Persons acquiring a vehicle following a transaction with another individual (purchase, sale, exchange, or gift)
To register a vehicle following the transfer of ownership, the purchaser and the former owner of the vehicle must got to a Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec service outlet. Both will have documents to provide.
A new registration certification will be issued for the vehicle, as well as a licence plate if the purchaser doesn't have one already. The former owner may keep the licence plate that was on the vehicle before the transaction, and use it on a new vehicle.
To find a Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec service outlet, use the Finding a SAAQ Service Outlet online service.
Note
If a person is unable to go to a service outlet, he or she may use the Power of Attorney form to appoint another person who can perform the transaction in his or her name.
Vehicle Record Request
In order to request a vehicle record before proceeding with the transaction
- Fill out the Vehicle Record Request form
- Enclose the required payment
- Send the request and payment to the Division de la diffusion of the Société or to a Société service outlet.
Verifying the right to register a vehicle
In order to verify that a vehicle can be registered before proceeding with the transaction, use the Checking if a Vehicle Can Be Registered online service or call the automated response system of the Société.
From January 1 to December 31, 2018, the applicable rate is the following:
The cost of registration is based on the remaining term until the registration certificate expires (it is based on the type of vehicle and in order of the first letter of the owner's last name).
The following additional costs may apply:
- Administration fee: $8.90
- Issuing a licence plate: $2.25
In addition, plan for the following charges:
- $12.25 for the vehicle record request
- $1.70 for checking if the vehicle can be registered
Payment methods
Registration can be paid
- In cash
- By debit card
- By cheque or postal or bank money order made out to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
Vehicle record request costs can be paid
- By cheque or postal money order made out to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
- In cash or by debit card (in service outlets only)
The cost for checking if a vehicle can be registered can be
- Paid by credit card if using the online service
- Added to your telephone bill if using the telephone service
Ownership of the vehicle is transferred when the transaction is registered at a service outlet.
If the transaction is a sale, a purchase, or an exchange
- Both parties must provide photo identification, preferably their driver's licence.
- The former owner of the vehicle (or both parties in the case of an exchange) must provide the registration certificate.
If the transaction is a gift, the donor must provide
- Photo identification, preferably his or her driver's licence
- The vehicle registration certificate
In addition, in order to be exempted from paying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Quebec Sales Tax (QST), the person receiving the vehicle as a gift must provide proof of his or her family relationship with the donor, for example,
- Both persons driver's licences if they bear the same address and the same last name
- A birth certificate or a copy of the act of birth containing the name of both parents
- The original or a copy of a contract or certificate providing the marriage or civil union
In addition to the above documents, a person under 18 years of age must also provide the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority form, filled out by his or her father, mother or legal guardian.
To find out what documents are required if either individual does not have a driver's licence or is represented by another person, call the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec.
