How do I exchange a driver's licence from another Canadian province for a Québec licence?

✓ Verified answer Written from official pages, with checked citations and a verification date.

If you move to Québec with a valid driver's licence from another Canadian province or territory, you can drive for 6 months, then you must have a Québec licence. You can apply for it as soon as you settle. For a licence that is valid or expired for less than 3 years, you exchange it for a Québec licence of the equivalent class, with no competency exam. You first request an appointment from the SAAQ with an online form: it then contacts you about the next steps.

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Key facts

How long you can drive with the other province's licence: 6 months after you settle in Québec, with a valid licence. After that, a Québec licence is required.
SAAQ response time after the form: The SAAQ contacts you within 20 business days to tell you the next steps.
Exams: Depending on your situation, theory and road exams may be required. Theory exam, if required: $13.50 (per the page consulted on October 6, 2026). Road exam fees vary by licence class.
Exchange fees: Variable depending on the classes requested and the licence's validity period. The official page does not give a single amount: see the page.
Vehicles not covered by another province's licence: During the 6 months, you cannot drive a truck, an emergency vehicle, a bus, a minibus or a taxi, even if your licence allows it. For a truck, an emergency vehicle, a bus or a minibus, the SAAQ asks for a medical examination report. The rules for class 1 are on the official page.
Licence expired or cancelled for more than 3 years: Driving course, graduated licensing process and competency exams.

What is your situation?

What is your situation with the driver's licence?

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: Canadian or foreign driver's licence (SAAQ) (opens in a new tab)https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/permis-conduire/permis-canadien-etranger

Check the exchange conditions: be 16 or older (14 for a scooter under 50 cm3, class 6D), hold a Canadian driver's licence, have your main residence in Québec and hold Canadian citizenship or a right to stay in Canada for more than 6 months.
Request an appointment by filling out the SAAQ's online form to have driving experience acquired outside Québec recognized. The SAAQ contacts you by email or phone to tell you the next steps.
Go to the appointment with the original documents: your Canadian licence, proof of Canadian citizenship or of a right to stay in Canada, proof of residence in Québec and, if your licence is less than 3 years old, proof that you lived in the province or territory that issued it. Your driving record is recommended. The SAAQ representative may ask for other documents.
Take competency exams only if they are required in your situation: with a licence that is valid or expired for less than 3 years, there is no competency exam for most vehicles; if your licence expired 3 years ago or more, you must take a driving course and pass the exams.
Pay the exchange fees, which vary by licence class (no credit card at service points), then receive your Québec licence.
If the SAAQ recognizes less than 24 months of car driving experience, you receive a probationary licence until 24 months of experience are recognized.

Start the official procedure Official page: Canadian or foreign driver's licence (SAAQ) (opens in a new tab)https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/permis-conduire/permis-canadien-etranger

Your progress is kept on this device only: nothing is sent to Demande au Québec. Some steps only apply in certain situations: skip the ones that do not concern you.

Sources

Permis de conduire canadien ou étranger (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ))
Rendez-vous pour faire reconnaître l'expérience de conduite acquise à l'extérieur du Québec (Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ))

Checked on October 6, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.

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