If you are based in Quebec but looking to buy a car from a private seller who is based outside Quebec then you will need to do a bit more paperwork compared to buying a car from a private seller who is based in Quebec.
A private seller refers to an individual who is looking to sell their car and NOT a dealership. Usually dealerships located outside Quebec can still handle issues related to buying out-of-province cars.
If the car was purchased using a loan, it might have lien on it through the financial institute/bank. You will need to ask for proof from the seller that the certifies that the lien has been paid off.
It can take some time to get the funding and other documentation before you can register the car under your name. Some sellers might be okay to put down a deposit so that the car is reserved for you while you sort out the paperwork and finances.
The seller will need to do a safety inspection done in their province before they can complete the sale. The safety inspection can show if there are any important issues with the car that may show up.
If there are any issues like brakes need replacement that show up which you believed were not aware of, you might ask for a discount from the seller since it’s going to cost you a bit of money to get them replaced.
If you have enough cash and can pay for the car in full that can be one option to consider. Some sellers might be okay with cash payments but for large transfers would prefer cheque or bank transfer.
If the amount is high, you might want to go for loan on the used car. You can get a quote from your bank or credit union and see if that is the way you want to go.
You can ask the seller to get a safety inspection done for Quebec as well however it’s responsibility of the buyer to provide one at Quebec’s Vehicle registration office.
Depending on the seller’s province; and Quebec – the registration needs to be completed with a certain period otherwise might be considered expired.
I highly recommend that you get the registration same-day or following day of your purchase it will take about 15 minutes!
You will be issued a temporary registration and will be given 3 days that you can drive for essential stuff till you get the Quebec Safety Inspection Certificate for the vehicle. It is highly recommended that you get it done before you are headed to the registration office.
If you have an out-of-province license, you can still make your purchase. You wouldn’t run into any issues if you were lets say having an Ontario Driving License and trying to register the car.
Make sure to take proof of address (Quebec) with you.
Also, You can get it swapped for a Quebec Driving License at the office. However an appointment is usually required for exchanging license in Quebec.
The car’s license plate doesn’t come with the car. You have to get your license plate from the Quebec’s Vehicle Authority (SAAQ). It can be tricky driving without plates, and there are two solutions to that –
You will need to pay tax for the purchase of the car as well as registration costs. It would be good to have around 15% of the car’s purchase price in the bank to pay for it.
Take multiple cheques with you. The office you are headed to might accept debit card/cash payments only. You will run into trouble trying to pay with a credit card.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
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