Many businesses decorate their leased trucks or make other changes, so they are perfectly suited to their specific business.
However, even though it is common, adding visuals and making other alterations to a leased commercial vehicle in Quebec demands that you stick to both your lease agreement and provincial laws.
Key Takeaways
- In general, you can add or change vinyl branding, removable storage and organizers, rear window protection and basic extras like rims or tires.
- You usually need permission and to hire a professional to do the work for adding telematics and GPS fleet trackers, commercial upfitting (shelving, etc.) towing packages and hitches or for making accessibility modifications.
- Whether you lease or buy your truck, you are not allowed to do any illegal window tinting, deactivate safety equipment, change the lighting, or change the exhaust or suspension.
- If you break the law, you could be fined hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- To add branding to your leased commercial truck, you need to follow your lease agreement and also Quebec language and SAAQ vehicle and highway laws.
Types of Commercial Vehicle Modifications Allowed in Quebec
Some changes to a leased truck are allowed even if you don’t get approval. Others require written permission from your lessor.
1. Allowed reversible modifications
These are standard industry tweaks that do not physically alter the truck’s mechanics, structure, or factory paint. They can be cleanly removed before the lease ends. They are usually allowed, but it’s always a good idea to check your lease first, just to be sure. Different types of leases may have different limitations.
In general, you can add:
Vinyl branding
Branding in the form of full wraps, partial wraps, and die-cut lettering is usually encouraged.
Removable storage and organizers
Installing drop-in bed liners, removable toolboxes, or tension-mounted cab organizers is usually allowed.
Rear window protection
You can generally add mesh headache racks or window grilles to protect the cab glass from shifting cargo, provided they bolt into existing factory holes.
Basic extras
You can often change the rims or tires, as long as the outside diameter matches the original factory tires exactly and they do not protrude past the wheel wells. (Remember to keep the original rims/tires to swap back at lease-end).
2. Semi-permanent modifications
If your business requires functional upgrades that involve drilling, wiring, or bolting hardware directly to the chassis, you will definitely need written consent from the leasing company first. If approved, they will often require these modifications to be done by a certified professional.
Telematics and GPS fleet trackers
Hardwiring electronic logging devices (ELDs), dashcams, or fleet tracking hardware into the vehicle’s electrical system require permission.
Commercial upfitting
You need to ask before adding bolt-in shelving units, ladder racks, partition walls, or heavy-duty slide-out trays inside a cargo van or truck box.
Towing packages and hitches
Ask before installing aftermarket trailer hitches, brake controllers, or heavy-duty suspension helper springs to manage payload.
Accessibility modifications
Installing wheelchair lifts, specialized steps, or hand controls may require permission. The SAAQ actively supports these alterations, but explicitly states that if the vehicle is on a long-term lease, the written authorization of the dealership is mandatory before work begins.
Modifications to a Leased Truck Prohibited by Quebec Law (SAAQ)
Even if your leasing company somehow gave you permission, the SAAQ and the Code de la sécurité routière strictly prohibit certain alterations on public roads. If caught by highway safety officers, you face heavy fines and mandatory vehicle inspections.
These modifications are illegal regardless of whether you lease or buy your truck:
Illegal window tinting
In Quebec, window tinting rules depend entirely on which window you are wrapping or tinting. Any tint on the front side windows that drops light transmission below 70%, or any tint on the front windshield below the top 15 cm.
Safety equipment deactivation
Removing or altering seatbelts, factory anchor points, or deactivating an airbag (e.g., to install an aftermarket steering wheel or custom commercial seating) are forbidden for safety reasons.
Lighting alterations
Replacing headlights or tail lights with non-SAE compliant bulbs (like cheap aftermarket HID/LED kits), changing the required legal colors of reflectors, or tinting/smoking out light housings are not allowed in Quebec.
Structural or exhaust changes
Cutting or heating suspension springs to lower the vehicle, installing extreme lift kits that disrupt electronic stability control, or modifying the exhaust system to make it louder than factory standards are all forbidden.
Penalties for Modifications that are Not Compliant
Failing to meet SAAQ or OQLF compliance can be costly. Non-compliant language signage or missing/incorrectly sized NIR numbers can result in fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per day of the violation, and extreme cases can even lead to your leased vehicle being temporarily detained.
Rules for Branding a Leased Truck
To add branding to a leased commercial truck in Quebec, you need to follow the lease agreement and also Quebec provincial law. This applies to all types of leased transport equipment, from dump trucks to trailers and snow removal trucks.
Here are the main points to keep in mind if you want to customize a leased truck:
1. Get permission first
Always double-check your lease terms before making any changes to a leased vehicle. While commercial leases almost always expect you to brand the truck, you might need to notify them (sometimes just by phone) or get written permission first.
2. Don’t make any permanent changes
The golden rule of vehicle leasing is that you must return the vehicle in its original condition, minus normal wear and tear. To be safe, do not paint the truck.
Instead, use high-quality vinyl wraps or removable decals. You’ll have to remove them (it’s usually necessary to get a professional to do this) without damaging the original paint before the vehicle is returned. If the wrap damages the paint or leaves adhesive residue when removed, the leasing company will charge you for the repairs.
3. Follow Quebec’s language laws (OQLF & Bill 96)
The rules set out by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) for public signs and commercial advertising are strict. If your truck is branded for commercial purposes, its signage must also comply with the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101).
- All text on the vehicle, including lists of services, slogans, and contact descriptions, must be in French.
- If you choose to include English text as well, the French text must take up at least twice as much space and be visually more prominent.
- If your business name or logo is a registered trademark in a language other than French (e.g., English), you can display it as-is. However, it must be accompanied by a French description or generic term (e.g. Entreprise de XYZ).
4. Adhere to the SAAQ’s commercial vehicle requirements
If your leased truck qualifies as a commercial vehicle registered with the SAAQ, there are specific lettering requirements you must follow:
- Depending on the gross vehicle weight and if you are traveling outside the province, you may need to display your company name, address, and vehicle weight on the sides of the truck. You may also need to display your Numéro d’identification au Registre (NIR).
- Your lettering must meet local highway regulations.
- Make sure nothing blocks the driver’s view, covers the license plates, or blocks any mandatory safety reflectors and lights.
- You cannot use high-visibility reflective patterns or colors that mimic emergency vehicles (like police, fire, or Contrôle Routier markings).
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F.A.Q
1. Are the branding rules the same for individual trucks and fleets?
Regardless whether you lease an individual truck or a fleet, the same rules for branding apply.
2. Can I decorate my leased truck myself?
It’s generally better to hire a professional wrap installer who is experienced with local commercial fleets. They can help with installation and removal, and make sure all lettering and symbols are legal and compliant.