning is when someone who sells vehicles as a business poses as a private individual to avoid dealer licensing and consumer-protection rules. Curbstoners often move vehicles with hidden damage or undisclosed history, and selling this way in Alberta is illegal.

Why does buying from a licensed dealer matter?

Licensed AMVIC dealers are bound by consumer-protection rules and disclosure obligations, and buyers may have recourse if a vehicle was misrepresented. A private sale carries fewer protections, so knowing who you’re really dealing with changes your risk.

How can I spot a curbstoner?

Watch for a seller whose name doesn’t match the registration, who insists on meeting in a parking lot, whose phone number appears on multiple listings, or who pressures you toward a fast, cash-only deal. Any of these is a reason to slow down and verify.

Is it illegal to sell cars without an AMVIC licence in Alberta?

Selling vehicles as a business without the required AMVIC licence is not permitted in Alberta. Genuine private sales of your own vehicle are allowed, but selling repeatedly for profit while posing as a private seller crosses into illegal curbstoning.

AMVIC Dealer Check — Verify a Licensed Alberta Dealer

Not every seller who acts like a dealer is a licensed one. In Alberta, businesses that sell vehicles must be licensed by the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC), and that licensing brings real consumer protections. Before you put money down, a quick AMVIC check tells you two things: whether you’re dealing with a legitimate, accountable business, and whether a supposedly “private” seller is actually an unlicensed curbstoner offloading vehicles with problems they’d rather not disclose.

What AMVIC does

AMVIC is the delegated authority that regulates Alberta’s retail automotive industry. It licenses dealers, salespeople, automotive repair businesses, and others, sets standards of conduct, and administers consumer-protection provisions for vehicle sales. When you buy from an AMVIC-licensed business, that transaction sits inside a framework of disclosure obligations and accountability that a purely private sale does not.

Why licensing matters to you as a buyer

The practical difference shows up if something goes wrong. A licensed dealer has obligations around how a vehicle is represented and disclosed, and buyers who are misled may have avenues for recourse. A private sale is largely “buyer beware.” Neither is inherently bad — plenty of honest private sellers exist — but you should know which situation you’re in, because it changes how much of the due diligence falls on you.

How to verify a dealer with AMVIC

Ask the seller for the legal business name and, if relevant, the salesperson’s name.
Use AMVIC’s public licensee search to confirm the business and salesperson are licensed and in good standing.
Check that the name on the licence matches the business, signage, and paperwork in front of you.
If anything doesn’t line up, treat it as a warning and proceed with extra caution — or not at all.

Licensee status is verified through AMVIC directly. Alberta VIN Check is independent and not affiliated with AMVIC or the Government of Alberta.

Curbstoning: the seller pretending to be private

A curbstoner sells vehicles as a business while posing as a private individual to sidestep licensing and consumer-protection rules. It’s illegal, and it’s common because it works: buyers let their guard down with a “private” seller. The inventory a curbstoner moves often includes vehicles with hidden accident damage, rolled-back odometers, undisclosed liens, or salvage history — precisely the things a licensed dealer would be obligated to handle differently.

Red flags of a curbstoner

The name on the registration or title doesn’t match the seller.
They’ll only meet in a parking lot, gas station, or other neutral spot — never a home or business.
The same phone number turns up across multiple current vehicle listings.
They push hard for a quick, cash-only close and discourage inspections.
They can’t answer basic questions about the vehicle’s history or say they’re “selling it for a friend.”

Protect yourself either way

Whether you’re buying from a dealer or a genuine private seller, the core checks are the same: confirm the VIN matches everywhere, run a PPR lien search, check open recalls, and get an independent pre-purchase inspection. Verifying AMVIC status simply tells you how much protection the transaction itself carries.

Last reviewed: January 2026

AMVIC dealer check