Bill 96 strengthened Quebec's Charter of the French language, which applies to every business operating in Quebec. In short: your website, social media, catalogues and ads aimed at Quebec customers must be available in French, signs must be in French or show French with marked predominance, and since June 1, 2025, a non-French business name or trademark on a sign seen from outside needs French words next to it.
Bill 96 became An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec (2022, c. 14), which amended the Charter. You can still use English. The Charter doesn't ban other languages; it requires French to be there, and in signs, to dominate. Here's what the Quebec government and the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) say businesses must do.
Does Bill 96 apply to your business?
Québec.ca says the Charter applies to all businesses and stores that operate in Quebec. The OQLF adds the point online businesses care about: once a business makes its products or services available in Quebec, the commercial publications aimed at Quebec customers on its website have to be available in French.
So it's not only about having an office in Montréal. If you're actively serving Quebec customers online, the website rules are the ones to look at first.
What businesses must do in French
| Area | The rule |
|---|---|
| Customer service | Respect customers' right to be informed and served in French |
| Websites and social media | Must be available in French; other languages can be added |
| Catalogues and advertising | Must be accessible in French |
| Labels, packaging and instructions | Must be written in French |
| Software and apps | Must be available in French, unless no French version exists |
| Contracts and other documents for consumers | Must be written in French |
| Commercial signs | In French, or with French markedly predominant |
Websites and social media: the rule in plain English
The OQLF answers this directly in its myths and reality guide. Do a Quebec business's website and social media accounts have to be only in French? No. They must be available in French, and they can also be in another language.
The French version has to let Quebec customers get the information they need about what's offered and what they need to place an order, such as the terms and conditions. The OQLF also notes that three quarters of Quebecers prefer to shop and look for information online in French, which makes a French site a customer decision as much as a legal one.
If you're planning the French version, our guide to the best AI translators is a fast way to get a first draft, but have a fluent French speaker review anything customer-facing.
Signs: what marked predominance means
Public signs and commercial advertising must be in French. They can also include other languages as long as every message is in French and, across the same visual field, French is markedly predominant. The OQLF's signage guide spells that out:
- The French text must take up at least twice the space of the text in another language.
- It must be permanent and at least as visible and legible as any other text, including how it's lit.
- French and other-language parts must be designed, lit and placed so they can be read at all times, easily and at the same time.
A sign counts as public if it's on a shopfront, in a window, inside a store, on a display or on a vehicle.
Business names and trademarks since June 1, 2025
This is the newest change. Since June 1, 2025, a business name with a non-French specific element, shown on a sign visible from outside a premises, must come with French terms, such as a generic word, a description or a slogan, that give French marked predominance. The same goes for a recognized trademark that's fully or partly in another language.
The OQLF's example is a business called Vêtements Coolkids. Vêtements is the French generic and Coolkids the specific, and the business could add a French description such as Vêtements pour enfants. Visible from outside includes signs on a building, inside a shopping centre and on a pylon sign.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
One more catch: if a French version of your trademark is registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the French version must be displayed, inside and outside your premises.
Hiring and staff
As an employer in Quebec, you must respect employees' right to work in French and write job offers, employment contracts, application forms, documents about working conditions and training materials in French. Before asking for knowledge of another language for a role, you must take reasonable steps to avoid it, including assessing the real language needs of the job.
Businesses with 25 or more employees over a 6 month period must register with the OQLF within the following 6 months to start a francization process.
My advice
If you serve Quebec customers online, make the French version of your site and key social profiles a project, not a translation afterthought: product pages, terms, ordering and support first. Then check your signs, packaging and ads against the twice-the-space rule. And if you're choosing a brand name now, think about how it'll look with a French generic beside it. Our guide to business translation essentials covers how to brief that work.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bill 96 require websites to be in French?
Websites and social media accounts of businesses in Quebec must be available in French, but they can also be in other languages. Commercial publications aimed at Quebec customers on a website must be available in French once a business makes its products or services available in Quebec.
Can I still use English on signs in Quebec?
Yes, as long as every message is also in French and French is markedly predominant. The OQLF says the French text must take up at least twice the space of text in another language.
What changed for trademarks on June 1, 2025?
Since June 1, 2025, a recognized trademark fully or partly in another language, shown on a sign visible from outside a premises, must be accompanied by French terms that give French marked predominance.
Who has to register with the OQLF?
Businesses that employ 25 or more people over a 6 month period must register with the OQLF within the following 6 months to begin a francization process.
Does the Charter of the French language ban English?
No. The OQLF says the Charter doesn't exclude any language, but French must always be present and, on signs, markedly predominant.
