Time limits for making claims to the SAAQ in Quebec
Quebec operates differently from the rest of Canada. There is only one public insurer, the SAAQ, and there are no lawsuits. No matter who caused the accident, your claim ends up in the same place.
The big number is generous. Three years to claim. What traps people are the short deadlines that follow the arrival of a decision by mail.
AT A GLANCE
| You have | To do this | Starting from |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | File your indemnity claim with the SAAQ | The date of the accident |
| 60 days | Request a review of a decision | The day the decision is notified to you |
| 60 days | File an appeal with the Tribunal administratif du Québec | The decision rendered on review |
| 7 days | Waiting period before income replacement benefits begin | The start of your incapacity to work |
Dates don't tell the whole story. Knowing when a step needs to be taken doesn't tell you how a SAAQ claim actually works, what income replacement benefits truly cover, or what to do when a decision is unfavorable to you.
Recovering after a car accident in Quebec covers the entire process and is free to read. Did your accident happen in another province? Start with the guides by province and territory.
What is the deadline for filing a claim with the SAAQ?
Three years from the date of the accident. In case of death, the three years run from the date of death rather than the accident.
Three years is the longest claim period in the country, and that's why Quebec files deteriorate in a very particular way. No one feels any urgency, so no one records anything, and the file ends up being built two years later based solely on memory.
Consult a doctor immediately anyway. The initial medical report is what links your injuries to the accident. The SAAQ reimburses a modest sum for this report upon presentation of the receipt, so keep it.
Can you sue the responsible driver in Quebec?
No. Compensation for bodily injury resulting from a road accident in Quebec falls outside the common law courts. No action can be taken against the person responsible for the accident. The SAAQ claim is the only possible recourse, for both drivers and passengers, whether you live in Quebec or not.
Two consequences stem from this. There is no one else to blame and no settlement to negotiate, so the quality of your own file is the only variable you control. Furthermore, if you reside in Quebec, you can claim from the SAAQ even for an accident that occurred elsewhere.
What is the deadline to contest a SAAQ decision?
Sixty days from the day you are notified. You file a request for review. The deadline can be extended in exceptional cases, but only if you demonstrate that you were truly unable to act in time, and that is an argument you prefer not to have to make.
The SAAQ does not render a single decision. It renders a series of them, on your eligibility, on your income replacement benefits, on your diagnoses, on your treatments, and much later on your permanent sequelae. Each carries its own sixty-day deadline.
Write the date of receipt on each letter. The sixty days run from the notification, not from the date printed on the page. If several decisions arrive close together, you can include the others on the same review form as long as they fall within the same sixty-day window.
What happens after the review decision?
The review department has ninety days to decide, and it is not the same agent who made the initial decision. If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you have an additional sixty days to appeal to the Tribunal administratif du Québec.
When do income replacement benefits start and how long do they last?
Income replacement benefits are calculated at ninety percent of net income, up to an indexed maximum insurable amount each year. They are paid every two weeks after a seven-day waiting period.
They can be paid for two years depending on your health status. Thereafter, the SAAQ continues only if you remain unable to perform any employment, which is a different and more demanding criterion than being unable to perform your own job. Payments cease at sixty-eight years of age.
It is this two-year milestone that needs to be prepared for. The subsequent decision is made on paper, based on what your file shows about what you can and can no longer do. Start now to document the specific tasks you can no longer perform, not in the twenty-third month.
Last checked: July 2026
Checked against: the SAAQ review request form and the Quebec Automobile Insurance Act. The insurable maximum is indexed annually, so we do not quote any amounts here. Confirm yours with the SAAQ.
Deadlines change. If you find outdated information on this page, please write to Recovery@hurtsquare.ca and we will correct it publicly.
Maintaining the file on which these deadlines depend
Quebec grants you three years and no adversary. What it does not grant you is a second chance on a decision left aside for sixty-one days.
Two things determine the fate of a claim. What you have recorded and whether you did the right thing at the right time where you live. The National MVA Recovery Guide covers the first part, the daily record of symptoms, appointments, calls, and expenses on which a claim is ultimately judged. The second part, the deadlines on this page as well as the forms, organizations, and appeal routes that underpin them, is covered in the SAAQ Companion Guide: Road Accident in Quebec. People who only have one of the two often end up with a well-maintained file intended for the wrong process, or with the right dates and nothing to present.
Recovery first. Pressure next.
View the Quebec Road Accident Companion Guide
The three-day checklist can be found at hurtsquare.ca/72. It is free and asks nothing of you.
This page contains general information intended for people in Quebec. It is not legal or medical advice. Rules vary by province and change over time. Verify any element specific to your situation with a lawyer, the SAAQ, or the Tribunal administratif du Québec.