Vehicles bought or sold by a business must be registered at an SAAQ service outlet.
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:
To obtain the vehicle's ownership history, you can:
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.
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 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.
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.
The buyer and the seller – or their representatives – must present:
Call Revenu Québec to find out which documents are necessary for the calculation of QST in the following cases:
Other documents, such as a valid mechanical inspection certificate, may be required depending on the type of vehicle to be registered.
A buyer must also present the Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant and Description du véhicule neuf forms provided by the dealer.
A buyer who purchases a used vehicle from a dealer must also present the Attestation de transaction avec un commerçant form.
Phone us to find out what documents to bring when registering the vehicle.
The person registering the vehicle will have to present the original copy of a document authorizing the person to act on the business’s behalf.
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.
To find out the cost to have a vehicle bought or sold by a business registered, visit the Rates and Fines section.
At our service outlets, we accept payment:
Payment by credit card is not accepted.
Whether the vehicle is new or used, the buyer must pay the GST and QST if the vehicle was bought from a dealership, business or self-employed worker registered for the GST and QST.
If the vehicle is purchased from an individual, the buyer is only required to pay the QST.
For more information on the payment or collection of taxes, phone Revenu Québec.
The business that has purchased the vehicle must have a civil liability insurance policy contracted from a private insurer providing minimum coverage of $50,000. The minimum is $1 million if the business owns or operates heavy vehicles and $2 million if it hauls hazardous materials.
If the business is not insured and one of its vehicles is involved in a traffic accident that causes more than $500 in damage to the property of another party:
The seller remains the owner and liable for the vehicle until...
The vehicle is registered in the buyer's name.
This means that should the buyer commit an offence or be involved in an accident with a vehicle that is still registered in the seller's name, it is the seller who would be held responsible.
Last update: May 16, 2022
