The guarantor (répondant) is the person who shows the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) that the business has the skills its licence requires. The licence is issued to the business, but the guarantor is the one who takes the exams or gets an exemption. In a sole proprietorship, that is the contractor personally; in a company or partnership, it is normally an officer (dirigeant). If you have seen "respondent" in unofficial translations, the official English term is guarantor.
"Répondant" in English is "guarantor"
French forms and RBQ pages say répondant. The English version (opens in a new tab) of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (B-1.1, r. 9) uses guarantor. Other official equivalents to know:
| French | Official English |
|---|---|
| répondant | guarantor |
| entrepreneur | contractor |
| constructeur-propriétaire | owner-builder |
| sous-catégorie | subclass |
Source: regulation B-1.1, r. 9, English version on LégisQuébec, checked on September 25, 2026.
This matters if you write the exam in English: see how to take the RBQ exam in English.
The guarantor takes the exams
According to the RBQ’s Pour qui, comment, combien (opens in a new tab) page (checked on September 26, 2026), the exams are taken by:
- the person themselves, for a sole proprietorship;
- an officer, for a company or partnership, which can put forward more than one guarantor per qualification field.
The RBQ adds a practical recommendation: the guarantor should be ready to take the exams when the licence application is filed. The reason is simple. A complete, compliant application is processed within 60 days of receipt, according to the RBQ, and that is when it writes to the guarantor with the date, time and regional office for the exam. That is the RBQ’s stated timeline, not a promise of a licence in 60 days. For the full timeline, read how long it takes to get an RBQ licence.
The pass mark for contractor and owner-builder exams is 60%. Passing the exam is what allows the person to act as guarantor in that field. Each exam costs $105.27 per person (2026 fee).
One guarantor per management field or subclass
The RBQ does not assess "the licence" as a block. It assesses fields: three management fields, then construction work, subclass by subclass. For each field your licence requires, a guarantor must show their skills, by exam or by exemption.
| Field | Contractor (general or specialized) | General owner-builder | Specialized owner-builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | Yes | No | No |
| Safety management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Project and site management | Yes | Yes | No |
| Construction work | One exam per subclass applied for in Schedules I and II | One exam per Schedule I subclass, except 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 | One exam per Schedule II subclass |
Sources: RBQ, Pour qui, comment, combien; B-1.1, r. 9, ss. 9, 10, 11.2, 11.9 and 21 to 24.
Schedule III subclasses have no construction work exam. To understand the schedules, read our article on RBQ licence subclasses. For the full path for your situation, see the general contractor, specialized contractor and owner-builder pages.
The management exams are described on our Administration, Site Safety Management and Project and Site Management pages.
Three ways to qualify a guarantor
Passing the exam is not the only route. A guarantor can have their skills recognized in three ways.
| Route | In short | Cost (2026 fee) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam | Pass the exam for the field (60%) | $105.27 per exam |
| Exemption (s. 20) | A recognized training program, or having been a guarantor in the same field in the 5 years before the application | $105.27 to have training recognized |
| Professional file (dossier professionnel) | Another way of assessing skills | $877.49 per management field or construction work subclass |
Source: RBQ, fees for construction contractors (opens in a new tab), checked on September 26, 2026. These amounts are indexed every January 1 and are not taxable: check them again from January 2027.
For recognized training, programs are offered by the APCHQ, the ACQ and the APECQ, among others. Since January 2023, only certificates issued from 2014 onward are valid. See getting an RBQ licence without the exam and, for the professional file, our glossary.
A passed exam stays valid for 5 years. If no licence was issued, the 5 years run from the date the exam was marked. A training certificate filed without a licence being issued is not kept on record.
The exemption for guarantors in the last 5 years
Section 20 of regulation B-1.1, r. 9 provides an exemption for a person who acted as guarantor in the matching field during the 5 years before the application. In practice, this route mostly helps someone who has already been a guarantor for another licence and is applying for a new one.
The same section says an exemption obtained through misrepresentation is cancelled, with a one-year bar from taking exams. Declare your experience accurately.
Results wait until every guarantor is done
If your business puts forward several guarantors, remember this rule from the RBQ exam FAQ (opens in a new tab): results are mailed only once all prospective guarantors tied to the same licence have finished their exams. A guarantor who is slow to sit an exam holds up everyone’s results. The RBQ does not give results by phone.
Line up the dates between guarantors as soon as you file. For what happens on exam day, read RBQ exam registration and results.
Your access details stay with you
For a computer exam, the RBQ sends access details by mail or email. According to its computerized exams page (opens in a new tab):
- they are required on exam day, so bring the letter or email;
- they stay the same for as long as your guarantor status is valid;
- they must be kept confidential;
- they also open a practice test of the exam software.
Keep them somewhere safe: you will need them for every exam while you are a guarantor.
Adding or replacing a guarantor
Adding or replacing a guarantor on a licence costs $105.27 per guarantor, or $210.54 with priority processing (2026 fee). Priority processing is not available if the added person’s competencies are assessed by exam or professional file. The person added must also have their skills recognized in the fields they cover, through one of the three routes above. To find the number that identifies the business’s licence, see where to find and how to read an RBQ licence number. For guarantors' mandatory continuing education (who is covered, how many hours, how to report them), see mandatory RBQ continuing education.
FAQ
Who can be the guarantor for an RBQ licence?
For a sole proprietorship, the person themselves. For a company or partnership, the RBQ refers to an officer. For an unusual situation, check with the RBQ before you file.
Can there be more than one guarantor for the same field?
Yes. According to the RBQ, a company or partnership can put forward more than one guarantor per qualification field.
How much does a guarantor’s exam cost?
$105.27 per person, per exam in 2026. A retake after a failure costs the same. Fees are indexed every January 1.
What happens if the guarantor fails?
They get one retake, which must be requested within 30 days of the notice they receive. If they fail the retake or do not show up, they must wait 4 months after the RBQ’s decision before being admitted to that exam again. Details in RBQ exam retake rules.
Can the guarantor take the exams in English?
Yes. The exams are offered in French and English. The exam titles must be in English on the convocation notice, or the RBQ must be told at least 7 days before. See how to take the RBQ exam in English.
If you will be the guarantor for one or more management fields, RBQexam’s free timed practice exam lets you practise against the clock with original questions. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of September 26, 2026. Fees: 2026 rates.