Aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) credential change notice

Effective February 15, 2018, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) credentials (credit card style licence) will be issued with a ten (10) year validity period instead of a six (6) year validity. In addition, a photograph will no longer be required as part of the issuance or renewal of an AME licence and therefore the photograph will not be printed on the credential.

The changes will benefit both AMEs and Transport Canada as it will reduce the cost and time involved in the issuance of an AME licence as well as increase the time between renewals for AMEs.

Please note that the following Transport Canada Civil Aviation documents are affected:

  1. Airworthiness Notice (AN) C011, Edition 4, 2006-07-18, General Information - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licensing and Training;
  2. Maintenance Staff Instruction (MSI) #18, Revision 6, 2005-03-15 – Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) Licensing Procedures;
  3. Maintenance Staff Instruction (MSI) #48, Revision 3, 2006-09-27 – Aircraft Maintenance Engineer System (AMES)

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions:

Question (Q) – Will my AME licence be replaced with the ten (10) year valid period?

Answer (A): Effective February 15, 2018, AME credentials will be issued with the new ten (10) year validity and no photograph during initial issuance, renewal or reissue of the licence only. Holders that obtain an additional rating or request a replacement licence will receive a new credential without a photograph however the validity period will remain as specified on the licence.

Q – Will the application process for an AME licence still be the same?

A – Yes. The only changes are the validity period and a photograph will no longer be required as part of the initial issuance and renewal of a licence.

Q – Will there be an increase in cost associated with the new ten year validity?

A – No. The charges will remain the same as specified in Schedule IV of Part I, Subpart 4 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

Q – Is there an advantage to renew my licence early?

A – There is no advantage for early renewal. We recommend you submit your application in a timely manner, e.g. 6 months prior to your licence expiring, in order to provide Transport Canada sufficient time to process the renewal and issue the credential.

Q – Will there be other changes to the AME licence?

A – A new design of the AME credential is currently underway. The update of the card will include some new content and enhancements. The credential will remain as a credit card style licence.