Registering a Vehicle

Before registration

Step 1 Before registration

The vehicle cannot be registered…

If the buyer or the seller has an unpaid fine for an offence under the Highway Safety Code or under a municipal traffic or parking bylaw.

The Bureau des infractions et amendes and the municipal courts are responsible for collecting fines. You cannot pay a fine at an SAAQ service outlet.

To check whether the vehicle can be registered, you can use our online service. You will be charged a fee for this service.

To avoid unpleasant surprises

Before buying a used vehicle, check the Registre des droits personnels et réels mobiliers (register of personal and movable real rights—in French only) to make sure it is free of debt. If you buy a vehicle that has not been paid for in full, it can be seized by the creditor.

You can also request a copy of the vehicle record from the SAAQ to find out:

  • if it has been rebuilt
  • if it has passed a mechanical inspection
  • how many people have owned it
  • how it has been used in the past, e.g. if it was used as a taxi before October 10, 2020

To obtain a copy of the vehicle record, you can:

Make sure the vehicle has not been damaged by flooding.

While flood-damaged vehicles are usually declared “irreparable” and dismantled for certain parts to be recycled, some flood-damaged vehicles may slip through the cracks and end up on the market.

Be sure to verify before buying a vehicle.

For more information, refer to the Flood-Damaged Road Vehicles page.

If the Vehicle Is Prohibited From Being Put Into Operation or Has Been Stored for One Year or Longer

It cannot be put back into operation until it has passed a mechanical inspection carried out by a certified business and a valid mechanical inspection certificate has been issued.

Last update: December  1, 2022