Snowmobile or All-Terrain Vehicle Sold Between Individuals
ChangeWhen an off-road vehicle (snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle) is sold between individuals, both the buyer and seller must go to an SAAQ service outlet to have the vehicle registered in the buyer's name.
What qualifies as an off-road vehicle
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.
To check whether the vehicle can be registered, you can use our online service. You will be charged a fee for this service.
Before buying a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle from an individual, check with 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:
To obtain a copy of the vehicle record, you can:
The buyer and the seller must present their driver's licence or another official photo ID document.
The seller must also bring the vehicle registration certificate. If the seller doesn’t have one, he or she must call us before going to a service outlet.
You must also present the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 103 KB) form completed by your father, mother or legal guardian.
Call us to find out what documents you need to bring to register your snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle.
The person registering the vehicle on your behalf will need to provide the original Power of Attorney (PDF, 178 KB) form completed by you.
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.
At our service outlets, we accept payment:
Payment by credit card is not accepted.
You must pay the QST when you register your vehicle, even in the case of a used snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle. The SAAQ collects the QST, which is calculated on the agreed sale price or the vehicle’s estimated value, whichever is higher.
You do not have to pay the GST, however, because the sale is between individuals.
In addition to the annual registration fee, you must pay an additional charge that will be used to maintain Québec's network of snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trails.
You must hold private civil liability insurance for at least $1,000,000 to ensure compensation for any bodily injury or property damage caused by your vehicle.
Such insurance coverage is required with the following vehicles:
Check with the SAAQ to find out if you are entitled to financial compensation for injuries sustained in an accident involving your snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle.
…the vehicle is registered in the buyer's name.
This means that if a buyer were to commit an offence or be involved in an accident with a vehicle that was still registered in the seller's name, the seller would be held responsible.