C-24.2, r. 45 - Regulation respecting the use of tires specifically designed for winter driving

Updated to 1 June 2024

This document has official status.

chapter C-24.2, r. 45

Regulation respecting the use of tires specifically designed for winter driving

Highway Safety Code

(chapter C-24.2, s. 440.1).

1. From 1 December to 15 March, all the tires equipping a motorized road vehicle registered in Québec, except a heavy vehicle, tool vehicle or farm machine, must be specifically designed for winter driving. That requirement also applies to any person renting out such a vehicle in Québec regardless of the place of registration.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 1; O.C. 1118-2019, s. 1.

2. The prohibition referred to in the first paragraph of section 440.1 of the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2) does not apply

(1)  to the spare tire of the vehicle;

(2)  to a motorcycle used as an emergency vehicle within the meaning of section 4 of the Highway Safety Code;

(3)  for a period of 7 days following the date on which the vehicle was purchased from a vehicle dealer;

(3.1)  within 7 days of the end of the contract of lease of the vehicle with a term of 1 year or more;

(4)  to a vehicle to which is affixed a detachable licence plate issued in accordance with the Regulation respecting road vehicle registration (chapter C-24.2, r. 29);

(5)  to a vehicle to which is affixed a temporary registration certificate issued in accordance with the Regulation respecting road vehicle registration, for the period of validity indicated on the certificate but without exceeding by 7 days the date of issue of the certificate;

(6)  to a motor home, namely a motor vehicle permanently designed to provide living quarters; or

(7)  to a vehicle in respect of which a certificate is issued by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec under section 3.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 2; O.C. 1248-2009, s. 1; O.C. 1118-2019, s. 2.

3. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec issues to the owner or lessor of a vehicle a certificate authorizing the owner or lessor to put the vehicle into operation, without being equipped with tires specifically designed for winter driving, for a period of 7 days, in the following cases:

(1)  when purchasing the vehicle, except in the case referred to in paragraph 3 of section 2 and for the period provided in that paragraph, to allow the owner or lessor to equip the vehicle with tires specifically designed for winter driving;

(2)  the owner or lessor uses the vehicle to leave Québec or return to Québec;

(3)  the return trip of a vehicle leased and registered outside Québec to its starting point outside Québec, that, on the expiry of the leasing period, is left by the lessee at a place in Québec;

(4)  when moving the vehicle from the establishment of a vehicle dealer to a site with a view to its sale at auction, or from such a site to the vehicle dealer’s establishment;

(5)  when moving the vehicle to a site with a view to its sale under judicial authority, or from such a site to its starting point;

(6)  when putting the vehicle back into operation after the owner has elected not to operate the vehicle in accordance with the Regulation respecting road vehicle registration (chapter C-24.2, r. 29);

(7)  upon cancellation of the contract of lease of the vehicle with a term of 1 year or more;

(8)  when a seizure or an impounding of the vehicle occurs, under the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2), before 1 December and ends on or after that date;

(9)  when a prohibition from putting into operation or putting back into operation the vehicle is imposed, under the Code, before 1 December and ends on or after that date.

During the period referred to in section 1, the Société may not issue more than 4 certificates in respect of a vehicle covered by this section.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 3; O.C. 1248-2009, s. 2; I.N. 2016-01-01 (NCCP); O.C. 1118-2019, s. 3.

4. The owner or lessor of a vehicle must apply to the Société to obtain the certificate in section 3.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 4.

5. The certificate contains the following information:

(1)  the make, model and year model of the vehicle;

(2)  the designation of the licence plate of the vehicle;

(3)  the signature of the person in whose name the certificate is issued;

(4)  its effective date and expiry date; and

(5)  the identification number of the vehicle.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 5.

6. The driver of the vehicle must have in his or her possession the certificate issued under section 3 or, in the case referred to in paragraph 3 or 3.1 of section 2, the sales contract or the contract of lease of the vehicle, as the case may be, or a copy of that contract.

The driver must, at the request of a peace officer, hand the officer one of the documents referred to in the first paragraph for examination. The peace officer must return the document to the driver as soon as the peace officer has examined it.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 6; O.C. 1248-2009, s. 3.

7. For the purposes of this Regulation, “tire specifically designed for winter driving” means,

(1)  before 15 December 2014, a tire that meets one of the following criteria:

(a)  it bears one of the following inscriptions:

i.  “Alaska”;

ii.  “Arctic”;

iii.  “A/T” or “AT”;

iii.1.  “AT/S” or “AT-S”;

iv.  “Blizzard”;

iv.1.  “Cresta”;

v.  “Ice”;

v.1.  “INSA T1” or “INSA T2” or “INSA TT770”;

vi.  “LT”;

vii.  “Nordic”;

viii.  “Snow”, except “mud and snow”;

ix.  “Stud”;

ix.1.  “Studdable”;

ix.2.  “Studded”;

ix.3.  “Studless”;

ix.4.  “TS”;

ix.5.  “Ultra Grip”;

x.  “Ultra traction”; or

xi.  “Winter”;

(b)  the pictogram in Schedule A is engraved on it; or

(c)  it is a studded tire used in accordance with the Regulation respecting the use of non-skid devices on the tires of certain road vehicles (chapter C-24.2, r. 44);

(2)  as of 15 December 2014, a tire on which the pictogram in Schedule A is engraved and a studded tire used in accordance with the Regulation respecting the use of non-skid devices on the tires of certain road vehicles.

The pictogram in Schedule A represents a mountain with a 6-pointed snowflake whose height corresponds at least to half the height of the highest peak. The mountain outline must be at least 15 mm wide and 15 mm high and have 3 peaks, the one in the middle being the highest.

O.C. 906-2008, s. 7; O.C. 1248-2009, s. 4.

8. (Omitted).

O.C. 906-2008, s. 8.

SCHEDULE A

(s. 7)

O.C. 906-2008, Sch. A.

REFERENCES

O.C. 906-2008, 2008 G.O. 2, 4669

O.C. 1248-2009, 2009 G.O. 2, 3699A

O.C. 1118-2019, 2019 G.O. 2, 2792