Registering a Motorcycle Sold Between Individuals

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).

To avoid unpleasant surprises

Before buying a used motorcycle from an individual, 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 motorcycle 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 has been used by a driving school

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

• go to one of our service outlets
• submit the Vehicle Record Request (PDF, 218.5 KB)⁠ ⁠ form

If the motorcycle 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 motorcycle 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

Documents required

The buyer and seller must show their driver's licence or another official photo ID document.

The buyer must also supply the motorcycle's odometer reading.

If you are under age 18

You must also present the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 128.7 KB)⁠ ⁠ form completed by your father, mother or legal guardian.

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 who goes to the service outlet for you must bring the original Power of Attorney (PDF, 657.0 KB)⁠ ⁠ form completed by you beforehand.

If the motorcycle is from outside Québec

It is considered to be an imported vehicle. In that case, there are other documents you have to present so that we can verify whether the motorcycle is authorized for road use in Québec. To find out more, visit the Registering a vehicle from outside Québec web page.

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

The temporary paper licence plate will be issued to the buyer by the service outlet agent. It must be affixed in the top left corner of the windshield or to another visible place on the vehicle.

This video (MP4, 29.8 MB)⁠ shows how.

Registration fees

To find out the cost to have a motorcycle sold between individuals registered, visit the Rates and Fines section. Before receiving your payment notice, you can also use the calculation tool to get an estimate of the amount you will have to pay to renew your motorcycle registration.

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 QST

At the time of registration, you are required to pay the QST, even in the case of a used vehicle. The SAAQ collects the QST on the agreed selling price or the estimated value of the vehicle, whichever is greater. 

The buyer does not have to pay the GST because the sale is between individuals.

The vehicle registration fee will be higher if…

The motorcycle is considered a high-risk motorcycle, that is, a motorcycle designed for performance and recognized as such by its manufacturer.

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