You put your car into storage for the winter, to go on a trip or because you did not need it for a few months, and now it is time to put it back on the road. In Quebec, taking a vehicle out of storage simply means lifting the registration suspension you requested from the SAAQ and re-registering it so you can drive legally. The process is generally quick, but there is a logical order to follow: check the mechanical condition, reactivate the insurance, then re-register. Here is how to do it, step by step, with no nasty surprises.
What is vehicle storage at the SAAQ, exactly?
Vehicle storage (remisage) means temporarily suspending the registration of a vehicle you are not using. It is an official procedure with the SAAQ: as long as your car is in storage, you do not pay the full annual registration duties and you are not required to carry third-party liability insurance for the road, since it must not be driven. It is a popular option for a seasonal vehicle (convertible, motorcycle, RV), for a student's car while they are abroad, or for a second vehicle you do not use in winter.
During storage, the vehicle must stay parked on private property (garage, driveway, lot) and cannot be driven, not even for a short trip. A stored vehicle caught on a public road exposes the owner to fines and towing. Storage does not erase your vehicle from the registers: you remain the owner, and it keeps its vehicle identification number (VIN). Taking it out of storage is therefore the reverse operation: re-registering to put the vehicle back on the road. Not to be confused with the transfer of registration, which applies when the vehicle changes owner.
Storage or taking a vehicle off the road for good: don't confuse them
Many owners mix up these two notions, even though they have nothing to do with each other. Storage is temporary and reversible; taking a vehicle off the road for good (mise au rancart) is final.
| Criterion | Storage | Taken off the road for good |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Temporarily suspend a vehicle in good condition | Get rid of a vehicle at the end of its life |
| Reversible? | Yes: you can take it out of storage whenever you want | No: the vehicle goes to recycling |
| Where the vehicle goes | Stays with you (private property) | Handed over to an authorized recycler (ARPAC type) |
| SAAQ procedure afterwards | Reactivation / re-registration | Final transfer, can never be registered again as is |
In short: if you plan to get back behind the wheel one day, you have put the vehicle in storage, and the rest of this guide applies to you. If the car is only good for scrap, the route is instead taking it off the road at an authorized recycler, with its own transfer procedures at the SAAQ. See our guide on selling your car to a scrapyard and car recycling in Quebec.
The steps to take a vehicle out of storage
Re-registering a stored vehicle is done at a SAAQ service point (or, depending on the case, online in your SAAQclic account) and generally takes a few minutes once you are there. Here is what to plan for:
- Your identity and the vehicle's file. Show up as the registered owner, with photo ID in hand. The SAAQ already has the vehicle in your name: it is a matter of reactivating its registration.
- Payment of the duties. You pay the registration duties and the insurance contribution for the period of use. The annual registration cost of a passenger vehicle is $217.41 in 2026; if you put the vehicle back on the road partway through the year, the amount is generally calculated pro rata. Also count the new tire levy if you have bought any.
- A plate, if applicable. If you kept your plate, you reuse it. If it was returned or lost, plan for the cost of a new plate: $13.50 in 2026 for the replacement of a standard plate.
- Proof of insurance. The SAAQ may require the vehicle to be covered before it goes back on the road. This is the step to settle beforehand (see below).
The exact amounts vary; for the up-to-date details of your situation, check with the SAAQ or directly in SAAQclic. Once the duties are paid and the plate is valid, your vehicle is officially re-registered and can be driven.
Reactivate your insurance before you drive
This is the classic oversight. When a vehicle is in storage, many owners reduce their insurance policy to “storage” coverage (often fire, theft and damage only, without third-party liability for the road) to save money. Before taking it out of storage, you must contact your insurer to reactivate full coverage, including the third-party liability that is mandatory in Quebec.
- Call your broker or insurer a few days before putting the vehicle back on the road.
- Ask them to reactivate the third-party liability coverage (and, if you wish, the collision/damage coverage).
- Get your updated insurance card: driving without valid insurance is a serious offence, even if the vehicle has just been re-registered.
If you are shopping for a new policy at the same time, our guide on car insurance in Quebec explains the coverages and how to compare them. Reactivate your insurance beforegoing to the SAAQ: it is simpler, and proof of coverage is often requested.
Do you need an inspection before putting it back on the road?
For an ordinary passenger vehicle that has simply been in storage for a few months, the SAAQ does not generally require a mandatory mechanical inspection for reactivation. A check is nevertheless required in certain specific situations (modified, rebuilt or severely damaged vehicle, certain commercial categories). If you have any doubt about your case, check with the SAAQ before travelling.
That said, the mandatory inspection and the common-senseinspection are two different things. A vehicle that has sat for several months deserves a mechanical check before going back on the road, even if the law does not require it:
- Tires: pressure, wear and cracks. Rubber ages even when parked. And in Quebec, certified winter tires (mountain/snowflake symbol) are mandatory from December 1 to March 15.
- Battery: often discharged after prolonged storage; recharge or replace it.
- Brakes: surface rust on the discs wears off, but brakes seized after a long stop deserve a look.
- Fluids: level and condition of the oil, coolant and brake fluid.
- Seasonal tires: make sure you have the right tires for the time of year when you put the vehicle back on the road.
Buying a used vehicle that is already on the road instead? Our guide on the pre-purchase inspection will help you avoid the pitfalls, and the legal warranty under the LPC offered by a dealer like BonAuto protects you far better than a purchase between private individuals.
In summary: getting your vehicle back on the road
Taking a vehicle out of storage in Quebec is three steps in the right order: have the vehicle's mechanical condition checked, reactivate full insurance with third-party liability, then re-register at the SAAQ by paying the applicable duties. Once the plate is valid and the coverage is in place, you can drive legally.
And if, when you bring your old car out of the garage, you realize it is no longer worth putting back on the road, all is not lost: you can instead have it valued to resell or trade it in. At BonAuto, in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, we take vehicles in trade and help buyers in the Laurentians and on the North Shore (Deux-Montagnes, Saint-Eustache, Mirabel, Sainte-Thérèse, Blainville, Laval and the surrounding area) find their next vehicle. Take a look at our inventory or request a financing pre-approval with no obligation.
