Lenders
Read the title and the charges on a lot before funding, then keep an eye on the collateral. A Fonciq watch re-checks a lot daily or weekly and sends a signed webhook (HMAC-SHA256).
Quebec land registry · overview
The Quebec land registry, explained for lenders, title insurers and firms outside Québec
Québec publishes rights in immovables in the Registre foncier du Québec, a public register searched online from 6 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week. Each document consulted costs CAD 1.50 under the official fee grid in force since 1 April 2026.
What the Quebec land registry holds
The index des immeubles (index of immovables) holds one land file per lot of the cadastral plan. It lists every registration published on that lot, such as sales, hypothecs, servitudes and prior notices, with its registration number, its cancellations (radiations) and the cadastral operations on the lot.
The full text of a right is in the deed, consulted by its registration number and registration division. Cadastral plans are consulted by lot number. In Québec civil law, a mortgage on an immovable is called a hypothec.
How access works
- Find the lot number. The Registre’s interactive map does it free of charge for lots of the Québec cadastre (1,000,000 and up).
- Sign in at registrefoncier.gouv.qc.ca as an occasional client (card number at each session) or a regular client (client file, user code and password).
- Choose « Consulter », then « Index des immeubles », enter the registration division, the cadastre and the lot number, and accept the consultation fee.
- Read the computerised part first, then the scanned part (« Numérisé ») for entries published before computerisation. Open each deed by its registration number.
Sources: official consultation instructions and official FAQ (French). Step-by-step French guide: index des immeubles.
Official fees
| Product | Fee | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting a document (index page, deed, cadastral plan, etc.) | CAD 1.50 | Per document |
| Certified statement of rights (certificat de recherche, art. 3019 C.C.Q.) | CAD 17 | Per statement, plus CAD 17 per copy of an application in it |
| Non-certified copy | CAD 27 | Per document ordered |
| Certified copy | CAD 44 | Per document ordered |
Source: official fee grid in force since 1 April 2026 (French). Free: the lot lookup in the interactive map, and printing a document you have already consulted.
Who uses it
Lenders, title insurers and firms outside Québec
Title insurers
Order the index page, then the deeds it lists, by registration number. Index rows come back as JSON or CSV with the source PDF, and the PDF is the record of reference.
Firms outside Québec
The records are public. The Fonciq API runs on your organisation’s own Registre account, so Registre fees are billed to you by the Registre, with no Fonciq margin.
At volume
The Fonciq API for the Quebec land registry
The Fonciq API orders index pages, deeds and cadastral plans from the Québec land registry (Registre foncier) on your organisation’s own Registre account. Index rows come back as JSON or CSV, with the source PDF.
- Every call: CAD 0.99, excluding Registre fees.
- An index consulted: CAD 2.49 in total (CAD 0.99 excluding Registre fees, plus the Registre’s CAD 1.50).
- Batches: up to 500 lots per request, as JSON or CSV; 540 index pages per day per Registre account.
- Structured deed parsing: coming soon, not available yet.
Law 25: designated privacy officer (RPRP) · Requests answered within 30 days · Client data hosted in Québec · AI processing in Montréal. Privacy policy (French)
Frequently asked questions
Short answers.
- What is the Quebec land registry?
- The Registre foncier du Québec is the public register where rights in immovables are published: sales, hypothecs (mortgages), servitudes, prior notices and cancellations. Its records are public: anyone may consult them online at registrefoncier.gouv.qc.ca.
- How much does a Quebec land registry search cost?
- Under the official fee grid in force since 1 April 2026, each document consulted costs CAD 1.50: an index page (index des immeubles), a deed or a cadastral plan. A certified statement of rights costs CAD 17, a non-certified copy CAD 27 and a certified copy CAD 44.
- Can I search the Quebec land registry by address?
- Searches run by lot number. For lots of the Québec cadastre (numbers of 1,000,000 and up), the Registre’s interactive map finds the lot number free of charge. Older lots also need the cadastre name and the registration division, available from the municipality.
- Do I need an account?
- An occasional client enters their details and a card number at each session. A regular client opens a client file with the Registre and receives a user code and password. The site is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, 7 days a week.
- Is there an API for the Quebec land registry?
- Québec’s Registre foncier does not offer an API of its own. The Fonciq API is Fonciq’s: it orders index pages, deeds and cadastral plans on your organisation’s own Registre account, and returns index rows as JSON or CSV, with the source PDF.
- Is Fonciq affiliated with the Government of Québec?
- No. Fonciq is an independent company. The Registre foncier du Québec remains the official source, and certified statements are ordered from the Registre.