SAAQ: Quebecers pay more for worse service

• Quebecers pay 65 per cent more than Albertans for vehicle registration

Montreal, February 19, 2026 – Quebec drivers pay more than their Albertan counterparts and have access to fewer service points when it comes time to renew their drivers’ licences and vehicle registrations, finds an MEI Viewpoint published today.

“Notably by entrusting licence and registration renewals to the private sector, Alberta has managed to reduce costs for drivers and to offer more service points,” says Gabriel Giguère, senior policy analyst at the MEI and co-author of the publication. “Considering the recent management issues of the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, we would probably be better off if a larger part of this service were outsourced to the private sector.”

The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec has 134 service points in the province, 46 of which are managed by the public sector. This amounts to 22 service points per million registered vehicles.

Alberta, with a smaller population, has 218 service points, all managed by private actors. This amounts to 58 service points per registered vehicle, almost three times as many as in Quebec.

Yet, this greater number of service points does not translate into higher costs, notes the researcher.

The cost of vehicle registration is $142.35 in Quebec, and must be renewed every year. Alberta offers an option to renew for two years, at an annualized cost of $86.50.

A similar dynamic can be seen for drivers’ licences, where the licence itself costs $26.75 (not including insurance cost) in Quebec and must be renewed every year, while Alberta allows renewal every five years, at an annualized cost of $19.60.

“The result is clear: Quebec drivers pay around 60 per cent more for this service than their Albertan counterparts,” points out Mr. Giguère. “Not to mention the lack of customer satisfaction, especially since the SAAQclic fiasco.”

The researcher recalls that the SAAQclic fiasco, the cost of which has almost doubled, is now evaluated at $1.1 billion

In 2023 alone, almost 15,000 complaints were recorded, more than the five previous years combined.

In 2024, there were more than 9,000 complaints, still abnormally high, testifying to problems that were never resolved.

“The SAAQ model, with its high costs, centralization, and customer dissatisfaction, need not remain that way forever,” concludes Mr. Giguère. “Entrusting the management of all service points to the private sector, as is done in Alberta, would allow the SAAQ to focus on its more value-added activities.”

You can read the MEI Viewpoint by clicking here.

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The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.

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