No. An RBQ licence cannot be bought, rented or lent. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) stays the owner of the licence, and its holder may not transfer it. Using another person’s name or licence number to carry out construction work is an offence, as is acting as a nominee (prête-nom).
An offer of a "licence for rent" exposes both the person who takes the licence and the one who lends it.
Can you buy or rent an RBQ licence?
No provision of the Building Act (opens in a new tab) allows a licence to be sold, rented or lent. Two rules point the other way:
- Section 56: the RBQ remains the owner of the licence, and the holder may not transfer it. A holder who is no longer entitled to the licence must return it to the RBQ, which confiscates it otherwise.
- Section 194, paragraph 5: it is an offence to use the name of another person who holds a licence, or that person’s licence number, to carry out construction work.
In practice, a holder who "sells" a licence is transferring it, and someone who "rents" or "borrows" one is working under another person’s number. The Act does not speak of "selling" or "renting" a licence: the link comes from these two sections. If your situation is unusual, ask the RBQ or a lawyer before you act.
Why it does not work
The licence belongs to its holder
A licence lists the categories and subclasses of work that its holder is authorized to carry out (s. 68). The RBQ issues it to a specific person or business once its conditions are checked (ss. 58 and 60). A licence number cannot be passed from hand to hand: the authorization is the holder’s, and the RBQ takes the licence back if the holder is no longer entitled to it.
The guarantor must really be part of the business
The business’s guarantor (répondant) sits the exams: the person himself or herself for a sole proprietorship, an officer (dirigeant) for a partnership or a corporation. The RBQ says the guarantor should be ready to sit the exams when the application is filed. For the role itself, read the RBQ guarantor.
A guarantor who lends a qualification without taking part in management becomes a prête-nom. The RBQ describes this as a guarantor of convenience (répondant de complaisance): a person who qualifies a business without being involved in its management.
The Act targets the prête-nom in several places:
- a natural person gets a licence only if he or she is not the prête-nom of another person (s. 58);
- a partnership or legal person gets a licence only if none of its officers is the prête-nom of another person (s. 60);
- acting as a prête-nom, calling on one, or having one among your officers is an offence, at the time of the application or at any time while the licence is valid (s. 197.2).
According to the RBQ, when a business uses a prête-nom, the business and its officers become accomplices and risk having the licence suspended or cancelled. The person who acted as prête-nom could be refused a licence.
If you buy a business that holds a licence
Buying a business is not buying a licence. A licence holder must inform the RBQ in writing, within 30 days, of any change to its legal structure, including a merger, sale or cession (s. 67). The guarantor must also tell the RBQ without delay when he or she stops acting as guarantor.
Section 67 creates a notice duty but provides no transfer of a licence. Since a licence cannot be transferred (s. 56), do not assume it comes with the business. Confirm with the RBQ before you close.
Risks for you and your clients
The fines
The Act’s fines are indexed every 1 January and are not taxable. The table gives the 2026 amounts for the offences that touch a licence loan or borrowing.
| Offence | Individual | Legal person |
|---|---|---|
| Transferring a licence (s. 56, para. 2) or using another person’s name or licence number (s. 194, para. 5) | $14,098 to $105,734 (2026 fee) | $42,292 to $211,465 (2026 fee) |
| Acting as a prête-nom, using one, or having one among your officers (s. 197.2) | $14,098 to $105,734 (2026 fee) | $42,292 to $211,465 (2026 fee) |
| Working with no licence at all, or using someone who has none (s. 197.1) | $14,098 to $105,734 (2026 fee) | $42,292 to $211,465 (2026 fee) |
For a first repeat offence, the minimum and maximum fines are doubled. For each further repeat offence, they are tripled. The exact amounts are on the RBQ fines page (opens in a new tab), to be rechecked every January. For the full picture on unlicensed work, see penalties for working without an RBQ licence.
What adds to the bill
- An offence lasting more than one day counts as as many offences as the days it lasted (s. 201.1).
- An officer is presumed to have committed the business’s offence unless he or she shows that all necessary precautions were taken (s. 201.0.2).
- A person who helps another commit an offence is guilty as if he or she had committed it, if he or she knew or should have known the act would probably help (s. 200).
- A prosecution can start within 3 years after the offence comes to the prosecutor’s knowledge, and never more than 7 years after the offence (s. 212).
- A contractor may not use another contractor who does not hold the right licence (s. 46, para. 2).
- The RBQ can order work stopped when the person doing it has no licence or lacks the right subclass. It cannot resume until the RBQ allows it (s. 124.1).
For your clients
A client who signed a contract with a contractor lacking the appropriate licence can apply to have the contract cancelled (s. 50). The client cannot do so if he or she knew the licence was missing. Section 50 provides for an application to cancel, not for automatic cancellation.
The lawful ways to go faster
The only safe way is to get your own licence. Three steps shorten the process:
- An exam exemption. The regulation (B-1.1, r. 9, s. 20) exempts a person who completed a recognized training program in the subject, or who acted as guarantor in the same field in the previous 5 years. Only attestations issued from 2014 count. According to the RBQ’s FAQ, a recognized-program attestation can be filed without waiting the 4 months that follow a failed or missed exam retake. See RBQ licence without an exam.
- A real guarantor. If your business lacks the required competence, the lawful answer is for an officer of the business to sit the exams and become the guarantor. Adding or replacing a guarantor costs $105.27 per guarantor (2026 fee).
- A complete application, filed ready. The RBQ states 60 days to process a complete and compliant application, before the exam convocation. Follow the real timeline in how long it takes to get an RBQ licence.
Priority processing, 2026 fee
If the delay pushes you to look for a shortcut, the RBQ offers priority processing for a higher fee. It is not available when the guarantor’s competencies are assessed by exam or professional file: if your guarantor sits the exams, this lever does not apply. The table gives the 2026 fee totals for a new licence.
| Licence | Regular processing | Priority processing |
|---|---|---|
| General (or general and specialized) | $1,291.69 (2026 fee) | $1,698.84 (2026 fee) |
| Specialized only | $849.41 (2026 fee) | $1,256.56 (2026 fee) |
These fees are not taxable and are indexed every 1 January. Exam fees are not doubled with priority processing. For your own total, the licence fee calculator applies the 2026 rates. The RBQ licence guide lays out the full path for each licence type.
FAQ
Can you buy an RBQ licence?
No. The RBQ remains the owner of the licence, and its holder may not transfer it (Building Act, s. 56). No provision of the Act allows a licence to be sold.
Can you rent or borrow another contractor’s licence?
No. Using another holder’s name or licence number to carry out work is an offence (s. 194, para. 5). The fine runs from $14,098 to $105,734 for an individual and from $42,292 to $211,465 for a legal person (2026 fee).
What is a prête-nom?
According to the RBQ, a prête-nom (also called a guarantor of convenience, or répondant de complaisance) is a person who qualifies a business as its guarantor without being involved in its management. Acting as one or using one is an offence (s. 197.2), at the application and while the licence is valid.
What happens to the licence if I buy a business?
The licence holder must tell the RBQ in writing within 30 days of any change to its legal structure, including a sale or cession (s. 67). That section provides no transfer of the licence. Confirm with the RBQ before you buy.
How can I get a licence faster, lawfully?
First check whether you qualify for an exam exemption (a recognized program, or having been a guarantor in the same field within the previous 5 years). Then file a complete application with a guarantor who is ready for the exams. Priority processing can also shorten the wait, for a higher fee (2026 fee).
To prepare for the exams for your own licence, browse RBQexam’s exams. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current to 1 October 2026. Law: the consolidated Building Act is current to 10 June 2026. Fees and fines are the 2026 tariff, to be rechecked before 1 January 2027. This article is general information, not legal advice.