Your RBQ number is the 10-digit licence number the Régie du bâtiment du Québec assigns to your business. It is written "Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX" and must appear on your bids, contracts and invoices. To find it, or to check a contractor’s number, search the RBQ’s Registre des détenteurs de licence (opens in a new tab) (licence holder register).
Where to find your RBQ licence number
Three sources are reliable:
- Your own business documents. The number is mandatory on your estimates, bids, contracts, statements of account and invoices. A recent bid already carries it.
- The official register. The RBQ tells people to search it for a contractor or a licence number. A new licence appears there the day after it is issued.
- The licence document. The RBQ asks you to keep it and not throw it away when the yearly assessment notice arrives. The regulation (B-1.1, r. 9, s. 16) lists its contents: the holder’s name and address, guarantors (répondants), issue date, annual maintenance due date, and categories and subclasses. That list does not mention the number: rely on the register or your business documents to find it.
If none of that works, the RBQ takes information requests through its Écrivez-nous (opens in a new tab) (write to us) page.
For the path to getting a licence in the first place, see the RBQ licence guide.
The XXXX-XXXX-XX format and where to display it
The number has 10 digits, written in three groups: "Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX". The Building Act (CQLR, c. B-1.1, s. 57.1, French text on LégisQuébec (opens in a new tab)) requires a licence holder to show the number in all advertising, on estimates, bids, contracts and statements of account, and on other documents set by RBQ regulation. The RBQ does not cite a regulation for the format itself: it rests on its "Afficher votre licence" (display your licence) page.
| Where | Licence number |
|---|---|
| Estimates, bids, contracts, statements of account, invoices | Mandatory |
| Construction site signs | Mandatory if the company name is on them |
| Advertising, business cards included | Mandatory; in a phone directory, once the message names your services or sector, but not for a bare listing (name, address, phone) |
| Website and business social media | Mandatory; also on personal social media if you show your services there |
| Vehicles showing the company name, on the road or on a site | Mandatory, one mention per vehicle or vehicle element |
| Promotional items (pens, mugs, key rings, clothing) | Not required |
Two groups are exempt: members of the CMEQ and the CMMTQ, whose corporation logo identifies them, and contractors domiciled outside Québec. The RBQ also forbids displaying its logo and the Québec government flag.
Reading a licence record: status, subclasses, bond, guarantors
The Building Act (s. 66) requires the RBQ to keep a public register. According to the RBQ’s verification page, each record contains:
| Field | What you read |
|---|---|
| Name and contact details | The business name(s) and contact details |
| Québec enterprise number (NEQ) | The business’s Québec enterprise number, which is not the licence number |
| RBQ licence number | The 10-digit number |
| Categories and subclasses | The work the licence authorizes (see below) |
| Bond (cautionnement) | The association or company providing the bond, without the amount |
| Claims | Claims in progress or indemnities paid, where there are any |
| Restriction | A restriction for public works, where there is one |
| Guarantors (répondants) | The guarantors on the licence and their qualification domains |
Subclasses. General contractor subclasses are in Schedule I of the regulation (1.1.1 to 1.10). Specialized subclasses are in Schedule II (with a trade exam) and Schedule III (without one). Compare them with the planned work: the record shows what the holder is authorized to do. Details are in RBQ licence subclasses.
Guarantors. The record lists the licence’s guarantors and their qualification domains. The article on the RBQ guarantor explains the role.
Status. The RBQ’s current page says the register lists holders with a valid licence. An April 2023 RBQ news item said the register also holds records for licences that are no longer valid (currently suspended, or cancelled in the last 5 years), set apart from valid licences and from restricted ones (no public contracts). It added that records show the number of bond claims and indemnities paid in the last 5 years. That item is more than two years old, and the current page does not repeat the 5-year rule: read the status shown on the record rather than assuming it.
Contact details. They come from the application form. An individual ticks which contact details (phone, email) may appear in the register. For a legal entity, the head-office address, phone and email entered in section 2.1 appear there.
Checking a contractor’s licence
The RBQ recommends checking the licence before you hire a contractor. It takes three steps:
- Ask for the licence number. It should already be on the bid or contract.
- Enter it in the RBQ’s official register (opens in a new tab).
- Compare the record with what the contractor tells you: business name, subclasses that match the work, status, claims.
This guide does not replace the register: the official data is there.
Number missing or licence suspended: what to do
The number is not in the register
Check the 10 digits first. A newly issued licence appears the next day. If you are the holder and your record still cannot be found, write to the RBQ through its Écrivez-nous page. The RBQ does not publish a rule on what a missing record means, so do not treat it as proof.
The licence has ceased to have effect
The Building Act (s. 71, first paragraph, subpara. 8) provides that a contractor’s or owner-builder’s licence ceases to have effect as soon as maintenance is not paid on the due date. The RBQ states that, no matter how many days late the payment is, it is up to the holder to make sure it arrives by the due date: you must then complete a new licence application and pay the fees for that type of application. The RBQ mentions no grace period. Details are in annual licence maintenance.
Another case: a company’s licence ceases to have effect 90 days after its guarantor stops acting (120 days if the guarantor dies), unless another guarantor covers the same field (s. 73).
The licence is suspended
The RBQ may suspend or cancel a licence on the grounds in section 70: a conviction for an offence serious or frequent enough to justify it, a condition for the licence no longer met, a false statement, a missing document, the end of bond membership or loss of public trust, among others. A few markers:
- Before the decision. The RBQ sends a written notice (préavis), allows at least 10 days to present observations, then gives a written, reasoned decision (s. 75).
- Missing bond. If the RBQ has not received the bond by the maintenance due date, it recommends suspending the licence.
- Maintenance missed during a notice. If you miss the maintenance due date after receiving a notice of suspension or cancellation, the licence is suspended until the RBQ takes note of it or cancels it (s. 74).
- Repeated work stoppages. A contractor’s licence is suspended for 12 months when a second work-stoppage decision is made within 2 years of the first (s. 70.2).
- Contesting. A review request must reach the RBQ by the 30th day after the decision, and it does not suspend the decision: the licence stays suspended or cancelled until the review decision.
The RBQ does not publish a general suspension length or a procedure to reactivate a suspended licence. The only fixed duration in the Act is the one in section 70.2. For your own file, write to the RBQ rather than assume.
After a cancellation
Section 51.1 of the Act bars the RBQ from examining a new application filed within 12 months of a licence cancelled by a régisseur’s decision. It does not speak of a licence that ceased to have effect for unpaid maintenance. Section 59 also lets the RBQ refuse a licence to a person who led a company whose licence is suspended or was cancelled (s. 70) less than three years ago. That is a discretionary power.
FAQ
Where do I find my RBQ licence number?
Look on your bids, contracts and invoices, where it is mandatory, or in the RBQ’s licence holder register. If you cannot find it anywhere, write to the RBQ through its Écrivez-nous page.
What is the format of an RBQ licence number?
It is 10 digits, written "Licence RBQ: XXXX-XXXX-XX". The RBQ does not cite a regulation for this format: it rests on its "Afficher votre licence" page.
How do I check a contractor’s licence with their number?
Enter the number in the RBQ’s licence holder register, then read the record: name, subclasses, bond, guarantors and status. Ask the contractor for the number before you sign.
What happens if licence maintenance is paid late?
The licence ceases to have effect as soon as maintenance is not paid on the due date, no matter how many days late. You must file a new application and pay the matching fees.
Do I have to put my RBQ number on my truck and business cards?
Yes for business cards, and for vehicles that show the company name and travel on the road or on a site. No for promotional items such as pens or mugs. CMEQ and CMMTQ members are exempt.
If you are preparing your licence application, RBQexam’s free timed practice exam lets you measure your level before you file. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of October 1, 2026. Building Act rules are those of the version current to June 10, 2026.