Truck and trailer rules in Quebec: licence classes, trailer brakes, safety chains, size limits
What the Highway Safety Code and its regulations say in Quebec about class 1 and class 3 licences, independent brakes on a trailer of 1,300 kg or more, the safety chain or cable, and the 2.6 m width, 4.15 m height and length limits.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. All of the sources are the Highway Safety Code (chapter C-24.2) and two of its regulations, as published in English by Légis Québec, the Quebec government's legislation service: the Regulation respecting licences (C-24.2, r. 34) and the Highway Safety Code regulation on vehicle load and size limits (C-24.2, r. 31). Federal background and the other places are on the parent page, trucks and trailers for tree work.
At a glance
| Item | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Class 5 | Motor vehicle with 2 axles and a net mass of less than 4,500 kg |
| Class 3 | Truck with 2 axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more, or with 3 axles or more; truck tractor on the same terms |
| Class 1 | Truck tractor with 2 axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more, or 3 axles or more, hauling one or more trailers or semi-trailers; and a truck hauling a trailer of 2,000 kg or more, or 4,500 kg or more for a trailer carrying its own permanent equipment |
| Trailer brakes | Independent braking system on a trailer or semi-trailer loaded to 1,300 kg or more, or to more than half the net mass of the towing vehicle |
| Safety chain | A chain, cable or other safety device on a trailer without an independent brake system |
| Width, height | 2.6 m for a motor vehicle, 2.5 m for a trailer; 4.15 m high |
| Length | 12.5 m for a motor vehicle with a rear overhang of 4 m or less; 19 m for a combination not listed elsewhere in the section |
| Axle and total mass limits | The regulation's divisions on axle load and total loaded mass carry the note that they are suspended by a ministerial order |
Licence classes
The Regulation respecting licences sets the classes by axles and net mass, not by a single weight line. Section 28.7 says a class 5 licence covers a motor vehicle with 2 axles and a net mass under 4,500 kg. Section 28.3 says a class 3 licence covers a truck with 2 axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more and a truck with 3 axles or more, and a truck tractor on the same axle and mass terms. In that section a truck means a road vehicle with a net mass over 3,000 kg made only to carry goods or equipment permanently attached to it. Section 28.1 says a class 1 licence covers a combination of a truck tractor with 2 axles and a net mass of 4,500 kg or more, or with 3 axles or more, hauling one or more trailers or semi-trailers. It also covers a truck hauling a trailer or semi-trailer of 4,500 kg net mass or more that only carries its permanent machinery, or any other trailer of 2,000 kg net mass or more. Endorsements for manual transmission and an air braking system are entered on classes 1, 2 and 3 where the holder's file shows them. See the Regulation respecting licences.
Trailer brakes and the safety chain
Section 244 of the Highway Safety Code says a trailer or semi-trailer in a combination must have an independent braking system acting on each weight-bearing wheel when its loaded mass is 1,300 kg or more, or is over half the net mass of the towing vehicle. The towing vehicle must carry the equipment needed to operate that system. The section does not apply to farm vehicle combinations used for farm purposes or the exclusive transport of unprocessed timber, nor to combinations whose trailers and semi-trailers are used only to transport unprocessed timber, where the combinations meet the conditions in the second paragraph of section 240.2. Section 245 says a trailer or semi-trailer without an independent brake system able to stop the vehicle if it separates must have a chain, a cable or another sufficiently solid safety device installed so that the vehicles stay attached if the coupling breaks. Section 437.1 adds that the lights, brake system and safety device on a trailer must be connected to the towing vehicle. See the Highway Safety Code.
Width, height and length
The load and size regulation sets the maximum width, load included, at 2.6 m for a motor vehicle and 2.5 m for a trailer or semi-trailer. The 2.5 m limit rises to 2.6 m where the track width of each axle is 2.5 m or more. The maximum height of a vehicle or combination, load included, is 4.15 m. For length, the regulation lists 12.5 m for a motor vehicle with a rear overhang of 4 m or less, 23 m for a towing vehicle and a single trailer equipped with a dolly, or with a rear overhang of 4 m or less, where the distance from the front of the load-bearing section to the rear of the trailer is 20 m or less, 25 m for listed double trains and 19 m for a combination not covered by the earlier items. See the regulation on vehicle load and size limits.