Quebec caps its autoroute network at 100 km/h, with a 60 km/h minimum on those same freeways, and posts 90 km/h on paved rural highways. In cities the default is 50 km/h, though Montreal has cut most residential streets to 30 km/h. The province doubles fines and demerit points for what it calls grand excès de vitesse, its excessive speeding offence, and is expanding one of Canada's largest photo radar networks.
Quebec speed limits at a glance
| Road type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Cities and towns (default) | 50 kph (31 mph) |
| School / playground zones | 30 kph (19 mph) |
| Rural two-lane highways | 90 kph (56 mph) |
| Major highways / freeways | 100 kph (62 mph) |
About speed limits in Quebec
Quebec's Highway Safety Code sets 100 km/h as the ceiling on the autoroute system, and unlike Ontario or British Columbia the province has never raised it, so nothing in Quebec is legally posted above 100 km/h. Autoroutes also carry a 60 km/h minimum, one of the few enforced minimum limits in Canada. Off the freeway network, paved secondary roads outside built-up areas default to 90 km/h and gravel roads to 70 km/h, while the default inside municipalities is 50 km/h. Long rural stretches of Route 132, Route 138 and Route 117 mix 90 km/h open-road sections with sharp 50 km/h drops through villages, a pattern that catches many visiting drivers.
The signature offence is grand excès de vitesse, or excessive speeding. It applies at 40 km/h or more over the limit in zones of 60 km/h or less, 50 km/h or more over in zones between 65 and 90 km/h, and 60 km/h or more over in zones of 100 km/h. Both the fine and the demerit points are doubled, producing penalties that commonly run from about $420 to over $1,000 with 6 to 14 or more points, and the licence is suspended on the spot for 30 days. Repeat offences within ten years bring 60-day suspensions, possible vehicle seizure and even steeper multiplied fines.
Montreal is the clearest example of municipal variation. Under its Vision Zero program most boroughs post 30 km/h on residential streets and 40 km/h on arterials, and Quebec City, Laval and Longueuil have adopted similar reductions. School zones are generally 30 km/h, and following the province's 2023 road safety plan, fines for speeding in a school zone are doubled while school is in session. Plateau-Mont-Royal and several central boroughs have gone furthest, with 30 km/h nearly everywhere except a handful of through routes, so drivers should not assume the 50 km/h default applies anywhere in central Montreal.
Quebec has run photo radar since 2009 and operates fixed units, mobile units and red-light cameras on both provincial and municipal networks, including Montreal, Quebec City, Gatineau, Laval and Longueuil. In 2026 the government signed a 43 million dollar contract for 66 additional mobile photo radar units, roughly quadrupling the mobile fleet, with installation starting in fall 2026 and continuing through 2028 and coverage expanding into nine additional administrative regions. The new units are earmarked mainly for school zones and roadwork zones. Photo radar tickets go to the vehicle owner and carry no demerit points, unlike tickets issued during a traffic stop.
Enforcement
The Sûreté du Québec patrols autoroutes and rural routes with radar, laser and unmarked cars, while municipal forces handle city streets. A growing photo radar network of fixed and mobile units, plus red-light cameras, supplements patrols; camera tickets are mailed to the owner and carry no points. Warning signs are posted ahead of photo radar zones by law.
Tolerance
Quebec police informally tolerate small overages, and traffic on the autoroutes commonly cruises 10 to 15 km/h above 100, but there is no legal margin and photo radar units are calibrated tighter than patrol practice. The grand excès thresholds are hard lines, and school and roadwork zones with doubled fines see the strictest enforcement.
Speeding fines in Quebec
An ordinary ticket is $30 plus an escalating amount per 5 km/h over: roughly $70 total at 20 over, $120 at 30 over and $190 at 40 over, before mandatory fees. Fines are doubled in roadwork zones, in school zones while school is in session, and for grand excès de vitesse, where penalties typically run from about $420 to more than $1,000 plus doubled demerit points and a 30-day licence suspension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum speed limit in Quebec?
100 km/h on the autoroute network, which also carries a 60 km/h minimum. Paved rural highways default to 90 km/h and gravel roads to 70 km/h. Quebec has never raised its autoroute ceiling, so no road in the province is posted above 100 km/h.
What is grand excès de vitesse in Quebec?
Excessive speeding: 40 km/h or more over the limit in zones of 60 km/h or less, 50 or more over in 65-90 km/h zones, and 60 or more over in 100 km/h zones. Fines and demerit points are doubled and the licence is suspended immediately for 30 days, with harsher penalties for repeats within ten years.
What is the residential speed limit in Montreal?
Most Montreal boroughs post 30 km/h on residential streets and 40 km/h on arterials under the city's Vision Zero program, well below the provincial 50 km/h default. School zones are generally 30 km/h, with fines doubled while school is in session.
Does Quebec use photo radar?
Yes, extensively. Quebec has operated fixed and mobile photo radar since 2009 and in 2026 signed a contract for 66 more mobile units, roughly quadrupling the mobile fleet through 2028, focused on school and roadwork zones. Photo radar tickets go to the owner and carry no demerit points.
Speed limits in nearby provinces
- Ontario speed limit — highway, rural, and city limits.
- New Brunswick speed limit — highway, rural, and city limits.
- Newfoundland and Labrador speed limit — highway, rural, and city limits.
Related tools
- Convert KPH to MPH — convert any speed reading between units.
- Car speed test — verify your speedometer accuracy.
- Live GPS speedometer — see your actual speed in the browser.
- Stopping distance calculator — how far you need to brake from each speed.
- Canada speed limits overview — national background and how provinces differ.