You Can Now Order Personalized License Plates in Quebec

Starting in July 2018, Quebec residents can now order a custom License Plate. Although the website experienced some downtime when the service was originally launched, you can order it now. Following, the most important details you need to be aware if you are interested in getting a new "custom plate".

250CAD tax. inc. + Administration Fees

The process is pretty straightforward and basically, you can receive your new plate in between 3 and 6 weeks. It will be delivered to your address and Canada Post will send you an email for tracking purposes.

  • Acquisition of a Personalized License Plate - $249.50 (taxes included)
  • Administration Fees - $34.49 (taxes included)

After the initial acquisition, every year the administration fees need to be paid again.

"The Format"

Well, basically 5 to 7 letters with some number limitations. See the following table from the Official SAAQ page:

  • 5 to 7 letters: ABCDEFG
  • One number followed by 4 to 6 letters: 1ABCDEF
  • 4 to 6 letters followed by one number: ABCDEF1
  • One number followed by 3 to 5 letters and ending with one number: 1ABCDE1
  • The numbers 00 and the letters OO cannot appear one after the other in combinations of 5 to (Please note that the letter O cannot be printed on a license plate. If you include the letter O in your combination, it will automatically be replaced with the number 0)

Important Things to Note

While you can find all the required information on the Official SAAQ page, there are two main things it is important to note and to avoid misunderstandings:

If the plate is stolen/missing:

A personalized license plate reported missing or stolen cannot be reprinted with the same personalized character combination. To obtain a new personalized license plate, you must submit a new request for a different character combination and pay the personalized license plate acquisition fees.

Activation before Placing it in the vehicle:

A personalized license plate must be activated before it is placed on its intended vehicle. If you drive your vehicle or allow your vehicle to be driven with a non-activated license plate, you are committing an offense and are liable to a fine of $100 to $200.

About the author

Jorge Diaz is a passionate car lover, winter driver & Software Engineer. For the last 10 years, he has built Online Solutions used by more than 5,000 companies across the globe. He founded LeaseCosts in 2016 with the purpose of simplifying and helping Canadians to better understand the complex market of car leasing in Canada. You can connect with him at Leantrepreneurship.com.

Jorge is also the author of Car Leasing Done Right: A Canadian Guide for Understanding & Optimizing Vehicle Leasing Costs, released on Nov. 5th, 2021. It is available at Amazon.ca