Who must register?
The Owners and Operators of the following vehicles must register:
- All road vehicles with a net mass in excess of 3000kg;
- All tow trucks;
- All minibuses;
- All buses;
- All vehicles affected by The Transportation of Dangerous Substances Regulation
OWNER:
A person whose name appears on the vehicle’s registration certificate or a person who holds, in respect of the vehicle, a right within the meaning of Section 2 of the Highway Safety Code (R.S.Q., c. C-24.2), particularly a person leasing a road vehicle for at least one year or who has signed a leasing contract.
A person who leases his services (hauling vehicles, subcontractor) or his vehicle (Lessor) must register as an owner and not as an operator, unless he offers one of the services listed in the application.
OPERATOR:
A person who offers services related to the transportation of persons or goods or to vehicle assistance, or who operates a heavy vehicle for personal purposes or as a tool or equipment whether the person is the owner of the vehicle or operates the vehicle pursuant to a leasing contract, regardless of whether the services of a driver are supplied by the Lessor.
The following groups or classes of persons are exempt from registration in the Registre des proprietaires et des exploitants de vehicules lourds, provided that they meet the conditions applicable to their exemption:
- The Owner and Operator who uses a heavy vehicle to apply emergency measures in the event of disaster within the meaning of the Act respecting the protection of persons and property in the event of disaster,
- The people who rent a heavy vehicle for a period of less than 15 days to transport persons or goods for purposes that are not commercial or professional;
- The Owners of campers, motor homes or trailers, as well as persons who rent such campers, motor homes or trailers, when they are used for purposes that are not commercial or professional;
- Lessors except as in regards of the application of section 519.21 of the Highway Safety Code;
- persons who do not operate heavy vehicles and whose fleet of automobiles does not include any heavy vehicles registered with the SAAQ
Additional exemptions:
Owners of caravans, motor or mobile homes, and the persons who are leasing these types of vehicles, when they are used for commercial and professional purposes;
A natural person who uses a heavy vehicle for personal purpose, meaning other than commercial or professional, is exempt.
Tool vehicles within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code are totally exempt from the application of the Act respecting owners and operators of heavy vehicles.
A road vehicle, other than a vehicle mounted on a truck chassis, designed to perform a specific job and whose control station is integrated into the driver’s cab. In this definition, a truck chassis refers to a frame equipped with all the mechanical components found in a road vehicle made to transport persons, goods or equipment (grader, backhoe, etc.).
Combination of road vehicles where each vehicle has a net weight of 3000kg or less, provided that the length of the trailer or semi-trailer, including the coupling system, is 10 meters or less, except those on which safety marks must be displayed in accordance with Division V of the Transportation of Dangerous Substances Regulation, made by Order in Council 674-88, as it reads at the time of its application and except those carrying dangerous substances in containers of 454 liters or over;
For example:
- A combination of a van weighing 2500kg and a trailer weighing 900kg having 10 meters in total length, is a vehicle combination now exempt from the application of the Act;
- A combination of a van weighing 2500kg and a trailer weighing 900kg having 11 meters in total length is a vehicle combination covered by the Act and does not constitute an exemption;
The following vehicles owned by a farmer within the meaning of section 16 of the Highway Safety Code:
- Farm machinery within the meaning of section 2 of the regulation respecting road vehicle registration, made by Order in council 1420-91 as it reads at the time of the application;
- The farm trailers within the meaning of section 2 of the regulation respecting safety standards for road vehicles, made by Order in Council 1483-98 as it reads at the time of the application;
The motorized road vehicles whose net weight is 3000kg or less on which it is not mandatory to display safety marks in accordance with Division V of the regulation, except minibuses, tow trucks and vehicles carrying dangerous substances in containers of 454 liters or over;
The road vehicles which were issued a temporary registration certificate referred to in any of sections 32 to 38, 40 and 41 of the regulation respecting road vehicle registration as it reads at the time of the application, and those on which a detachable license plate having the prefix “X” referred to in any of the sections 145,146,160 and 161 of that regulation.
Additional Information: A owner of a heavy vehicle whose registration is not delivered by Quebec and who is not considered an operator under the Act is exempt. A subcontractor from outside Quebec does not have to register as “Owner”: when hauling with his tractor and the semi-trailer of an operator (ex: US subcontractor). The same applies for a vehicle whose registration is issued under the IRP agreement by a jurisdiction other than Quebec (ex: Ontario subcontractor). However, the subcontractor must register as “Operator” when offering the transport service on his own.