How to Update Your Driver's Licence and Health Card After Divorce in PEI

Updating your provincial ID after divorce in Prince Edward Island requires an in-person visit to Access PEI — there's no online option. But the sequence matters: update your federal SIN first, or your provincial application may hit a mismatch.

Driver's Licence Update at Access PEI

Where: Any Access PEI location — Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, or O'Leary. Must be done in person.

What to bring:

• Your current physical driver's licence
• The original sealed Certificate of Divorce (Form 70T), or your Change of Name Certificate if you did a formal name change
• One additional piece of ID matching your requested name (such as your updated SIN confirmation letter or birth certificate)

Cost: $20 for a replacement licence

What happens: Access PEI issues a temporary paper licence valid for 60 days. Your new plastic card is mailed to your address within 14 business days.

Important: Your licence number stays the same. Only the name (and address, if you've moved) is updated on the card.

Health Card Update at Health PEI

Where: In person at Health PEI, at an Access PEI location, or by mail.

Mail address: Medicare Services, PO Box 3000, 126 Douses Road, Montague, PE C0A 1R0

What to bring/include:

• Your current PEI Health Card
• Certificate of Divorce (or Change of Name Certificate)
• Completed Health Card Update Form

Cost: Free — no charge for a name or address update

Processing time: Two to four weeks. Your existing 8-digit Personal Health Number stays the same.

Tip: If you're going to Access PEI in person for your driver's licence anyway, ask to process the Health PEI update at the same visit. Many Access PEI locations handle both.

The Correct Update Sequence

Don't go to Access PEI first. The correct order prevents application rejections:

1. Service Canada (SIN update) — Free. 5 business days online via My Service Canada Account, or immediate in-person processing at a Service Canada Centre. You need your Certificate of Divorce and current provincial ID.

2. Access PEI (Driver's Licence) — $20. Bring the Certificate of Divorce and your SIN confirmation (or another document in your updated name).

3. Health PEI (Health Card) — Free. Can be done the same day as the licence if visiting Access PEI in person.

4. Passport Canada — $160. Requires your updated provincial photo ID. Processing takes 10 to 20 business days.

If you attempt the passport first without an updated SIN and driver's licence, the supporting documents won't match your application and it will be rejected.

Address Changes

If you've moved as part of the separation, update your address at the same time. Access PEI will process both the name and address change in a single visit for the same $20 fee. For Health PEI, include your new address on the update form.

Notify these agencies of your address change separately:

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA My Account or Form RC325)
• Canada Post (mail forwarding — $109.95 for 12 months of forwarding from the old address)
• Elections PEI
• Your auto and home insurance providers

What About Your Children's Health Cards?

If you have children and the custody arrangement affects which parent's address is on file, you'll need to update their Health PEI cards too. Both parents can maintain the same children on their records — but the primary contact address should match the custodial parent's.

The Prince Edward Island After-Divorce Checklist includes the complete ID update sequence with a timeline tracker, so every agency gets contacted in the right order with the right documents.

See more Prince Edward Island guides →