Free Quebec Vehicle Bill of Sale
Quebec routes every private vehicle sale through the SAAQ within a firm 15-day window, and the paperwork speaks French: the seller hands the buyer form VD-619, the Déclaration de vente, at the moment of sale. QST at 9.975% is charged on the higher of the declared price or the SAAQ's Guide de référence estimated value — an artificially low figure simply gets re-assessed. No safety inspection is required for a private passenger-vehicle sale (Contrôle routier handles commercial units), which leaves the bill of sale and a lien check as the buyer's real protections for any car, pickup or van.
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Quebec Vehicle Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Tax Details
QST at 9.975% applies to any private vehicle purchase, measured against the greater of the price and the SAAQ Guide de référence estimate — the guide value is the floor an artificially low price can't get under.
Exemption: Spousal gifts and direct-line transfers (parent–child) can escape QST with a sworn statutory declaration; vehicles passing to an heir are exempt as well.
Inspection Requirements
No safety inspection gates a private sale of any light vehicle — Contrôle routier Québec's inspections target commercial fleets. A private mechanical inspection remains the smart, optional move.
Quebec Vehicle Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Seller: complete form VD-619 (Déclaration de vente) and hand it to the buyer at the sale — it is the document SAAQ expects.
- Write a full bill of sale alongside it: VIN, plate, body type, odometer, true price, date, both signatures.
- Buyer: present the VD-619 at any SAAQ service point within 15 days of the sale to complete the ownership transfer.
- Buyer: budget QST at 9.975% on the higher of the price or the SAAQ Guide de référence value.
- No inspection to schedule for a private passenger sale — but an optional pre-purchase mechanical check is money well spent.
- Buyer: run an RDPRM lien search (Quebec's personal property registry) before paying.
- Both parties keep copies of the VD-619 and the signed bill of sale.
Common Pitfalls
- Missing the 15-day SAAQ window: Quebec's transfer deadline is firm, and late transfers complicate insurance and liability.
- Declaring a token price: SAAQ assesses QST against its own Guide de référence value when the declared figure looks low.
- Skipping the VD-619: without the Déclaration de vente the buyer's SAAQ visit stalls — the bill of sale alone is not the transfer document.
- Trusting "no inspection required" as "no inspection needed": with no mandated check, the private mechanical inspection is the buyer's only technical safeguard.
Pro Tip
Quebec's transfer is a two-document, one-deadline affair: VD-619 plus bill of sale, SAAQ within 15 days, QST on the realistic value. Respect the clock and the Guide de référence and the process is painless.