Registering a Vehicle

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. 

If the vehicle is jointly purchased

The buyers must designate a registrant. For more information, see our Registering a Co-Owned Vehicle Fact Sheet (PDF, 137.2 ko)This file does not meet the Web accessibility standard..

The vehicle registration is usually completed by the dealer on delivery of the new or used vehicle.

• If the dealer makes use of the online vehicle registration service "SAAQclic-Commerçants", you will save time by not having to go to one of our service outlets.
• If not, the dealer will provide you with a temporary registration certificate, which will give you time to go to one of our service outlets and register the vehicle.

Documents required by the dealer

You must show your driver's licence or another official photo ID document.

You must go to one of our service outlets shortly after the delivery of the vehicle to register it in your name.

Documents required by the SAAQ

• Your driver's licence or another official photo ID document
• AND
• If the vehicle is new:
  • the forms entitled Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant and Description du véhicule neuf, provided by the dealer
• If the vehicle is used:
  • the form entitled Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant
  • AND
  • the registration certificate signed by the former owner and the dealer

If you are under age 18

You must also bring:

• the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 123.4 ko) form completed by your father, mother or legal guardian
• OR
• the form entitled Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant

If you do not have a driver's licence

Phone us to find out what documents you must bring with you when registering your vehicle.

If you cannot go in person

The person registering the vehicle on your behalf will need to provide:

• the original Power of Attorney (PDF, 298.8 ko) form completed by you
• OR
• the form entitled Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant, provided by the dealer

If the vehicle is from outside Québec

A vehicle from outside Québec is considered to be an imported vehicle, which means there are other documents you will have to provide so that we can verify whether the vehicle can be used in Québec. Refer to the Registering a vehicle from outside Québec section for more information.

If the vehicle is a military-type vehicle

If you wish to operate your military-type vehicle on the entire road network and it was not registered prior to August 22, 2019, you must bring the engineer’s declaration form entitled Déclaration de l’ingénieur (PDF, 115.7 ko) (in French only). You must also bring a valid certificate from mechanical inspection carried out after the engineer gave a favourable assessment.

To legally operate your vehicle, you must affix your temporary paper licence plate to your vehicle while waiting to receive your metal licence plate in the mail. Your metal plate will be delivered by mail within 10 to 20 business days to the primary address in your SAAQ file.

If you register your vehicle at an SAAQ service outlet or a certified dealer, your temporary paper licence plate will be issued by the service outlet agent or the dealer.

In either case, the temporary paper licence plate must be affixed to the vehicle’s rear window in the top left corner.

This video (MP4, 29.8 Mo) shows how.

Registration fees

To find out the cost to have a vehicle, new motor home or used motor home bought from a dealer registered, visit the Rates and Fines Rates and Fines section.

Payment options

At our service outlets, we accept payment:

• in cash
• by Interac (debit card)—not available in some service outlets
• by one or more pre-authorized debits (a cheque specimen must be provided)
• by cheque or money order

Payment by credit card is not accepted.

Payment of the GST and QST

If the vehicle registration is completed at the dealership, you will have to pay the GST and QST to the dealer on delivery.

If the vehicle registration is completed at the SAAQ, you will have to pay the GST at the dealership and the QST at the time of registration.

The vehicle registration fee will be higher if:

• the vehicle is considered a luxury vehicle. This is the case when the vehicle meets all 3 of the following criteria:
  • it is worth more than $40,000
  • it has a net weight of 3,000 kg or less
  • it is less than 7 years old
    
    The additional registration fee equals 1% of the vehicle's value exceeding $40,000.

• the vehicle is considered a large-cylinder capacity vehicle. This is the case when:
  • its engine has a cylinder capacity of 3.95 litres or more
  • the model year is 1995 or later

• you live in an area where public transit is available
• you live in the Montréal agglomeration

You must have a civil liability insurance policy contracted from a private insurer providing minimum coverage of $50,000.

If you are not insured and you are pulled over by the police or involved in a traffic accident that causes more than $500 in damage to the property of another party:

• your driver's licence or your right to obtain one could be suspended
• all of your vehicles may be prohibited from being put into operation
• you will be fined $325 to $2,800