Photo: Ivanhercaz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Quebec you may turn right on a red light after a full stop, except on the island of Montreal and anywhere a sign prohibits it. This page is for learners and new drivers in Quebec who want the exact rule, the signs to watch for and what happens if you get it wrong. It is part of the Quebec learner driver guide.
Key facts
- Allowed across Quebec by default, after stopping completely.
- Prohibited everywhere on the island of Montreal.
- Prohibited at any intersection with a “no right turn on red” sign, sometimes only at certain hours.
- Pedestrians and cyclists keep priority. A right on red is a privilege, not a right of way.
Can you turn right on a red light in Quebec?
Yes, outside the island of Montreal, unless a sign says otherwise. The Highway Safety Code allows the turn by default and lets the Minister of Transport designate municipal territories where it is banned. A regulation under the Code lists the municipalities on the island of Montreal where it is prohibited.
How to turn right on red in Quebec, step by step
- Stop completely before the stop line or, if there is none, before the crosswalk.
- Look for a sign prohibiting the turn, including a small tab underneath that limits it to certain hours.
- Yield to vehicles and other road users already in or about to enter the intersection.
- Check that no pedestrian or cyclist is crossing or approaching from your right.
- Turn only when the way is clear.
A rolling turn without a full stop is treated the same as running a red light. Cyclists follow the same right-on-red rules as drivers.
The Montreal exception
On the island of Montreal, you may not turn right on a red light anywhere, signed or not. The no-right-on-red sign with the tab “Île de Montréal” is posted at entry points to the island, such as bridges, tunnels and the airport. You will not see a sign at every intersection, so the rule applies from the moment you cross onto the island.
Laval, Longueuil and the South Shore are not on the island of Montreal. There, the provincial default applies: right on red is allowed unless a sign prohibits it.
Where else is right on red banned in Quebec?
Outside Montreal, a road authority posts a no-right-on-red sign at intersections where the turn is unsafe. According to the Government of Quebec, reasons include:
- poor visibility
- narrow lanes that push trucks and buses into opposing lanes
- an unusually shaped intersection
- a protected pedestrian phase with a pedestrian light
- many pedestrians or cyclists crossing
- a nearby railway crossing
- conflicts with visually impaired pedestrians
The turn is also prohibited at an intersection where more than three crashes caused by right turns happened in the previous 12 months. The sign shows a right-curving arrow crossed by a red bar over a red light. See Quebec road signs in French for other signs you will meet.
What if you get it wrong?
Failing to obey a red light carries 3 demerit points in Quebec. On a learner’s or probationary licence, where the limit is 4 points, one red-light offence takes you most of the way to losing your licence. Check the current fine with the SAAQ.
On your SAAQ road test, not stopping fully before a right on red, or turning where it is prohibited, is the kind of error that can cost you the test.
Scenario: Longueuil to downtown Montreal
You stop at a red light in Longueuil with no sign: you may turn right after a full stop and checking for pedestrians. You then cross the Jacques Cartier Bridge onto the island. At the next red light downtown you must wait for green, even though no sign is posted there.
Common questions
Is right on red legal in Montreal?
No. It is prohibited everywhere on the island of Montreal.
Is right on red allowed in Laval?
Laval is not on the island of Montreal, so the provincial rule applies: allowed after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it.
Do I have to stop before turning right on red in Quebec?
Yes, a full stop before the stop line or crosswalk, every time.
Can I turn left on red in Quebec?
The Quebec right-on-red rule covers right turns only. Wait for green to turn left.
Do pedestrians have priority when I turn right on red?
Yes. Pedestrians have priority whenever a pedestrian light lets them cross, and on a green light where there is no pedestrian light.
Does a red-light camera ticket give demerit points?
No. A photo radar ticket goes to the vehicle owner with no demerit points, because the camera cannot identify the driver. See driving in Montreal as a new driver.
Sources
- Government of Quebec, “Turning right at a red light” (quebec.ca)
- Government of Quebec, “Manoeuvre at intersections” (quebec.ca)
- Government of Quebec, “Offences detected by photo radar devices” (quebec.ca)
- SAAQ, “Turning Right at a Red Light: What the Law Says” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- SAAQ, “Demerit Points: Driver’s Licence” (saaq.gouv.qc.ca)
- Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2, section 359.1, and Regulation to designate the territory of municipalities as an area where making a right turn on a red light is prohibited, C-24.2, r. 9.1 (legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca)