How to get an RBQ licence in Quebec: choose your path
An RBQ contractor licence (general or specialized) or an owner-builder licence comes with exams, a bond and fees that depend on your licence type and the subclasses you request. Here are the paths and the steps, with 2026 amounts.
Updated September 27, 2026
Licence paths
The four licence types in the regulation and what each requires. Issuance fees with regular processing, 2026 rates.
| Licence type | Management exams | Construction work exams | Bond | Issuance (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General contractor | Administration, Safety management, Project and site management | Plus one construction work exam per Schedule I or II subclass requested. | $40,000 | $1,291.69 |
| Specialized contractor | Administration, Safety management, Project and site management | Plus one construction work exam per Schedule II subclass; none for Schedule III. | $20,000 | $849.41 |
| General owner-builder | Safety management, Project and site management | Plus one construction work exam per Schedule I subclass, except 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, which an owner-builder cannot hold. | None | See the RBQ fee table |
| Specialized owner-builder | Safety management | Plus one construction work exam per Schedule II subclass; Schedule III is not open to this licence. | None | See the RBQ fee table |
The $40,000 bond applies as soon as a general subclass is requested; none is required when the only subclasses are 1.1.1 and 1.1.2. RBQ amounts are not taxable and are indexed every 1 January.
The steps
- Choose your subclasses: they set the licence type and the construction work exams.
- Name the guarantor or guarantors (répondants). They show the competencies and sit the exams: the owner for a sole proprietorship, an officer for a partnership or corporation.
- Have each field recognized: by exam, by a recognized training program, by the 5-year guarantor exemption (s. 20) or by a professional file.
- File the licence application with the fees and, for a contractor, the bond. The RBQ then writes to the guarantor with the date, time and office of each exam.
- Sit the exams. Results come by mail once every guarantor on the file has finished.
- Once the licence is issued, pay the maintenance fee every year. If the RBQ has not received the bond by the maintenance date, it recommends suspending the licence.
Timelines
- The RBQ says a complete and compliant application is processed within 60 days of receipt. If it is incomplete, the RBQ contacts you within 15 days to ask for what is missing.
- On September 25, 2026, the RBQ said its delays were longer than usual: it was processing regular applications received on August 25, 2026 and priority applications received on September 15, 2026. Check the current status on its website.
- Priority processing of a new licence costs $1,698.84 (general) or $1,256.56 (specialized) in 2026. Exam fees do not change. The RBQ does not offer it when the guarantor’s competencies are assessed by exam or professional file.
Prepare for the exams on your path
The free diagnostic shows you where to start, module by module.