Manitoba Public Insurance plans to remove home addresses from non-commercial vehicle registrations out of privacy concerns this spring.

"Vehicle registration cards are often left inside the vehicle, which makes them susceptible to being taken should the vehicle be broken into," Crown Services Minister Ron Schuler said in a statement Tuesday.

"Removal of the registered owner address will ensure the privacy, confidentiality and security of registered vehicle owners is maintained in these cases."

Commercial vehicles for the most part won't be impacted by the change, MPI says, as they often contain the addresses of businesses and therefore aren't as vulnerable to the same privacy issues.

Vehicle owners renewing registrations as of March 1 will no longer have their home addresses on the documentation.

The Crown corporation will be issuing new cards without addresses "at no cost as policyholders renew or make vehicle or insurance changes that trigger printing of new vehicle registration documents," MPI vice-president of business development, Ward Keith, said in a statement.

The full transition to the new system will take about five years.

Drivers can apply early for the new registrations. MPI will take applications starting March 1 at insurance brokers and MPI service centres. The cost is $15.