SafeRoads Alberta – Not a Simple System

If you were stopped for impaired driving, failing to provide a sample, or blowing over, you were likely given a Notice of Administrative Penalty. It’s also known as an N-A-P, also known as a NAP, also known as an Immediate Roadside Sanction, also known as an IRS… and the confusion doesn’t stop there. We’re here to give you tips and tricks for how to deal with this situation.

Most importantly, do not pay the fine, if you pay the fine you will be cancelling any hearing that was already set up for you or it will preclude you from setting up the hearing.

Don’t sit on it – you only have seven days to appeal! You can sometimes apply for an extension, but they’re not always granted.

If you try to go onto the portal, you may find yourself banging your head against the wall. To start, you have to input the A-O number by typing the A and typing the O at the beginning and the end. If you get an error message that says that nothing has been uploaded – check back with us in 48 hours.  It may mean that the officer is just slow in getting the documents onto the portal, but it may also mean there’s another problem.

If you get an error message saying that the Notice of Administrative Penalty is not found, that could be a couple of things. Ensure you have entered all your information, the A-O number and date of offence correctly.

If you are still getting that error message, it probably means the officer made a mistake. They may have inputted your name wrong, put in the wrong date, or put in the wrong time (yes, they do these things). If the officer made a mistake like that, you won’t get into the portal, and you will have a very hard time trying to ensure that whatever mistake the officer made is corrected on their end. We can help you with that.

When you go into the portal, if you finally do get in, don’t panic! Don’t look at it and think it’s hopeless. You are not looking at that information the way a lawyer would. Our impaired driving lawyers examine your file through the lenses of the most recent cases and the relevant legislation: the Alberta Provincial Administrative Penalties Act, the Provincial Administrative Penalties Regulation, the Traffic Safety Act, and the SafeRoads Alberta Regulation.

If you have been stopped for impaired driving, blowing over, or refusal, call us at 780-488-4460 or complete our Contact Form. Within 24-hours of being retained, we guarantee we will have your appeal started.