How to Become a Professional Planner in Alberta
Do you need a licence?
Licence required
You must be registered with the Alberta Professional Planners Institute to work as a professional planner in Alberta or to use a protected title.
- Protected titles
- RPP
Show the source
“Planners who are not members of APPI may practice in Alberta, but they may not call themselves Registered Professional Planners (RPP) as APPI cannot regulate the activities or ethics of non members.”
From albertaplanners.com/membership/membership-faqs, checked October 11, 2026.
At a glance
- Licence status
- Licence required See the source
- Routes
-
- Trained in Canada: 4 steps
- Licensed in another province: 2 steps
- Trained outside Canada: 1 step
- Annual fees
- Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Your roadmap
Tick each step as you finish it. Your ticks are kept in this browser only.
Trained in Canada
0 of 4 done
- 4 steps without a listed fee
-
Review and choose the category of membership you want to apply for.
Source
“Review and choose your Category of Membership.”
albertaplanners.com/content/application-process -
Have your qualifications assessed by the Professional Standards Board, which then notifies APPI when the assessment is complete.
Source
“For Candidate Membership, assessment of qualifications by the nationally-based Professional Standards Board (PSB) for the planning profession in Canada is required. The PSB will then notify APPI once your assessment is complete.”
albertaplanners.com/content/application-process -
The APPI Registration Committee reviews your membership application.
Source
“APPI Registration Committee will vet your membership application.”
albertaplanners.com/content/application-process -
APPI notifies you of your official membership acceptance and issues a separate invoice for the current year member dues.
Source
“APPI will advise you of your official membership acceptance and issue a separate invoice for the current year member dues.”
albertaplanners.com/content/application-process
Listed fees for this route
No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with APPI
4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.
Licensed in another province
0 of 2 done
- 2 steps without a listed fee
- Listed time: 0.2 months (only 1 of 2 steps state a time)
-
Make a transfer request with your existing provincial or territorial institute to transfer your membership to APPI.
Source
“If you would like to transfer your membership from another PTIA to APPI, simply make a transfer request with your existing PTIA.”
albertaplanners.com/content/changing-member-status-and-transfers -
APPI processes and approves the transfer application, usually within five business days or less.
Time: 5 daysTime source
“In most cases, transfer applications are fully processed and approved within five business days or less.”
albertaplanners.com/content/changing-member-status-and-transfersSource
“In most cases, transfer applications are fully processed and approved within five business days or less.”
albertaplanners.com/content/changing-member-status-and-transfers
Listed fees for this route
No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with APPI
2 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.
Trained outside Canada
0 of 1 done
- 1 step without a listed fee
-
Applicants with a non-accredited degree who are employed in professional planning can acquire the competencies for the profession through professional experience via the Prior Learning Assessment Recognition route administered by the Professional Standards Board.
Source
“The PLAR route offers those with a non-accredited degree who are employed in professional planning to acquire the competencies for the planning profession via professional experience.”
albertaplanners.com/content/categories
Listed fees for this route
No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with APPI
1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.
Other listed fees
The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.
- APPI Professional Practitioner Course and Written Exam fee: $625
Source
“Register using the online system: click here. The fee is $625.00, no GST and the Course Notes, Confirmation Letter with PreCourse Assignment and the Course Reading Booklet will be emailed to you upon receipt of payment.”
albertaplanners.com/professional-development/appi-courses
Requirements
Education
RPP members must have met the membership requirements for education and responsible professional planning experience.
Source
“A RPP member is a professional practicing planner who has met all the membership requirements for education and responsible professional planning experience.”
albertaplanners.com/content/categories
Experience
Candidate members must obtain validated responsible professional planning work experience to become a Registered Professional Planner.
Source
“A candidate member is a practicing planner who is in the process of meeting the criteria by obtaining validated responsible professional planning work experience to become a Registered Professional Planner.”
albertaplanners.com/content/categoriesAll Candidate members seeking RPP status must participate in a mentorship program for a minimum of one year.
Source
“All Candidate members seeking certified Registered Professional Planners (RPP) status are required to participate in a mentorship program for a minimum of one year, to support the responsible professional planning experience (sponsorship) requirement.”
albertaplanners.com/membership/roles-employers-membersA minimum of 4 years of planning experience is required to enroll in the APPI Professional Practitioner Course and Written Exam.
Source
“A minimum of 4 years planning experience is required to enroll in this course.”
albertaplanners.com/professional-development/appi-courses
Other
All regulated APPI members must report a minimum of 18 Learning Units annually under the Continuous Professional Learning program.
Source
“All regulated APPI members (Registered Professional Planners and Candidate members, including Non-Practicing RPPs and Candidates) are required to report a minimum of 18 Learning Units (LUs) annually.”
albertaplanners.com/members/reporting-cpl-units
Already licensed in another province?
Direct transfer
Members transferring to APPI from another PTIA are not required to pay any additional fees or undertake any additional certification requirements as long as they are members in good standing with their existing PTIA. Source
“Members transferring to APPI from another PTIA are not required to pay any additional fees as long as they are members in good standing with their existing PTIA, nor are they required to undertake any additional certification requirements.”
albertaplanners.com/content/changing-member-status-and-transfers
Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Credential assessment
Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Exams
-
oral examination
Source
“This means logging the appropriate amount of experience by submitting the traditional logbook for validation by the APPI Registration Committee, successfully completing the written examination (for those who do not hold a recognized planning degree) and successfully sitting the oral examination.”
albertaplanners.com/professional-development/appi-courses
Language tests
Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Canadian experience
Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Supervised practice
Not stated by the regulator Check with APPI
Demand and pay
| Where | Low | Median | High | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $24.04 | $52.50 | $65.00 | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Canada | $28.21 | $46.15 | $65.00 | — |
Professional planners in other provinces and territories
- British Columbia Not confirmed yet
- Saskatchewan Not confirmed yet
- Manitoba Not confirmed yet
- Ontario Not confirmed yet
- Quebec Licence required
- New Brunswick Licence required
- Nova Scotia Licence required
- Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
- Newfoundland and Labrador Not confirmed yet
- Yukon Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories Licence required
- Nunavut Licence required
Sources checked
- Membership FAQ's | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/membership/membership-faqs · fetched October 10, 2026
- Application Process | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/content/application-process · fetched October 11, 2026
- Changing Member Status and Transfers | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/content/changing-member-status-and-transfers · fetched October 11, 2026
- Categories | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/content/categories · fetched October 11, 2026
- Roles of Employers & Members | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/membership/roles-employers-members · fetched October 10, 2026
- APPI Courses | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/professional-development/appi-courses · fetched October 10, 2026
- Reporting CPL Units | Alberta Professional Planners Institute albertaplanners.com/members/reporting-cpl-units · fetched October 10, 2026
Frequently asked questions
2
Do you need a licence to work as a professional planner in Alberta?
Yes. Registration with the Alberta Professional Planners Institute is required to practise in Alberta, and to use the title RPP.
Which exams are required?
oral examination.
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