Commercial Vehicle

To register a vehicle to a business

The business must be registered with the Registraire des entreprises⁠ ⁠ (enterprise register), because you need to provide your Québec enterprise number (NEQ) to register your vehicle.

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 the vehicle's ownership history from the SAAQ to find out:

• if it has been rebuilt
• if it has undergone 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 the vehicle's ownership history, you can:

• use the online service available via SAAQclic⁠ ⁠
• go to one of our service outlets

Fees apply.

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 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 SAAQclic⁠ ⁠. You can also use our automated telephone services by calling 1-800-361-7620 (choose option 4, then option 5, then option 4 again).

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 undergone a mechanical inspection carried out by a road vehicle inspection agent authorized by the SAAQ and a mechanical inspection certificate has been issued confirming that the vehicle meets the applicable standards.

When acquiring a vehicle that has been in storage, the date as of which a mechanical inspection becomes required is based on the date the former owner put the vehicle into storage. 

Registration at the dealership is carried out when the vehicle is delivered to the buyer.

If the dealer uses the SAAQclic-Commerçants service⁠ ⁠, registration can be carried out on site. This saves time, since you do not have to come to one of our service outlets.

If the dealer does not use this service, the buyer is given a temporary registration certificate which will provide enough time to come to a service outlet to register the vehicle.

In both cases, the person registering the vehicle must present his or her driver’s licence or another official photo ID document.

Documents required

The buyer and the seller – or their representatives – must present their driver's licence or another official photo ID document.

If the vehicle is new

The buyer must present the Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant and Description du véhicule neuf forms given by the dealer.

If the vehicle is used

The documents you must present when you register your vehicle are different depending on the person or business from which you bought it. In any case, you must indicate the vehicle's odometer reading.

Bought from a dealership	Bought from an individual	Bought from a business or a self-employed worker registered for the GST and QSTA business or self-employed worker that is registered for and collects the GST and QST. For more information, phone Revenu Québec.
The Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant form The registration certificate signed by the former owner and the dealer	No additional documents required	The sales contract between the buyer and the business or self-employed worker

If the person registering the vehicle does not have a driver's licence

Phone us to find out what documents to bring when registering the vehicle.

If none of the business' directors can come to the service outlet in person

The person registering the vehicle will have to present the original copy of a document authorizing that person to act on its behalf.

If the vehicle comes from outside Québec

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

Registration fees

To find out the cost to have a commercial vehicle registered, visit the Rates and Fines section.

Payment options

At our service outlets, we accept payment:

• in cash
• by debit card (not available at 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

Whether the vehicle is new or used, the buyer must pay the GST and QST if the vehicle is bought from a dealership, business or self-employed worker registered for the GST and QST.

For more information, phone Revenu Québec⁠ ⁠.

If the vehicle is purchased from an individual, the buyer is only required to pay the QST.

The cost of registration will be higher if…

• the vehicle is considered a luxury vehicle (it is worth more than $40,000 and is less than 7 years old), in which case a surcharge is added to the registration fee equal to 1% of the portion of the vehicle's value over $40,000
• the engine has a cylinder capacity of 3.95 litres or more, in the case of a vehicle with a model year of 1995 or later.

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

If the business' vehicle is not insured and it is pulled over by the police or involved in an accident that causes more than $500 in damage to the property of another party:

• all of the business' vehicles may be prohibited from road use
• the business will be assessed a fine of $325 to $2,800