Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

User AvatarBuild your avatar
Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
MTL Blog Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with MTL Blog Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.

quebec license

société de l'assurance automobile du québec

44 wild license plates recently banned by the SAAQ, from "HAWKTUAH" to "LICKASS"

Nearly a decade has passed since the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) first allowed drivers to personalize their license plates.

Over the years, we've seen everything from quirky catchphrases to bold nicknames lighting up our roads. But not every creative number and letter combo makes it onto the pavement.

Keep readingShow less
quebec license

Here's how much it'll cost to renew your Quebec driver's license in 2025

Nobody likes paying for their driver's license, but at least this year's bill from the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) won't come with a nasty surprise.

If you're a Quebec driver, you may be happy to hear that the government is keeping costs relatively low for those with a clean record.

Keep readingShow less

A Minor Quebec Driver's Licence Design Change Cost The SAAQ $80K

A minor change to Quebec driver's licenses — the removal of a phone number listed on the back of the license – cost the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) a cool $80,000 earlier this year.

The change was listed on the Quebec government's public tender platform — where the government and other public agencies submit requests for contracts relating to public projects — as a "modification of the design of the driving license" on April 11, 2023.

Keep readingShow less

The SAAQ Mess Is So Bad Right Now Quebec Is Extending Some Licenses & Postponing Fee Deadlines

What's usually an annual inconvenience has become a bureaucratic hell. A botched transition to online services has left the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) scrambling and forced some Quebecers to wait in unreasonably long lines to complete a transaction. The situation is so bad the government is intervening with three measures aimed at alleviating wait times.

Among them is an extension of some Quebecers' license validity. Any driver who has a license set to expire between March 9 and June 1, 2023, will have an extra 90 days from their birthday to make associated payments.

Keep readingShow less

The SAAQ Is Making It Easier Than Ever To Avoid The SAAQ

Starting in February, Quebec drivers will be able to access several SAAQ services online without ever having to step foot in an SAAQ office. The new platform, SAAQclic, is just one part of a government push to consolidate public service access online.

In a press release, SAAQ President and CEO Denis Marsolais said the platform will allow clients to "enjoy more autonomy and time savings" through "simplified online transactions."

Keep readingShow less

Quebec Drivers ​Will Get Another Major Discount On License Renewals In 2023

Between dead ends, countless orange cones and the snow-clearing season, Quebec drivers have a lot on their plate. At least they won't have to worry about exorbitant Quebec license renewal costs in the new year. The big discount offered by the SAAQ in 2022 will continue through 2023.

Class 5 (passenger vehicle) or 6 (motorcycle) license holders who are renewing their driver's licenses after December 31 will still have to pay license and administrative fees, but they won't have to contribute to the cost of insurance unless they've accumulated demerit points.

Keep readingShow less

The SAAQ Is Ending The Vision Test Requirement For Some Older Drivers

Aiming to "simplify" the licence renewal process, the SAAQ is ending the medical and vision test requirement for drivers between the ages of 75 and 80. Previously, drivers had to submit medical and vision evaluation forms when they turned 75.

Now, they will only have to submit a medical self-declaration. Drivers with medical conditions that, in the words of the SAAQ, "may not be compatible with safe driving," and drivers 80 years and older will still have to undergo exams and send in evaluations every two years.

Keep readingShow less