SAAQ recommends Quebecers get provisional driver's licence before holidays

Quebecers whose driver's licence hasexpired lately or will soon expire can get behind the wheel if they are heading outside the province, Quebec's automobile insurance board announced.

Exceptionally, the Socit de l'assurance automobile du Qubec (SAAQ) is offering a provisional licence this year to Quebec motorists so they can drive outside the province.

Themeasure is aimed at drivers whose licence expires between June 1 and Sept. 1, 2023.

"While waiting for their new licence, we will give them a provisional licence that they can use and carry when travelling. They can also print it by accessing their SAAQclic file," said SAAQ spokesperson Genevive Ct.

Last March, the Quebec government extended the renewal deadline for drivers'licences in response to the long queues at SAAQ service centres caused by the launch of the SAAQclic online portal.

Ct added that the measure does not apply to customers who have a probationary, restricted or learner's licence, and it is only meant for people who plan to drive outside Quebec in the coming weeks.

She maintains that service is returning to normal at SAAQ centres, and the organization continues to closely monitor the situation in its network daily to ensure efficiency.

Leaders of the SAAQ provided few details to MNAs about the reasons behind service disruptions after the commissioning of SAAQclic in the spring of 2023.

ric Ducharme, the new CEO of the SAAQ, said last May that the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers had received a $270,000 contract to shed light on wait times.