If you have a valid driver's license issued outside Québec, you are allowed to drive a passenger car without a Québec license for the first 90 days after your arrival. To be allowed to drive beyond this time period, you must obtain a Québec license.

According to the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the conditions for exchanging a driver’s license vary depending on the country or area where you obtained your current license. To get a Québec driver's license or to exchange a driver's license issued outside Québec for a Québec license, the first step is to contact the SAAQ by telephone to make an appointment.

If you are a Canadian citizen, you must call one of these telephone numbers to set up the appointment:

• From the Montréal area: 514 873-7620
• From elsewhere in Québec: 1 800 361-7620

New residents who hold a valid driver's license issued by their jurisdiction of origin may drive the corresponding class of vehicle their license authorizes: a passenger car (class 5), a motorcycle (class 6, or a moped (class 6D for up to ninety days after settling in Québec. Past that, visitors must obtain a license from the SAAQ they state.

Since your license is from a different Canadian province you should be able to exchange your license for an equivalent Québec driver's license without taking a test; however, in the case of license classes other than for a passenger car or a motorcycle, a medical exam is required.

The SAAQ site lists General Conditions and the steps for doing a Driver's License Exchange if you would like to read through this information before calling for an appointment to start the process.

The SAAQ also notes that you must follow a special procedure to register a vehicle from outside Québec. They do not list what the procedure is to register a car in Quebec from Ontario or another Canadian province but instead note one must contact the SAAQ for information before going to a service outlet to start the process. You can contact this agent of the government from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at the phone numbers listed below:

• Québec region: 418 643-7620
• Montréal region: 514 873-7620
• Elsewhere: 1 800 361-7620

Once you have made the move you will need to change over your driver's license and registration and obtain Quebec auto insurance on your vehicle.

Quebec's auto insurance plan entitles everyone residing in Québec to compensation for injuries sustained in any road accident involving an automobile, whether the injured party is the driver, a passenger, a cyclist or a pedestrian. This coverage applies all over the world, and does not require identifying who was at fault.

This public auto-insurance plan is funded by contributions included in the cost of drivers' licenses and car registrations. The plan is managed by the SAAQ (Québec motor vehicle bureau). Its goal is to insure and protect everyone residing in Québec from the risks associated with road travel.

So by contacting the SAAQ, who is responsible for issuing driver's licenses, car registration certificates and insurance, you should be able to find out all the information you need about how to change over your license and vehicle to adhere to the laws in Quebec for new residents.