E-bike laws in Quebec

If an e-bike is over the limits

Since January 26, 2025, Ministerial Order 2024-24 bans from public roads two- and three-wheeled motorized vehicles, with or without pedals, that look like a motorcycle or moped, don't carry the federal national safety mark or compliance label, and have at least one of these features: footrests or a foot platform; motorcycle- or moped-style wheels and tires; body panels that partly or fully cover the frame or some of its parts, with a seat that isn't height-adjustable; or a motor that can exceed 32 km/h or is rated over 500 W. Putting a banned vehicle into operation on a public highway carries a $300 to $600 fine (Highway Safety Code ss. 21 and 59). The SAAQ adds that an electric moped is a road vehicle that must be registered.

Sources: Arrêté numéro 2024-24 de la ministre des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (December 30, 2024) concernant l'accès aux chemins publics de certains véhicules motorisés à deux ou trois roues qui ont l'apparence d'une motocyclette ou d'un cyclomoteur, Gazette officielle du Québec, Partie 2, January 26, 2025, no 4A, p. 508A (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)

Fines and penalties

• Riding a power-assisted bicycle without meeting s. 492.2 (age or moped licence, helmet, label, standards): $60 to $100 (Highway Safety Code s. 507). Sources: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Breaking the cyclist rules, including passengers without a fixed seat (s. 485), riding on a sidewalk (s. 492.1) and riding on a limited-access highway (s. 479): $80 to $100 (s. 504). Source: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Putting a vehicle banned by a ministerial order under s. 633.1 (such as Order 2024-24 on moped-style vehicles) into operation on a public highway: $300 to $600 (ss. 21 and 59). Sources: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; Arrêté numéro 2024-24 de la ministre des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (December 30, 2024) concernant l'accès aux chemins publics de certains véhicules motorisés à deux ou trois roues qui ont l'apparence d'une motocyclette ou d'un cyclomoteur, Gazette officielle du Québec, Partie 2, January 26, 2025, no 4A, p. 508A (checked Nov 1, 2026)

Good to know

• Age: you must be 18 or older, or hold a licence to drive a moped (class 6D) and follow its conditions (s. 492.2). The moped licence is available from age 14 (s. 67), so no one under 14 may ride a power-assisted bicycle on a public highway. The minimum age shown above (18) is the age to ride without a licence. Sources: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• The SAAQ describes a legal e-bike as having an electric motor (not gas) powered by a rechargeable battery, a handlebar and pedals, and 2 or 3 wheels on the ground. Assistance can be started by pedalling or by a throttle, and the bike must always be pedalable like a regular bicycle; above 32 km/h on flat ground only muscle power may push it faster. Source: En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Quebec's law still points to federal rules: s. 492.2 requires the manufacturer's label and the power-assisted bicycle standards set under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Transport Canada says the federal power-assisted bicycle definition has not been in force since February 4, 2021. The SAAQ page states the 500 W and 32 km/h limits. Sources: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; Importing non-regulated vehicles (power-assisted bicycles section) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Gas motors: the SAAQ says riding a bicycle with a combustion engine on the road network or on cycle lanes is prohibited. Source: En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Conversion kits: a motor sold to turn a bicycle into a power-assisted bicycle must meet the federal motor standards, have an on/off switch separate from the throttle (or a mechanism that stops the motor engaging below 3 km/h), and carry a label with its continuous power rating and maximum rpm (s. 274.2). A new power-assisted bicycle may only be sold if it bears the federal label (s. 211.1). Source: Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, ss. 4 ("power-assisted bicycle", "road vehicle"), 21, 59, 67, 211.1, 274.2, 479, 485, 492.1, 492.2, 504, 507, 633.1 (LégisQuébec English text updated to June 5, 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot November 4, 2025) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Moped-style e-bikes: a temporary ban (Order 2024-15, July 26, 2024) was made permanent by Order 2024-24, signed December 30, 2024 and in force on its publication in the Gazette officielle du Québec on January 26, 2025. Source: Arrêté numéro 2024-24 de la ministre des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (December 30, 2024) concernant l'accès aux chemins publics de certains véhicules motorisés à deux ou trois roues qui ont l'apparence d'une motocyclette ou d'un cyclomoteur, Gazette officielle du Québec, Partie 2, January 26, 2025, no 4A, p. 508A (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• Injury coverage: the SAAQ says injuries in an e-bike accident are not covered by the public automobile insurance plan unless the accident involves a moving vehicle covered by the plan. The Automobile Insurance Act excludes injuries caused by a motor-assisted bicycle in the same way (s. 10). Sources: En vélo électrique (last modified May 25, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026) ; Loi sur l'assurance automobile (Automobile Insurance Act), RLRQ c. A-25, art. 1 ("automobile"), 10 and 84 (LégisQuébec French text, à jour au 24 octobre 2025; Internet Archive copy, snapshot February 12, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)
• E-scooters are separate: electric scooters and similar motorized personal mobility devices are allowed under a pilot project on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less (and bikeways along them), at 25 km/h maximum, weighing 36 kg or less, for riders 14 or older wearing a helmet. Power-assisted bicycles are not part of that pilot. Source: Rules for using electric scooters and other motorized personal mobility devices (last update October 20, 2026) (checked Nov 1, 2026)

What we couldn’t confirm

We leave a rule blank rather than guess. These points still need an official source:

• insurance_required: no official source we read says whether an e-bike owner must carry liability insurance. The Automobile Insurance Act's insurance duty (s. 84) applies to the owner of any "automobile", and its exemption regulation (A-25, r. 8, read in an Internet Archive copy current to December 1, 2025) does not list motor-assisted bicycles; the SAAQ page only says the public plan doesn't cover e-bike injuries unless a moving vehicle covered by the plan is involved. Check with the SAAQ.
• max_weight_kg: no weight limit found in the Highway Safety Code or on the SAAQ e-bike page.
• min_age has two values in Quebec: 18 without a licence, 14 to 17 with a class 6D moped licence. The single field shows 18. See notes.
• How s. 492.2(3)-(4), which refer to labels and standards under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act, apply now that the federal power-assisted bicycle definition is repealed: not explained by any official source we read; the SAAQ states 500 W and 32 km/h.
• LégisQuébec and CanLII refuse automated access (HTTP 403), so the Highway Safety Code and Automobile Insurance Act were read in Internet Archive copies (Code: English text updated to June 5, 2025 and French text current to January 1, 2026). Check https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/C-24.2 by hand for any change since then.