Quebec Bill of Sale and SAAQ Ownership Transfer

Quebec Bill of Sale Requirements

Additional Forms Required

• VD-80.1-V — Declaration of a Transaction Between Related Individuals With Regard to a Road Vehicle (Revenu Québec; family sales and gifts)
• Power of Attorney (SAAQ) — only if someone goes to the service outlet for you
• Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (SAAQ) — buyers under 18
• Mechanical inspection certificate — only for a vehicle from outside Quebec, a rebuilt vehicle or one stored more than 12 months

In Quebec, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) handles every vehicle registration. People who search for a "Quebec bill of sale" usually want two things: a contract for the deal and the steps to put the car in the buyer's name. The SAAQ tells buyers to draw up a sales contract, because the registration certificate is not a title to property. The OPC, Quebec's consumer protection office, says the contract is not mandatory but can help if a problem comes up.

Neither office offers a model contract. The OPC lists what a good one shows. Start with both people's contact details and the date. Then add the make, model, year and kilometrage, the state of the body and mechanical parts, any warranty, any deposit and the total price. Our generator fills in names and addresses, the year, make, model, VIN and odometer, the price, the payment method, the date, condition or warranty notes and signature lines. It is not an official SAAQ form.

Most passenger cars can change hands online in SAAQclic, with no visit. The car must be registered in Quebec, less than 25 years old and in one name, and neither person can have unpaid fines. The seller enters the buyer's driver's licence number and the price, and may transfer the plate. The buyer has 48 business hours to accept, enter the actual odometer reading and register. Until then, don't hand over the keys: the seller stays liable until the car is in the buyer's name.

Other cases go to an SAAQ service outlet. These include gifts and inherited cars. Motorcycles, trucks, trailers and RVs go there too, as do co-owned cars with no designated registrant. Both people show a driver's licence or other official photo ID. Someone who can't come can send a person with the original SAAQ Power of Attorney form.

The tax is 9.975% Quebec Sales Tax (QST), and the SAAQ collects it at registration. GST does not apply between individuals. The QST is charged on the higher of the price or the estimated value: for a car, the average wholesale price in the Guide d'évaluation Hebdo, minus $500. In Revenu Québec's example, a $10,000 sale with a $12,500 estimated value costs $1,246.88 in QST.

Family deals follow their own rules. Related individuals include spouses, parents, children, brothers and sisters. A gift between them is QST-free when both sign Revenu Québec form VD-80.1-V. A family sale below the estimated value is taxed on the agreed price.

No inspection is needed for an ordinary sale of a Quebec-registered car. A vehicle from outside Quebec, a rebuilt one or one stored for more than 12 months must pass a mechanical inspection first. The plate stays with the seller unless it is transferred. The buyer needs civil liability insurance of at least $50,000.

Every seller, even a private one, warrants the car against hidden defects under the Civil Code. The contract can exclude that warranty, for example "sold without legal warranty, at the buyer's risk". But the OPC says a buyer may still have recourse if the seller knew about a defect. Before paying, search the RDPRM with the VIN.