Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec

As a newcomer to Quebec, you’ll need to contact the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) for information and administrative procedures.

This organization has several mandates, including enforcing the Highway Safety Code and issuing driver’s licenses.

There are 12 classes of driver’s license in Quebec. We’ll be looking at class 5, which allows you to drive a car.

Canadian or Foreign License

For Non-Quebec Residents

If you’re visiting Quebec and don’t have a principal residence in the province, you can drive with your driver’s license (issued in Canada or abroad) for six consecutive months.

If you want to stay longer in Quebec, you’ll need an international driver’s license. To be valid, it must always be accompanied by your original licence. If you are stopped at a roadside checkpoint, you will need to present these two documents.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - road driving

For Quebec Residents

If you settle in Quebec, you will be entitled to drive a car for six consecutive months with your valid license (foreign or Canadian). After that, you’ll need a Quebec driver’s licence, and therefore a licence exchange.

Here are two special cases to consider:

If your original licence was issued in both Canada and the United States, all you need to do is exchange your licence;
If your original license was issued in another country, and there is an agreement with Quebec, license exchange will also be possible If not, you’ll have to pass theoretical and practical exams.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - car road city

For Students and Interns

You’ll be able to drive for the duration of your studies or internship if you have a valid driver’s license, issued in Canada or abroad.

Exchanging a Foreign or Canadian Licence for a Quebec Licence

To exchange your driver’s licence, you will need to request an appointment with the SAAQ.

Simply fill in this form Appointment to have driving experience acquired outside Québec recognized online, then send it in.

Once your appointment has been scheduled, you’ll need to gather a number of documents for the big day, including your original driver’s license and proof of residency in Quebec. Then pay the fee required to exchange the permit.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - Quebec driver's license

Obtaining a Quebec Driver's Licence

As in most countries, you’ll need to book courses with a driving school recognized by the SAAQ.

Before you can obtain a driving licence, you must:

Obtaining a learner’s permit;
Take a driving course;
Pass the SAAQ theoretical and practical exams.

Here’s a checklist for your Class 5 (car) driver’s license. You will be subject to a demerit point system.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - driving

The Particularities of Driving in Quebec

When you drive in Quebec, make sure you:

Have a valid driver’s license;
Vehicle registration certificate;
Vehicle insurance certificate.

Before getting behind the wheel, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the Highway Safety Code.

Here are some examples:

The traffic lights are on the other side of the intersection: you don’t stop at the lights, but before the intersection;
As for turning right at a red light, this is permitted in Quebec, but not on the island of Montreal. A stop is mandatory before turning;
For the left-hand turn, you must turn in front of the car on the opposite side;
For winter driving, all vehicles must be equipped with four winter tires from December1 to March 15;
Finally, if you encounter a school bus, a stop is mandatory when the intermittent red lights are flashing.

Car Rentals in Quebec

If you want the freedom to get around, whether to explore your city, commute to work, or go on a getaway, you can rent a car.

Major car rental companies are widely available in Quebec, but they often offer high rates that vary depending on the pick-up location and the type of vehicle.

Skyscanner, a search engine for flights, hotels and cars, will find the best deals for you in the blink of an eye. It’s easy to compare rates using their interactive map.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - Skyscanner car

To save on car rentals, consider car sharing! If you live in Montreal, Laval, Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Boisbriand, Terrebonne or Victoriaville, try Communauto. By subscribing to this service, you’ll have access to a wide range of vehicles that can be rented for a few minutes, a day or even longer.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - Communauto rental

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - Communauto fleet

For other cities in Quebec, turn to Turo, which offers a wide choice of vehicles, shared by local hosts. The option to have the vehicle delivered directly to your home or destination is really convenient.

Newcomers: The Essentials on Driver’s Licences and Road Characteristics in Quebec - Turo rental

Car Insurance and Civil Liability

Choosing the right car insurance cover can be a real headache. In Quebec, there are two different insurance plans, as explained in our guide How does car insurance work in Quebec? You’ll also discover our tips for saving on your insurance premiums.

ClicAssure also offers car insurance services. This platform will help you find the best insurance coverage for your needs.

As for third-party liability coverage, this protects you against any damage caused to another car or to the driver of that car. Our guide: What is third-party liability in car insurance? will answer all your questions on this subject.

Save with Points and Cash Back

Do you intend to do a lot of driving? Credit cards that offer reward points or cash back will help you lighten your gas bill. Here are a few card suggestions:

5 points per dollar (i.e. about 3.35%) with the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
3% cash back per dollar with the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*
2% cash back per dollar with the Scotia Momentum^® Visa Infinite +* Card

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$120 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 70,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$139 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerGet 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to $480 cash back Get 40 points after $2,000 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare
Scotia Momentum^® Visa Infinite +* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$120 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offerAfter $2,000 in 3 months Up to $300 Cash BackEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $2,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare

Our How to save on gas prices in Canada guide has all our tips. Concrete examples will show you how easy it is to put strategies in place.

If you take the wheel of an electric car, we invite you to consult our guide How to save even more with an electric vehicle.

Finally, our page on the Best credit cards for gas and transport details the advantages of each card.

Compare

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

Scotiabank Scene+

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $500
Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months: Up to 50,000 points; Ends Nov 1, 2026

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

Grocery stores
Restaurants
Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Legal

* The potential value of savings and rewards during the first 12 months includes the value of the welcome offer, the potential value of points earned in the first year and the value of foreign transaction fee savings as of May 22, 2026:

$300 in travel rewards (30,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Gold American Express Cardholders who make purchases totaling $2,000 in the first 3 months

$200 in travel rewards (20,000 bonus Scene+ points) for making purchases totaling $7,500 in the first 12 months

$59 in foreign transaction fee savings based on the average annual amount of foreign currency purchases made per account over the last 24 months (saving on the 2.5% foreign transaction fee typically charged by other credit card issuers);

$398 corresponding to the potential value of points earned in the first year (38,500 Scene+ points) based on the average amount of purchases made, per account, over the last 24 months, assuming an average spend of 28% of purchases in categories eligible for accelerated earn rates of 6X, 5X and 3X points.

Maximum potential value after the first year = $957 (rounded to $950)

The actual value of offers, savings realized and rewards earned will vary depending on card usage and eligibility for offers. Conditions apply.

1 Offer Description and Conditions: The 50,000 Scene+ points offer (the « Offer ») applies only to new Scotiabank Gold American Express credit card accounts (the « Accounts ») opened between July 2, 2026, and November 1, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the account), subject to the conditions below. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

To qualify for the 30,000 bonus Scene+ points (the « 30,000 Bonus Points Offer »), you must make eligible purchases totaling at least $2,000 within three months of the account opening date. To qualify for the 20,000 additional bonus Scene+ points (the « 20,000 Additional Bonus Points Offer »), you must make $7,500 in eligible purchases on your new account during the first year (twelve months). Eligible purchases mean purchases, less refunds, returns and any other similar credits, and exclude payments, cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions), interest charges, card fees and other fees.

Fulfillment of the Annual Bonus: Bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account within approximately eight weeks after you qualify for a bonus, provided the account is open and in good standing. In the case of a joint account with a primary borrower and a co-borrower, bonus points will be credited as follows: (i) the 30,000 bonus points and the 20,000 additional bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the account of the borrower who made the transaction that reached the eligible purchase threshold ($2,000 or $7,500) within the appropriate timeframe (the first three months or the first 12 months). If a supplementary cardholder makes the transaction that reaches the eligible purchase threshold for the 30,000 bonus points or the 20,000 additional bonus points, the bonus points will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the primary borrower’s account. Points can be transferred between the Scene+ accounts of a primary borrower, co-borrower or supplementary cardholder by contacting Scene+. An account is in good standing if it is not delinquent, the credit limit is not exceeded, and the holder(s) have complied with the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement applicable to the account. All other program terms and conditions continue to apply during the Offer period. The Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Eligibility and exclusions: You are not eligible for the Offer if you are currently a primary or secondary cardholder of a Scotiabank personal credit card or if you have been within the past two years, including if you transfer your balance from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card account, and if you are a Scotiabank employee. Subject to the exclusions mentioned above, Scotiabank small business credit cardholders are eligible for this Offer.

Rates and Fees: The current annual fee is $120 for the primary card and $29 for each additional card (including those issued to joint account holders and additional cardholders). The preferred annual interest rates currently applicable to the account are: 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances (including balance transfers and quasi-cash transactions).
Rates, fees, features and benefits, which are described in the application statement, are subject to change.

Savings at Shell

Get up to 7 cents per litre in instant fuel discounts for a limited time and earn up to 5 cents per litre in Scene+ points value with a Scotiabank Gold American Express Card linked to a Shell Go+ Account:

Instant 3 cents per Litre Discount on Fuel Purchases (All Grades): Receive an instant 3 cents per litre discount on purchases of fuel (all grades) (“Fuel Purchases (All Grades)”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank debit card or credit card linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per Scotiabank debit card and per Scotiabank credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per payment card account. This discount is subject to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.
Instant 4 cents per Litre Discount on Premium Fuel: Between May 26, 2026 and June 1, 2027 (“Promotional Period”), receive an instant 4 cents per litre discount on purchases of V-Power^® gasoline, or V-Power^® diesel (“Premium Fuel Purchases”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per credit card account. This promotional offer, including the Promotional Period, may be changed, extended, or withdrawn at any time without notice. These promotional offer terms are in addition to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.
Earn up to 5 cents per Litre in Scene+ points Value (Equivalent) on Fuel Purchases: Each time you use your linked Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points on Fuel Purchases (All Grades) at participating Shell locations in Canada, you will earn at least 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent. Plus, as a Scene+ Member you will also automatically earn 1 Scene+ point for each litre in Fuel Purchases (All Grades), and as a Shell Go+ member, automatically earn 1 additional Scene+ point for each litre in Premium Fuel Purchases, made with your linked Scotiabank credit card. This means that for every litre in fuel purchased with your linked credit card, you can earn the equivalent of up to 5 cents of redeemable Scene+ points value based on a redemption value of $10 for every 1,000 Scene+ points redeemed for fuel purchases at participating Shell locations. Actual value may be lower depending on how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points. Earn and redemption limits may apply. See the Scene+ Program Terms and Conditions available at sceneplus.ca/terms-and-conditions for full details including redemption options and additional terms.

Note: Highest value of 12 cents per litre assumes a Premium Fuel Purchase made with a Scotiabank Gold American Express Card linked to a Shell Go+ Account. Actual value will vary depending on payment card used and whether or not the card is linked, fuel grade purchased, and how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points.

Additional 3¢/L at Shell (limited time)

Additional 3¢/L Fuel Discount Offer: Offer valid from October 5, 2026 to December 31, 2026 (“Promotional Period”), eligible Scotiabank credit and debit cardholders enrolled in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program who have linked an eligible Scotiabank payment card (an “Eligible Card”) to their Shell Go+ account will receive an additional instant fuel discount of 3 cents per litre on eligible fuel purchases at participating Shell-branded retail locations in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories (the “Eligible Provinces”) excluding Shell Flying J locations. Fuel purchases made outside the Eligible Provinces are not eligible for this offer.

To receive the additional fuel discount, customers must pay with their linked Eligible Card at the time of purchase.

The additional fuel discount is in addition to the fuel savings available through the Shell Fuel Benefits Program and may be combined with other eligible fuel discounts, rewards programs, and promotional fuel offers unless otherwise stated in the applicable offer terms and conditions.

The additional fuel discount is available on up to 1,000 litres of eligible fuel purchases per calendar month for each Eligible Card. The 1,000-litre limit resets at the beginning of each calendar month.

The additional fuel discount is non-transferable, is not redeemable for cash, and cannot be substituted or exchanged.

Participation in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program is subject to the applicable program terms and conditions available at Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.

Shell Canada reserves the right to make changes to this offer and to terminate the offer at any time, for any reason and without notice.

All other applicable terms and conditions of the Shell Fuel Benefits Program, Shell Go+ and Scotiabank continue to apply.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000

Household$12,000

Conversion fees

Earning rate

6xWith the partner brand
5xGroceries
5xEntertainment
5xRestaurants
3xGas
3xStreaming
3xTransit
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460

2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I renew my driver's licence in 2024?

Each year, before your birthday, you will receive a payment review by mail, according to the SAAQ. This document will tell you the total amount of annual fees to be paid.

How much will a driver's license cost in 2024?

For Class 5, the cost of a driver’s license is $25.50, when there are no demerit points on the driver’s record, according to the SAAQ.

How do I obtain an international driver's license?

Do you have a Quebec driver’s licence and are going abroad? Check whether your destination requires an international driver’s license, says the SAAQ. CAA is the only organization authorized to issue this type of permit in Canada.

What do SAAQ's online services offer?

SAAQclic offers citizens a number of online services relating to driver’s licenses, vehicle registration, vehicles and driving records.

What is the Quebec public automobile insurance plan?

Quebec’s public automobile insurance plan protects Quebecers who are the victims of a road accident in Quebec or elsewhere in the world, says the SAAQ, adding that the plan also assists tourists in Quebec, depending on their degree of responsibility in the accident.

How do I get a class 5 (car) driver's licence?

Before you can obtain a Class 5 license, you’ll need to follow a number of steps: obtain a learner’s permit, take and pass a driving course, and pass the SAAQ theory and road tests.

How do I check the validity of a driver's license?

You can consult the SAAQclic website, or call or e-mail the SAAQ to check the validity of a permit.

As a newcomer to Quebec, you’ll need to contact the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) for information and administrative procedures.

This organization has several mandates, including enforcing the Highway Safety Code and issuing driver’s licenses.

There are 12 classes of driver’s license in Quebec. We’ll be looking at class 5, which allows you to drive a car.