Bill 96: What Businesses Must Do
Who is covered, what must be translated, the OQLF process and the timeline.
What does Bill 96 require of businesses?
Bill 96 amends the Charter of the French Language and requires French in contracts, signage, packaging, employee communications and software offered in Quebec. It covers any business operating there, wherever its head office sits. This page gathers our 6 guides on the subject.
What Bill 96 requires of businesses
Francization from 25 employees
A business employing 25 or more people in Quebec for 6 months must register with the OQLF. It analyzes its language situation within 3 months; if French is generalized, the OQLF issues a francization certificate, otherwise it asks for a francization program.
OQLF: business obligationsContracts of adhesion: French first
Since June 1, 2023, every new contract of adhesion must first be provided in French. The parties may then choose another language if that is their express wish; a bilingual contract is also accepted.
OQLF: contracts of adhesionTrademarks on products
Since June 1, 2025, the generic or descriptive elements of a trademark (ingredients, colour, scent, features) must also appear in French on the product. The product name and the business name may remain in another language.
OQLF: trademarks on productsSignage visible from outside
Since June 1, 2025, a trademark or business name in another language, displayed so as to be visible from outside a premises, must be accompanied by French terms that ensure French is markedly predominant.
OQLF: display of trademarks and business namesComplaint to the OQLF: what happens
If a complaint is founded, the OQLF supports the business and agrees on a correction schedule with it. If the situation remains non-compliant, it may order compliance after prior notice; the order can be contested before the Tribunal administratif du Québec within 30 days.
OQLF: complaint handlingRules checked on October 17, 2026 on the website of the Office québécois de la langue française (in French).
Where to start
You are new to the subject
Start with the general guide, then with the question of what actually has to be translated. The first two articles below are enough to place your obligations.
You know you are covered
Move to the compliance audit and the OQLF francization process: that is where the real calendar is decided.
You sell into Quebec from elsewhere
The exporter checklist deals with packaging, labelling and trademarks, which is your case.
Our Bill 96 guides
Each covers an angle the others do not. They read in this order, but nothing requires reading all of them.
- 1The complete guide to Bill 96 compliance for businesses(in French)The starting point: what the law changes, which documents are covered and on what timeline.
- 2Bill 96: what actually has to be translated?(in French)The most concrete question, answered document by document rather than in principles.
- 3Bill 96 compliance audit: how to prepare your businessWhat a language audit actually checks, and how it runs remotely.
- 4Quebec business francization: Bill 96, OQLF, steps and obligationsThe OQLF process itself: registration, language analysis, program and certificate.
- 5Bill 96 checklist for U.S. exporters selling into QuebecPackaging, labels, websites and trademarks, for a business selling in from the United States.
- 6Quebec language requirements for small and medium businesses(in French)The case of smaller organizations, whose obligations differ from those of large enterprises.
Frequently asked questions
My business is outside Quebec. Does Bill 96 apply to me?
It applies to activity carried on in Quebec, not to where the head office sits. An Ontario or U.S. business employing staff, selling products or offering a service there is covered on the same footing as a Quebec business.
Does everything have to be translated?
No, and that is the most expensive misunderstanding. Contracts of adhesion, packaging, employee communications and client-facing documents are covered; many internal documents are not. The "what has to be translated" guide works through it document by document.
What is the difference between francization and translation?
Translation produces a French version of your documents. Francization is an administrative process before the OQLF: registration, language analysis, program and certificate. Translation is a means to it, not the same thing.
What is a francization certificate, and who needs one?
A business employing 25 or more people in Quebec for 6 months must register with the OQLF and analyze its language situation. If French is generalized at every level, the OQLF issues a francization certificate; otherwise, the business must adopt a francization program.
What happens if my business is the subject of an OQLF complaint?
If the complaint is founded, the OQLF supports the business and agrees on a correction schedule. If the situation remains non-compliant, it may order compliance after prior notice; the order can be contested before the Tribunal administratif du Québec within 30 days.
Where do we start if we do not know where we stand?
With a language audit: it establishes what is already compliant, what is not, and in what order to handle the rest. Without that inventory, businesses routinely translate what was not urgent first.
Find out where you stand
A language audit establishes what is compliant and what is not, before anything gets translated. Quote within 1 business hour.
Request the auditRelated translation services
Other compliance regimes
Last regulatory review: July 27, 2026. Provided for information only. This is not legal advice. Consult legal counsel for your own situation.