Quebec

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

PEVL Registration Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Owners and operators of a heavy vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,500 kg or more must register in the Register of Owners and Operators of Heavy Vehicles (PEVL), administered by the CTQ. Registration issues a registration number (NIR) and must be renewed annually. Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier operating the vehicles holds the registration for the transport it performs.

Out-of-Province Vehicles

Carriers registered outside Quebec (elsewhere in Canada) may operate in Quebec on their home jurisdiction’s registration and safety rating, provided it remains valid; only Quebec-registered vehicles and US-registered carriers must register directly in the PEVL.

Safety Rating (Cote de Sécurité)

Every PEVL-registered carrier is assigned a safety rating (satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory) based on infractions, roadside inspections, and accident history compiled by the SAAQ; a poor rating can trigger a review by the CTQ and lead to administrative sanctions, including suspension of the right to operate.

Insurance Required

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Liability insurance appropriate to vehicle class.

Consumer Contract Rules

Yes. Moving agreements with Quebec consumers are subject to Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act (Loi sur la protection du consommateur), enforced by the Office de la protection du consommateur, which is a separate statute from those in other provinces.

Language of Contracts

Yes. Under the Charter of the French Language (as amended by Bill 96), consumer contracts, including moving contracts, which are typically contracts of adhesion, must be provided to the consumer in French first. A consumer may agree to proceed in English only after having been given the French version.

Registration Fee

PEVL registration/renewal fee. Confirm current amount with the CTQ before publishing.

Consumer Complaints

Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC)

OverviewOverview & Scope

Quebec does not issue a moving-industry-specific license. Instead, three separate frameworks apply. Owners and operators of heavy vehicles (4,500 kg GVWR or more) must register in the PEVL, administered by the CTQ, with the SAAQ compiling the safety data (infractions, inspection results, and accidents) used to assign each carrier’s cote de sécurité (safety rating). The PEVL registration attaches to whichever company owns or operates the heavy vehicles; where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own registration covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold it. The consumer-facing side of the move is governed by Quebec’s own Consumer Protection Act, distinct from the consumer protection statutes used elsewhere in Canada, and enforced by the OPC rather than a body shared with other provinces. On top of both of these, Quebec’s Charter of the French Language requires that consumer contracts (including moving contracts, which are generally contracts of adhesion) be presented to the consumer in French first, with an English version available only if the consumer, after seeing the French version, expressly asks for it.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

1. Register in the PEVL through the CTQ before operating a heavy vehicle (4,500 kg GVWR or more) registered in Quebec, and renew that registration annually.
2. Confirm home-jurisdiction coverage for vehicles registered in another Canadian province. A valid registration and safety rating from that jurisdiction generally applies, but Quebec-registered vehicles and US-registered carriers must register directly with the CTQ.
3. Maintain a satisfactory cote de sécurité, since the SAAQ continuously compiles infractions, inspection results, and accidents against the carrier’s PEVL record, and a poor rating can result in a CTQ review and administrative sanctions.
4. Carry proof of liability insurance appropriate to the vehicle class.

Subcontracted transport

5. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

6. Provide the French version of the moving contract first. Because a standard moving agreement is generally a contract of adhesion, the consumer must receive a completed French version before the parties may agree to proceed in English.
7. Ensure the contract otherwise meets Consumer Protection Act (Quebec) requirements for disclosure, estimates, and contract terms, which differ in specifics from other provinces’ consumer protection statutes.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Valid PEVL registration with NIR, renewed annually, correctly linked to the vehicles and carrier (or home-jurisdiction equivalent for vehicles registered elsewhere in Canada)Where applicable (mover owns or operates heavy vehicles of 4,500 kg GVWR or more)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Satisfactory cote de sécurité maintainedWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Liability insurance appropriate to the vehicle class in forceWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired

Customer practices

• French version of the consumer moving contract provided first, per the Charter of the French LanguageVerified by AffirmationRequired
• Contract terms, disclosures and estimates comply with Quebec’s Consumer Protection ActVerified by AffirmationRequired