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FAQ - Aviation Document Booklet

The Aviation Document Booklet is provided to flight crew members and air traffic controllers as evidence that they have qualified for certain aviation-related permits, licences, certificates and ratings.

To determine whether the Aviation Document Booklet can satisfy requirements imposed by other legislation or whether the document can be used in support of applications to another department, agency or institution, one would have to consult that particular department, agency or institution.
  1. What is the new Aviation Document Booklet?
  2. Why is Transport Canada implementing this new format?
  3. What must I do to obtain the new booklet?
  4. Where can aviation personnel obtain an application form?
  5. Will this booklet cost me anything?
  6. If I hold multiple licences/permits, do I have to submit an application form for each licence/permit?
  7. When submitting an application form for a new booklet, will I receive one booklet that will hold all my licences and permits or multiple booklets, each holding a separate licence or permit?
  8. Why do we need to have photographs attached to a licence or permit?
  9. How will my licence, permit or medical certificate be inserted into the booklet?
  10. Is a Licence or Permit Label a valid document on its own?
  11. What happens if I don’t apply for a new Aviation Document Booklet?
  12. Are any previous licences / permits / medical certificates not included in the booklet issued to me, still valid documentation?
  13. What will happen if I submit my application for the booklet too late and have not received a booklet by the time my licence expires?
  14. Will I get a booklet if don’t have a language proficiency recorded with Transport Canada?
  15. What is the Competency Record found on page 13 and 14 of the booklet?
  16. What happens if my Aviation Document Booklet or licence, permit or medical certificate label is lost, stolen, not received in the mail or rendered illegible?
  17. When my booklet expires, do all my privileges for the licence(s)/permit(s) also expire?
  18. Can a booklet be issued if I do not hold a licence or permit?
  19. What happens if I have submitted my application for a booklet but need to renew my medical certificate and have not received the booklet from Transport Canada?
  20. Will I get a booklet if don’t supply a photograph to Transport Canada with my booklet application?
  21. What are the security features you talk about?
  22. What are the dimensions of the new booklet?
  23. Is the personal information I provide to you protected, especially my photograph?
  24. What is the Competency Record found on pages 13 and 14 of the Aviation Document Booklet?
  25. What happens if my Aviation Document Booklet is lost, stolen, not received in the mail or rendered illegible and I urgently need documents to allow me to exercise the privileges of my licence or permit?

1. What is the new Aviation Document Booklet?

The Aviation Document Booklet is a new format of presenting licences, permits and medical certificates. It consolidates these documents in one convenient book and adds features that allows photo identification of the holder and enhances security.

2. Why is Transport Canada implementing this new format?

A Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) study of fifty federal documents on  “Document Security Risk Analysis”, determined that current Canadian aviation documents (flight crew licences and medical certificates) fell into a high-risk category. The CBSA made recommendations to address the security-related risks in the Report on Document Security in the Government of Canada dated June 2006. 

Based on these recommendations, Transport Canada approved the design and implementation of a new format for flight crew and air traffic controller licences.
The Aviation Document Booklet will look similar to the Canadian Passport and comply with the CBSA security recommendations.  It will consolidate four documents: licences, permits, medical certificates and records of competency.  It will be valid for five years and will conform to international standards.

3. What must I do to obtain the new booklet?

You will be able to obtain a new Aviation Document Booklet through any Transport Canada regional licensing office by confirmation of basic licensing information on the applicable application form and submitting a passport-style photograph.

If you’re an existing Canadian licence or permit document holder, you will have to look at the “Schedule for Converting Existing Licences or Permits” to determine when you need to submit an application form.

If you are a new licence or permit applicant, you will have to first meet all existing CAR requirements for licence or permit issue and then complete the existing licence or permit application form (Application for Flight Crew Permits/Licences) and complete the Application form for the new Aviation Document Booklet (Application for Aviation Document Booklet)

The existing Canadian holder is not required to pay any fee for converting existing documents into the booklet format; however, the current fee schedule for Personnel Licensing and Training remains in effect for applicants for new licences, permits and ratings.

4. Where can aviation personnel obtain an application form?

Further information about the new Aviation Document Booklet, Application forms (For Current and New licence applicants) and information about how to convert existing documents, is available from any Transport Canada regional licensing office or on the New Format for Licences and Permits website at http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/general-personnel-changes-3419.htm

5. Will this booklet cost me anything?

No. The only cost that you will incur will be the cost of obtaining a passport photograph from a commercial photographer and mailing cost of your application form.

The current fee schedule for Personnel Licensing and Training remains in effect for applicants for new licences, permits and ratings.

6. If I hold multiple licences/permits, do I have to submit an application form for each licence/permit?

No. The application form is for the Aviation Document Booklet only. Your licences, permits and medical certificates will be printed in the booklet at time of production and thereafter all future licences, permits and medical certificates will be kept in that one booklet.

7. When submitting an application form for a new booklet, will I receive one booklet that will hold all my licences and permits or multiple booklets, each holding a separate licence or permit?

You will receive one booklet only. All of your licences, permits and medical certificates will be kept in one booklet.

8. Why do we need to have photographs attached to a licence or permit?

Photographs are one of many security enhancements made to the booklet and the associated licences, permits and medical certificates. A study on all federal documents conducted by Canada Borders Services Agency, identified the current style licence, permit and medical certificate as high-risk documents. Many recommendations were made that Transport Canada acknowledged. General Aviation was tasked to propose designs for the new format. It was at this stage that the inclusion of photo identification was introduced as a requirement for added security and potential for future upgrades to the use of the booklet.

9. How will my licence, permit or medical certificate be inserted into the booklet?

Licence, permits and medical certificates will be presented in the form of stick on labels, similar to stickers used on licence plates. There are two ways Transport Canada will do this:

  • With every issue of a new booklet, Transport Canada will have the most recent licences, permits and medical certificates that are available in the licensing system, printed into the booklet on the appropriate pages by the contractor. The printed labels will be made to look like the real stick on labels and have the same security features of the stick on label.
  • With every subsequent issue of a licence, permit or medical certificate, Transport Canada will have a stick on label printed by the contractor and this will then be mailed to the holder. The holder will now be responsible to attach the stick on label on the appropriate page in the booklet. Insert instructions will be provided.

10. Is a Licence or Permit Label a valid document on its own?

No. Labels must be attached into the booklet in the appropriate section. Labels are valid only when the booklet number printed on the label matches the booklet inventory number found on page 24 of the holder’s booklet.

11. What happens if I don’t apply for a new Aviation Document Booklet?

The licences, permits and medical certificates, in the current format, will expire in the future. You will no longer be allowed to exercise the privileges of your licence or permit after the expiry date published in the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
Transport Canada plans a phased-in approach for the initial booklet issue. Current documents will expire according to Transport Canada’s document replacement schedule.

Please see the Advisory Circular found on the General Aviation website, to help you determine when you need to submit your application and when your applicable licence or permit will expire. The Advisory Circular is available at Advisory Circular for Aviation Document Booklet.

12. Are any previous licences / permits / medical certificates not included in the booklet issued to me, still valid documentation?

No. Once you have been issued a booklet all other licences, permits and medical certificates are no longer valid.

13. What will happen if I submit my application for the booklet too late and have not received a booklet by the time my licence expires?

Your licence will expire on the date associated with your licence or permit, as indicated in the table published in the Canadian Aviation Regulations. You will no longer be allowed to exercise the privileges of your licence or permit after the expiry date.

Please see the Advisory Circular found on the General Aviation website, to help you determine when you need to have your photographs taken, when to submit your application and when your applicable licence or permit will expire. The Advisory Circular is available at Advisory Circular for Aviation Document Booklet.

14. Will I get a booklet if don’t have a language proficiency recorded with Transport Canada?

No. Language proficiency will be a licensing requirement for issuance in accordance with the CARs.

15. What is the Competency Record found on page 13 and 14 of the booklet?

The ‘Competency Record” is a table that will be used by authorized persons as delegated by the minister only. The record is an informal record of the holder’s competencies as required by the type of operation the holder is involved in. This record will be used for CAR Subpart 604, Part 7 or ATC operations.

16. What happens if my Aviation Document Booklet or licence, permit or medical certificate label is lost, stolen, not received in the mail or rendered illegible?

You will have to report the occurrence to your regional licensing office by submitting a declaration stating the circumstance of the occurrence. For more information about the declaration, please contact your regional licensing office.

Application for Re-Issue of Civil Aviation Licensing Document
(Replaces the old Transport Canada “Re-Issue of Lost/Destroyed CAD” form)

17. When my booklet expires, do all my privileges for the licence(s)/permit(s) also expire?

Yes. You will have to ensure that you apply for a new Aviation Document Booklet before the expiry date found on page 1 of your current booklet. Transport Canada recommends that new applications be submitted 90 days prior to the expiry date.

18. Can a booklet be issued if I do not hold a licence or permit?

No. An Aviation Document Booklet will only be issued once you hold a licence or permit, other than a student pilot permit (SPP).

19. What happens if I have submitted my application for a booklet but need to renew my medical certificate and have not received the booklet from Transport Canada?

Go and do the flight medical examination using the current paper medical certificate. The internal process will automatically update the results of your most recent medical examination. If the booklet is mailed with old medical information, you should report this discrepancy to your Transport Canada Regional Office. Transport Canada will mail a new updated medical label as soon as it has processed your most recent medical examination report.

20. Will I get a booklet if don’t supply a photograph to Transport Canada with my booklet application?

No. The Photograph is a licensing requirement for issuance in accordance with the CARs.

21. What are the security features you talk about?

These are classified but suffice to say that secure inks, machine-readable bar codes, complicated design and other invisible security features found in the Canadian passport, are used. These features are present in both the booklet and the label.

22. What are the dimensions of the new booklet?

The dimensions of the booklet are 88mm x 125mm. These dimensions are governed by ICAO document 9303 standards for machine-readable travel documents. Transport Canada decided to go with the machine-readable format (passport type) to allow for easy readability for humans and machines. In comparison, the dimensions of the wallet you used to buy from your local aviation store measures about 80mm x 115mm.

23. Is the personal information I provide to you protected, especially my photograph?

Yes. Transport Canada licensing branch has the required federal privacy policy in place to protect the information you have provided. For more information on our privacy policy, please visit the General Aviation website at New Format for Licences and Permits.

24. What is the Competency Record found on pages 13 and 14 of the Aviation Document Booklet?

The Competency Record is a table that will only be used by authorized persons as delegated by the Minister. It is an informal, non-Transport Canada regulated, record of the holder’s competencies, as required by the type of operation the holder is involved in. This record will be used for Canadian Aviation Regulation (CAR) Subpart 604, Part VII or ATC operations.

25. What happens if my Aviation Document Booklet is lost, stolen, not received in the mail or rendered illegible and I urgently need documents to allow me to exercise the privileges of my licence or permit?

You will have to report the occurrence to your regional licensing office by submitting a declaration stating the circumstance of the occurrence and your circumstances. The regional licensing office may provide a “90-day document” granting temporary privileges for the licence or permit you require.

 

Date modified:
2011-04-08