We have been providing answers to many of the questions you may have regarding the exceptional situation presented by COVID-19. To help us serve you better, we invite you to read this FAQ before calling us or going to a service outlet.
To avoid having to wait in line, please make an appointment. Before heading to your local service outlet, be sure to check its hours.
Walk-in services are not available in all of our service outlets. Before heading out, be sure to check whether this option is available in the service outlet nearest you.
Last update: September 26, 2021
All services are offered in service outlets, with the exception ofreplacing a damaged or defective licence plate.
Photography services to renew or replace a driver’s licence or Health Insurance Card are now offered.
You can make an appointment (online or by phone) or go directly to a service outlet. Important: Before going to a service outlet, check whether or not an appointment is required at that service outlet.
Make sure to bring all the necessary documents to your appointment at the service outlet. Otherwise, you may be unable to receive the service and you will have to make another appointment. Please visit the relevant sections on our website (regarding vehicle registration or driver licensing) to find out which documents are required to carry out your operation at a service outlet.
All our online services remain available for citizens, and for businesses (in French only) and external suppliers and partners (in French only).
You can replace a damaged or defective licence plate (whose reflective film is peeling off) by making a request online.
Make your appointment online:
If you cannot make an appointment online, call us at one of the following phone numbers.
Make an appointment online or call one of the following numbers:
See the Foreign Driver’s Licence section to learn what to do depending on your situation and which number to call.
Waiting online is better than waiting in line. We recommend that you make an appointment where possible.
Appointments are required at certain service outlets. Here are the steps to follow to check whether or not you need to make an appointment before going to a service outlet near you:
Please note that in cases where an appointment is not required, during busy periods it may not be possible for everyone who has been waiting in line to be served before the end of the day. We will inform you of the number of people who can be served that day directly at the service outlet.
Outside spaces, such as tents, are considered partially covered public spaces. You must therefore wear a face covering that covers both your nose and mouth when waiting in line under a tent.
Due to the exceptional situation presented by COVID-19, we must ensure that your state of health poses no risk to other clients or to our employees.
Stay home if you:
The SAAQ wishes to emphasize the importance of complying with all the health and hygiene rules in order to ensure everyone’s safety:
In order to ensure the safety of our employees and clients, Plexiglas panels have been installed in most service centres (SAAQ offices).
Rest assured that we are making every effort to continue to offer quality services. However, your request may take longer than usual to be processed, as social distancing measures limit the number of customers we can have in our service centres at once.
Send us your questions using secure email. We will reply as soon as possible.
For any questions regarding your statement of account, please do not go to a service outlet or contact us by phone.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the photography services provided at service outlets for the renewal of driver’s licences and Health Insurance Cards were suspended. These pieces of identification were renewed using the holder’s most recent photo on file. If this applied to you, read the answers to the questions below to find out more.
However, you are now once again required to go to a service outlet if you wish to renew your pieces of identification.
If your licence was renewed during the pandemic with the most recent photo in your file, you do not have to replace it or have a new photo taken. Your licence will remain valid until the expiry date indicated.
However, if your physical appearance has changed significantly and permanently, it is recommended that you have your driver’s licence replaced, which involves having a new photo taken.
If your Health Insurance Card was renewed during the pandemic with the most recent photo in your file, you do not have to replace it or have a new photo taken. Your Health Insurance Card will remain valid until the expiry date indicated.
Photography services were temporarily suspended until September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this service has resumed, and you are once again required to go to one of our service outlets to have your driver’s licence or Health Insurance Card renewed, because a new photo must be taken.
The sanitary measures put in place by the public health authorities are applied in our service outlets. To avoid having to wait in line, we strongly recommend that you make an appointment online before heading out.
No. The photo used to renew your pieces of identification will be taken at the service outlet and must meet the specifications of the International Civil Aviation Organization .
No. The same photo will be used on both pieces of identification.
Yes. To avoid waiting in line, check to see whether your chosen service outlet allows you to make an appointment online to renew your driver’s licence and Health Insurance Card.
You can pay your driver’s licence renewal fees when you go to have your photo taken, but it is not mandatory. If you choose not to, a payment notice will be mailed to you. You will have to pay the renewal fees before the expiry date.
Yes. Here are your options:
Yes. This service is offered.
Please note that you must make an appointment by phone to obtain this service; otherwise, we cannot serve you. Visit the Foreign Driver’s Licence webpage to find out how to proceed depending on your situation and which number you should call.
In accordance with section 89 of the Highway Safety Code, new residents are authorized to drive with a licence obtained outside Québec, under certain conditions:
Yes. If you are required to take a knowledge test, you must reserve your place by phone:
f you are not required to take a knowledge test, you must make an appointment before going to a service outlet.
Yes. Here are your options:
Your driver’s licence can be renewed online. Given the current situation, we recommend that you make your payment through your financial institution even if the payment due date has passed. Keep proof of your payment with your licence.
We recommend using a payment method that does not require you to go in person (either online, by phone or by mail).
In the case of statements of offence served by the Sûreté du Québec, Contrôle routier Québec or the Agence métropolitaine des transports (AMT), you can make your payment online at amendes.qc.ca or by phone at 1-877-263-6337.
For any other fines or tickets, refer to the website of the municipal court for details and information on accepted payment methods.
If, however, you decide to go directly to a courthouse, it is best to first contact the municipal court or courthouse to find out its opening hours and capacity.
Please note that your licence will remain suspended until you have received written confirmation from the SAAQ that your payment has been received and that the suspension has been lifted.
Yes. You have up to 3 years to reacquire a cancelled or expired licence, or a licence class that you had relinquished. After that time, you will have to pass a knowledge and a road test.
For more information, visit the page Reacquiring a Driver’s Licence – Cancellation or Expiration.
Yes. You must take off your face covering to have your photo taken. You must put it back on immediately after.
Yes. It is possible to make an appointment to take a knowledge test for all classes of vehicle. Individuals who had appointments in March, April or May have been contacted. If we were unable to contact you, you must make a new appointment.
To take your knowledge test, reserve your place using our online service or by phone:
Please note that you must wear a face covering that covers both your nose and mouth during your knowledge test.
It is possible to make an appointment for a road test for vehicles belonging to Classes 1, 2, 3 (heavy vehicle) and Class 5 (automobile). Note that we do not recommend going to another region to take a test.
To take your road test, reserve your spot using our online services or by phone:
In order to ensure your safety and that of our employees, we have implemented some hygiene measures. For example, for a Class 5 road test:
Wearing a surgical mask is required during the road test. To ensure compliance, we will provide one for you. When both the examiner and examinee wear surgical masks, as recommended by the CNESSTCommission des normes de l'équité de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, the SAAQ examiner can remove his or her eye protection, which can compromise vision. In addition, if you have any symptoms related to COVID-19, you must reschedule your road test.
You can now make an appointment for the months of December, January and February. Appointments for April will be available as of:
If you cannot make it to your appointment, please change or cancel your appointment as soon as possible to allow another person to take your place.
Yes. However, the person accompanying you will have to remain outside the SAAQ’s offices and cannot accompany you in the vehicle during your road test. These measures have been put in place to meet the social distancing requirements issued by public health authorities.
Yes. Here are your options:
Yes. We are gradually resuming our services, including making requests for medical reports.
Given the current situation, we are prioritizing certain conditions or medical assessments in order to verify the state of health of drivers based on the level of risk to ensure road safety.
If you have received a request for one or more medical reports, it’s because those reports are essential for the analysis of your file.
Individuals who received a request for a medical report before June 1, 2020 will receive a letter in the coming months informing them of the requirements regarding their file. We recommend waiting for this letter before taking any further steps.
Those who received a request for a medical report on or after June 1, 2020 can refer to the return date indicated on the report.
Simply send us the report using the return envelope that was enclosed with the request for a medical report we sent you. Please note that the time required to process your report may be longer than usual.
The delivery of your payment notice may be delayed by several weeks. You should receive it soon. Once you do, you should make your payment through your financial institution or by mail.
We invite you to use the SAAQ’s online services:
If you are unable to complete the process online or if you do not have access to our online services, you can call us (toll-free) at 1-800-361-7620.
We recommend that you make the payment online through your financial institution even if the payment due date has passed. Keep proof of your payment with your vehicle registration certificate.
Yes. Here are your options:
Yes. You may replace a licence plate that is damaged or defective (whose reflective film is peeling off) by making a request online. You will receive your new licence plate (bearing the same number) by mail, at the address in your SAAQ file.
If you are unable to make your request online, you can call us at 1-800-361-7620.
Yes. Here are your options:
Temporary registration certificates, or transits, are issued for vehicles that must undergo a mechanical inspection or receive proof of compliance. To obtain a transit, here are your options:
Our priority is to continue the payment of income replacement indemnities to accident victims.
Given the current situation, we will also do everything we can to avoid delays in the payment of other types of indemnities, including the reimbursement of expenses (personal home assistance, medical treatments, travel expenses, etc.).
You must first complete a claim for compensation using our online service Filing a Claim for Compensation (Accident or Death Benefits). If you are eligible to receive an income replacement indemnity, you will receive this indemnity as soon as possible. You may also receive preliminary payments if applicable.
If your accident was minor and does not prevent you from working, you can file a claim for compensation. However, given the current situation, we are prioritizing the processing of claims for compensation for individuals who cannot work (income replacement indemnity).
Please note that you have 3 years from the date of your accident to file a claim for compensation.
In-person care is encouraged. However, when your situation and condition lend themselves well to this option, we will accept and reimburse online consultations and treatments with health care professionals (up to the maximum amount provided for in the case of in-clinic consultations) so long as they are carried out in accordance with the rules of the relevant professional corporation.
This option applies to the following health care professionals:
If your clinic has to cancel some of your treatments, it is important that you inform us as soon as possible using secure email. Remember to include your claim number. Given the current situation, this will not affect the payment of your indemnities.
Once your new appointment is scheduled, you will receive a new convocation by mail. You must confirm your presence by contacting your compensation officer or by secure email. Remember to include your claim number when you contact us by secure email.
If you cannot go to the appointment, you must notify us as soon as possible.
Please contact your attending physician or health care professional (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, etc.) to cancel your appointment. Next, inform us of the situation as soon as possible using secure email. Remember to include your claim number.
Cancellation fees will not be reimbursed. Only fees for the treatment or care received qualify for reimbursement.
At the moment, we are doing everything possible to keep delays to a minimum.
No. Given the current situation, such appointments will be carried out by phone. This will also be the case for the processing of applications for review.
However, in-person meetings are gradually resuming for people who require the adaptation of their home.
You can send your documents using our Reimbursement of Expenses and Document Submission online service, or fax them to 1-866-349-2759.
Although administrative review activities are still underway, people who are no longer able to work (income replacement indemnity) are being prioritized.
On this subject, we invite you to visit the website of the Administrative Tribunal of Québec (TAQ).
Road vehicle inspection agents are open and carrying out all types of vehicle inspections.
Where recommended by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) or any other competent authority, protective partitions may be installed in vehicles in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
In order to assist the owners of such vehicles, the SAAQ is offering safety tips with regard to the installation of these protective barriers (PDF, 536.5 ko)This file does not meet the Web accessibility standard. (link in French only). The information in this guide is meant as advice only, and not requirements imposed by the SAAQ.
It is possible to install this type of partition to the right of the driver, so long as it permits high visibility on the right side. Drivers must also be able to quickly open or remove the partition in order to see better or to escape an emergency situation. However, drivers are not required to open the partition at each stop if they can see well enough.
For more information on the types of material that can be used, see section 1 of the safety tips with regard to the installation of these protective barriers (PDF, 536.5 ko)This file does not meet the Web accessibility standard. (link in French only).
No. No interest will be charged during the postponement period.
To benefit from maximum storage savings, we recommend that you put your unused vehicles into storage before the registration deadline. Use our online services for businesses (in French only) on our website to store your commercial vehicles and taxis.
Yes. You must fill out the Disabled Parking Permit Application, available on the Obtaining a Disabled Parking Permit webpage, and mail it to us. The form is currently not available in our service outlets.
If you need any help, call us at 1-800-361-7620.
