The SAAQ is adopting a new approach to monitoring the health of drivers once they turn 75. They will now be required to complete a mandatory Self-Declaration of Medical Information (PDF, 180.5 ko) form. This form replaces the medical reports that were previously required, which had to be completed by health care professionals.
In order to reduce the impact of this change on 75-year-old drivers, use of the new form has been implemented progressively since December 2021.
If this new approach applies to you, you will soon receive a letter explaining the new procedure. If you don’t receive a letter, it simply means that you don’t have anything to do.
In Québec, all drivers must satisfy requirements concerning their state of health and eyesight. They are also required to notify the SAAQ of any change that could hinder their ability to drive.
Regardless of the vehicle you drive or your age, driving requires sound physical and mental health, along with good eyesight.
In addition to the mandatory medical assessments – for which we will send you a letter – you must notify us of any change to your state of health that could hinder your ability to drive within 30 days of that change.
The frequency of the medical assessments or vision tests varies according to:
If you hold a Class 5 licence (automobile), a Class 6A, 6B, 6C or 6E licence (motorcycle), a Class 6D licence (moped or motorized scooter) or a Class 8 licence (farm tractor), once you turn 75, you must disclose your state of health using the self-declaration of medical information form. You will be sent a copy of the form along with an explanatory letter 6 months before your birthday.
Once you turn 80, and every two years thereafter, you will have to undergo a medical examination and a vision test carried out by a health care professional. You will be sent the medical examination and vision test forms 6 months before your birthday, along with an explanatory letter.
If you hold a Class 1, 2, or 3 licence (road tractor, bus, straight-body truck), a Class 4A or 4B licence (emergency vehicle or minibus), you are required to undergo a medical examination:
To drive a vehicle in the United States that requires a Class 1, 2, 3 or 4B licence, assessments are required:
In order to prevent the suspension of your licence or of your right to obtain one, you must make an appointment as soon as possible with your health care professional and send us the Medical Examination Report form (PDF, 280.1 ko) before the prescribed deadline.
Even if you are in good health and have many years of driving experience, certain health or vision problems may appear with age.
This is why all drivers aged 75 must declare their state of health using the self-declaration of medical information form (PDF, 180.5 ko).
Every driver aged 80 or over must undergo a medical examination by a physician or a specialized nurse practitioner and a vision test carried out by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist according to the following schedule:
Contrary to what you may think, very few people who undergo a medical examination or vision test lose their licence.
However, several drivers subsequently have conditions to respect, e.g. avoiding driving at night, having to wear eyeglasses to drive, etc.
When a medical examination reveals problems that could hinder a person's ability to drive, we sometimes have the person undergo a road test in order to render an informed decision about the licence.
You have to schedule an appointment with the physician or a specialized nurse practitioner of your choice.
On the day of the appointment, bring the forms we enclosed with your letter for the physician or a specialized nurse practitioner to fill out and sign.
We cannot help you find a physician, nor can we help you schedule an appointment more quickly. If you do not have a family physician, consult the government’s health and wellness portal to find a resource near your home that offers medical consultations without an appointment.
You must contact your CISSS or CIUSSS to find out whether any primary care specialized nurse practitioners work in your area. In most cases, you must be registered on your region’s patient waiting list through your CISSS or CIUSSS. When spots open for new patients, you will be contacted.
It is important that you send us the Medical Examination Report (PDF, 298.0 ko) before the deadline indicated in your letter to avoid the suspension of your driver’s licence or your right to obtain one.
You have to schedule an appointment with an optometrist who is a member of the Ordre des optométristes du Québec or with an ophthalmologist (Web sites in French only).
On the day of the test, bring the forms we enclosed with your letter for the optometrist or ophthalmologist to fill out and sign.
We cannot help you find an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, nor can we help you schedule an appointment more quickly. We suggest you go to the Web site of the Ordre des optométristes du Québec or the Association des médecins ophtalmologistes du Québec (Web sites in French only) to find one in your region.
It is important that you send us the medical report before the deadline indicated in your letter to avoid the suspension of your driver’s licence or your right to obtain one.
Once your examination reports have been completed and signed by the physician or specialized nurse practitioner and the optometrist or ophthalmologist, you must mail them to us at the address below:
Service de l’évaluation médicale et du suivi du comportement
Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
Case postale 19500, succursale Terminus
Québec (Québec) G1K 8J5
It is important that you send us the medical report before the deadline indicated in your letter to avoid the suspension of your driver’s licence or your right to obtain one.
After we have analyzed your medical examination and vision test reports, we will render one of the following decisions:
You can apply for a review of the decision with our review office.
If you still disagree with the decision, you can contest it before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec.
You may also contest our decision directly before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec without first filing an application for review with our review office.
Rest assured!
You should know that very few people have their driver's licence withdrawn after a medical examination or vision test. However, some people have to respect certain conditions to be allowed to continue to drive. For example:
All holders of a Class 1, 2, 3, 4A or 4B licence must undergo a medical examination:
If you drive a vehicle that requires a Classe 1, 2, 3 or 4B licence in the United States, the assessments are required:
You have to schedule an appointment with the physician or a specialized nurse practitioner of your choice.
On the day of the appointment, bring the forms we enclosed with your letter for the physician or a specialized nurse practitioner to fill out and sign.
We cannot help you find a physician, nor can we help you schedule an appointment more quickly. If you do not have a family physician, consult the government’s health and wellness portal to find a resource near your home that offers medical consultations without an appointment.
You must contact your CISSS or CIUSSS to find out whether any primary care specialized nurse practitioners work in your area. In most cases, you must be registered on your region’s patient waiting list through your CISSS or CIUSSS. When spots open for new patients, you will be contacted.
It is important that you send us the Medical Examination Report (PDF, 298.0 ko) before the deadline indicated in your letter to avoid the suspension of your driver’s licence or your right to obtain one.
Once your medical report has been completed and signed by the physician or specialized nurse practitioner, you must mail it to us at:
Service de l’évaluation médicale et du suivi du comportement
Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
Case postale 19500, succursale Terminus
Québec (Québec) G1K 8J5
It is important that you send us the medical report before the deadline indicated in your letter to avoid the suspension of your driver’s licence or your right to obtain one.
We will analyze the examination report and render one of the following decisions:
You can apply for a review of the decision with our review office.
If you still disagree with the decision, you can contest it before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec.
You may also contest our decision directly before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec without first filing an application for review with our review office.
You are required to report any health problem that could hinder your ability to drive safely, regarless of your age or the class of licence you hold.
If your state of health has changed, you must notify us of that fact:
To notify us of a change in your state of health, you can:
We will study your declaration and send you a letter informing you of our assessment of the situation.
After studying your declaration, we will render one of the following decisions:
You can apply for a review of the decision with our review office.
If you still disagree with the decision, you can contest it before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec.
You may also contest our decision directly before the Administrative Tribunal of Québec without first filing an application for review with our review office.
From the answers you have provided, you do not appear to have any obligations to fulfill to keep your licence.
Last update: March 3, 2022
