VIEWPOINT REGULATION SERIES - February 2026 - The Mismanagement of the Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec and Its Effect on Quebecers - By Gabriel Giguère and Gerard Lucyshyn

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

The paper examines how the Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) manages vehicle registration and driver licensing, arguing that poor governance has increased costs and reduced convenience for Quebecers. Using a comparison with Alberta, it highlights higher annual registration and renewal expenses, more frequent license renewals, and fewer service points per million registered vehicles. It further critiques the SAAQclic online portal, citing major cost overruns and widespread user complaints after its 2023 launch.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Cost and Convenience: Quebec vs. Alberta

Vehicle registration costs

License renewal frequency and cost

Service points and public convenience

Bad Management on Display: SAAQclic

Projected costs and overruns

User complaints and access problems

Administrative response and public procurement

VIEWPOINT REGULATION SERIES FEBRUARY 2026 The Mismanagement of the Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec and Its Effect on Quebecers By Gabriel Giguère and Gerard Lucyshyn Vehicle registration, including licence plates and drivers’ licences, is managed in Quebec by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).1 This crown corporation is responsible for one of the major public finance fiascos of the past decade in the province: the SAAQcliconline portal.2 But this is just the most extreme example demonstrating the incompetent management of the SAAQ, leaving Quebecers with higher vehicles registration costs and fewer service points. COST AND CONVENIENCE: QUEBEC VS. ALBERTA For purposes of illustration, let us compare costs in Quebec and in Alberta. Vehicle registration in Alberta costs $173 for two years, or $86.50 a year. This is close to 40% lower than in Quebec, where registration sets drivers back $142.35 for a single year3 (see Figure 1) . Another difference between the two provinces is how often drivers need to renew their licenses. In Quebec, this is an annual process costing drivers $26.75 (excluding the insurance contribution, which varies depending on the number of demerit points a | FIGURE 1
Vehicle registration cost and service points, Quebec and Alberta, 2025 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | $142.35
Quebec
| $86.50
Alberta
| 22

Quebec |
59
Alberta | | Annual vehicle
registration cost | | Service points
(per million registered vehicles) | | Notes: The total cost of renewal in Quebec in 2025 was $212,97 but $70.62 is related to public insurance, so it was removed from the registration cost. Albertans can also pay an annual fee of $100 for a car instead of a biannual fee. Also, it is worth nothing that Alberta currently has an annual $200 fee for EV registration. The SAAQ also offers a mobile unit service by appointment (15 of them across the province) to enable users in remote areas to obtain their driver’s license (and certain other services) . Given the limited availability of these units, we did not include them. Sources: Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, Rates and Fines, Vehicle Registration, Cost of Registration Renewal, Passenger Vehicles, January 9, 2025; Goldkey Registry, How to Register a Car in Alberta: Vehicle Registration Certificate Renewal, consulted on February 2, 2026; Alberta Government, Find a Registry Agent, consulted on February 6, 2026; Request for access to information from the SAAQ, received February 12, 2026; Statistics Canada, Table 23-10-0308-17: Vehicle registration, by typeof vehicle and fuel type, October 17, 2025. driver has accumulated) .4 In Alberta, drivers need only renew their licenses every five years, at an annualized cost of $19.60. The Albertan approach is thus both less expensive and more convenient for drivers.5 In addition to the significant gaps in terms of registration costs and renewal fees, there is also a big difference in the number of service points available to the public, which has an effect on convenience for drivers. There are 134 service points in Quebec (46 SAAQ public service centers and 88 agent service points) compared to 218 agent service points in Alberta. The difference is even more striking when looking at the ratio of service points per million registered vehicles, which is 22 for Quebec versus 59 for Alberta, nearly three times higher.6 Alberta drivers thus enjoy more convenient access than Quebec drivers. In addition, Alberta’s privately owned registry shops provide more than just motor vehicle and driver services. They also offer other services such as personal property [MEI | iedm.org | 1](MEI | iedm.org | 1) The Mismanagement of the Société del’Assurance Automobile du Québec and Its Effect on Quebecers VIEWPOINT REGULATION SERIES searches and registration and land title searches.7 This wider range of services, combined with a greater number of

FAQs

What problem does the paper identify with SAAQ management?

It argues that SAAQ has incompetently managed vehicle registration and licensing, leaving Quebecers with higher costs and fewer convenient service options.

How does Quebec compare to Alberta in vehicle registration costs and convenience?

Alberta’s two-year registration cost is lower than Quebec’s annual cost, and Alberta requires license renewals only every five years. Alberta also provides more service points and a higher service-point ratio per million vehicles.

What evidence does the paper provide about the SAAQclic portal’s failures?

It cites a February 2025 Auditor General report projecting higher-than-expected costs and reports a sharp surge in complaints after the portal launched in 2023, including login issues and appointment waiting problems.

Sep 19, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick