Cancelling a Driver's Licence or Relinquishing a Class of Licence

You can cancel your driver's licence or relinquish a class of licence. In most cases, the SAAQ can issue a reimbursement.

If you wish to reinstate a cancelled driver’s licence or a class of licence that you have relinquished, you must do so before 3 years have gone by.

Once 3 years have gone by, you will be required to take the knowledge and road tests again.

For example, if you relinquished a class of licence on April 12, 2023, you will have until April 11, 2026 to reinstate that class of licence without having to take the tests again.

Cancelling a driver's licence

You can cancel a driver's licence, a probationary licence, a learner's licence or a restricted licence.

It is possible to cancel a driver's licence and be reimbursed under the following circumstances:

  • you give up driving
  • you have been issued a licence in another jurisdiction
  • your licence has been revoked or suspended
  • the holder of the driver's licence is deceased

Procedure for cancelling a driver's licence

Online

You can cancel your driver’s licence yourself through your SAAQclic file.

By mail

You must:

  • Send us a letter requesting the cancellation of your driver's licence
    OR
  • Fill out section 3 of your driver's licence payment notice and send it to the following address:
    Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
    Case postale 19600, succursale Terminus
    Québec (Québec)  G1K 8J6

In person

Go to one of our service outlets and have your driver's licence on hand.

Cancelling the driver's licence of a deceased person

To cancel the driver's licence of a deceased person, you can:

  • send us a letter requesting the cancellation of the licence
    OR
  • go to one of our service outlets

You must:

  • enclose or present the following documents:
    • the deceased person's driver's licence
    • a copy or photocopy of the death certificate issued by the Directeur de l'état civil or another document attesting to the person's death—e.g. coroner's report, obituary, burial certificate, etc.

By telephone

If you have decided to give up driving, or if your licence is suspended or revoked, you can have your driver’s licence cancelled. The cancellation will take effect on the same day you make the request. However, please note that some situations cannot be processed by telephone.

1-800-361-7620

You must have your driver’s licence with you, on which you will find:

  • your driver’s licence number, which consists of the first letter of your last name followed by 12 digits 
  • the reference number of your licence, which consists of 9 characters

Reimbursement of driver's licence fees

Reimbursement of a cancelled licence

In the case of a driver's licence or probationary licence, we may be able to reimburse you for the fees paid for the number of complete months remaining on your licence. In the case of a learner's licence, no fees are reimbursed, except in the case of a motorcycle learner’s licence issued after January 1, 2022.

If you selected pre-authorized debits as your method of payment…

You can:

Reimbursement of a revoked or suspended licence

You may be entitled to a reimbursement of fees based on the number of months the licence is revoked or suspended. However, certain conditions apply.

Reimbursement of a cancelled Québec licence after receiving a licence from another jurisdiction

If you have received a driver's licence issued outside Québec, the reimbursement of fees will be based on the date you received the other licence and the number of months already paid for your Québec licence. You will need to present your licence issued outside Québec or provide a copy.

Reimbursement following the death of a driver's licence holder

If you bring  the original death certificate or other acceptable document and the licence to be cancelled to one of our service outlets, you may be eligible for a reimbursement of fees that had already been paid for any months following the date of death.

Relinquishing a driver's licence class

You can relinquish one or more classes of your driver's licence, probationary licence or learner's licence. For example, you could relinquish Class 6A if you are no longer interested in driving motorcycles.

Procedure for relinquishing a driver's licence class

Online

You can relinquish a driver’s licence class using SAAQclic. You will have to pay the fees required for issuing a new licence and print a provisional paper licence to use while waiting to receive your plasticized licence in the mail.

Note that if a new photo and signature are required, you must go to a service outlet to relinquish a class of licence.

In person

You can also go to a service outlet. Avoid waiting in line by making an appointment. You will have to pay the fees required for issuing a new licence, and you will receive a provisional paper licence to use while waiting to receive your plasticized licence in the mail.

Last update: March 27, 2023