Vehicles subject to a circle check inspection
- Road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,500 kg or more;
- Group of road vehicles of which at least one of the vehicles has a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more. For example:
- Pick-up type truck with a GVWR of less than 4,500 kg hitched to a semi-trailer with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more;
- Pick-up type truck with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more hitched to a semi-trailer with a GVWR of less than 4,500 kg;
- Pick-up type truck with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more hitched to a semi-trailer with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more (each of the vehicles in the set has a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more).
- Buses, minibuses and tow trucks (regardless of their GVWR);
- Road vehicles with a GVWR of less than 4,500 kg transporting dangerous materials requiring the application of safety marks.
Vehicles exempt from a circle check inspection
- Tool vehicles (graders, loaders, back hoes);
- Heavy vehicles required by an emergency service or in the event of a disaster;
- Farm tractors;
- Farm machinery (e.g. combine-harvesters);
- Farm trailers (e.g. a hay trailer owned by a farmer and used for farming purposes);
- Heavy vehicles used by a natural person for personal ends;
- Straight-body trucks with two or three axles used to:
- Transport unprocessed farm, forest or fishery products, provided the driver is also the producer
- Make the return trip, provided the truck is either empty or used to transport products mainly used in the operation of a farm, forest or fishery.
PENLESS ROAD SAFETY offers a simple, swift and powerful paperless, PENLESS and painless solution for operators of heavy vehicles subject to daily circle check inspections.
Circle check inspection requirements
- Availability of a valid circle check inspection (less than 24 hours), up to date and readable at all times in the vehicle;
- Possibility of sharing the circle check inspection from the vehicle at all times;
- Availability of the list of defects (codes and descriptions) in the vehicle at all times;
- Possibility of accepting (or refusing) a valid circle check inspection made by a designated person or by the previous driver;
- Transmission of the circle check inspection to the operator no later than 20 days after its expiry;
- Ability to add operator-specific verifications;
- Verification and correction of defects reported on circle check inspections no later than 48 hours after their expiration;
- Sharing of defects with the vehicle owner within 48 hours, if applicable;
- Recording of the corrections made;
- Integrity of odometer readings;
- Sharing of all circle check inspections with the vehicle owner, if applicable, every 30 days;
- Preservation of circle check inspections for a period of 6 months;
- Preservation of circle check inspections that required repair for a period of 1 year;
- Sharing, as needed, circle check inspections with the SAAQ.
With PENLESS, face these challenges in a fully automated way, paperless, PENLESS and painless!
Examples of fines
- No circle check inspection: $350 to $1,050
- Not doing the circle check inspection according to the standards: $350 to $1,050
- Allowing a heavy vehicle to be driven without the circle check inspection having been carried out: $700 to $2,100
- Letting a heavy vehicle be driven without the circle check inspection being on board: $700 to $2,100
Useful links
- Highway Safety Code (Q.R.S. chapter C-24-2)
- Ministerial Order concerning access to the driving of heavy vehicles Highway Safety Code (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 0.1.1)
- Ministerial Order concerning the approval of weigh scales (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 4)
- Ministerial Order concerning driving of buses on certain autoroute shoulders (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 6.02)
- Regulation respecting an agreement between the Gouvernement du Québec and the Government of the State of New York respecting the mechanical inspection of buses (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 19)
- Regulation respecting the hours of driving and rest of heavy vehicle drivers (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 28)
- Cargo Securement Standards Regulation (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 30)
- Vehicle Load and Size Limits Regulation (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 31)
- Regulation respecting safety standards for road vehicles (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 32)
- Regulation designating level crossings where drivers of certain road vehicles are exempt from the obligation to stop their vehicle (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 33)
- Regulation respecting special permits (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 35)
- Special Road Train Operating Permits Regulation (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 36)
- Autonomous Bus and Minibus Pilot Project (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 37.01)
- Transportation of Dangerous Substances Regulation (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 43)
- Ministerial Order concerning use of flexible folding aerodynamic systems for road vehicles (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 43.1)
- Regulation respecting the use of non-skid devices on the tires of certain road vehicles (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 44)
- Ministerial Order concerning heavy vehicles whose speed limiter must be activated and set at a maximum speed of 105 km/h (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 50)
- Regulation respecting road vehicles adapted for the transportation of handicapped persons (Q.R.S. chapter C-24.2, r. 51)
- Act Respecting Owners, Operators and Drivers of Heavy Vehicles (Q.R.S. chapter P-30.3)
- Regulation respecting the Act respecting owners, operators, and drivers of heavy vehicles (Q.R.S. chapter P-30.3, r. 1)
- Obligations of Heavy Vehicle Users
- Driving and Off-Duty Time for Heavy Vehicle Drivers
- Driving and Off-Duty Time for Heavy Vehicle Drivers – Fact sheet
- Road Vehicle Mechanical Inspection Guide
- Circle Check Guide
- Heavy Vehicles – Heavy consequences – Évitez la fatigue (2016-2018 SAAQ Campaign) in French
- Heavy Vehicles – Heavy Consequences – Attachez-vous en tout temps (2016-2018 SAAQ Campaign) in French
- Heavy Vehicles – Heavy Consequences – Limitez les distractions (2016-2018 SAAQ Campaign) in French
- Heavy Vehicles – Heavy Consequences – Adaptez votre conduite (2016-2018 SAAQ Campaign) in French
- S.A.A.Q.s LE RELAYEUR newsletter (in French)