Bill 96 Quebec Explained
Bill 96 is Quebec’s comprehensive language law, adopted in 2022 and fully in effect on June 1, 2025. It requires businesses operating in Quebec to use French (specifically, Canadian French) in nearly all aspects of their operations.
Any company with 25 or more employees that conducts business in Quebec must provide customer-facing materials, employee communications, and digital content in French. Noncompliance can result in fines and reputational risks.
The law also mandates French across internal systems, legal documentation, product packaging, websites, and customer service—with strict rules on prominence and equivalency.
Businesses must participate in a francization program to demonstrate full adoption of French throughout their operations.
What Changed in 2025: New Bill 96 Requirements
Bill 96 rolled out in phases, with key provisions taking effect in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
As of June 1, 2025, the law imposes broader requirements for all businesses operating in Quebec, including:
Employee and customer communications must be available in French across all channels.
Public signs and posters must prioritize French or ensure equal visibility with other languages.
Trademarks on products are now subject to stricter French-language rules.
Francization requirements have expanded, requiring deeper integration of French in day-to-day business operations.
These changes raise the compliance bar and affect everything from packaging and signage to internal systems and customer service.
How to Achieve & Maintain Bill 96 Compliance
To achieve compliance with Quebec’s Bill 96, businesses must take a strategic, organization-wide approach to language requirements. This begins with conducting a comprehensive content audit to identify all materials—digital, legal, customer-facing, and internal—that must be available in French and that need to be translated from English to Canadian French.
From there, it’s essential to ensure that all required content is accurately translated and delivered in a timely manner.
A centralized translation process helps organizations maintain consistency and avoid duplication, especially as content volumes grow. Partnering with an experienced language services provider ensures access to expert linguists, purpose-built technology, and local market knowledge to navigate compliance efficiently and effectively.
Language Compliance Solutions from TransPerfect
Translation costs and volume can create major challenges, especially for small businesses with tight budgets and large enterprises managing vast content.
TransPerfect helps centralize and streamline your translation workflows, reducing complexity and cost. Our solutions support both immediate Bill 96 compliance and scalable, long-term language management.
FAQs
Bill 96 applies to any business with 25+ employees that has operations, employees, or customers in Quebec. The law also applies to e-commerce sites run by businesses outside of Quebec.
Any information that is available to English speakers in Quebec by a business with 25+ employees must also be available in Canadian French. This includes:
Internal workplace communications
Contracts and legal documents
Public signage and advertising
Product labeling and packaging
Websites and digital content, including social media posts
Customer interactions (written and verbal)
As of June 1, 2025, there are broader requirements for all businesses to communicate with Quebec employees and customers in French. The new provisions involve public signs and posters, trademarks appearing on products, and requirements for francization (expansion of French language use).
Businesses that fail to comply with Quebec’s Bill 96 may face fines ranging from $3,000 to $90,000 per day, with higher penalties for repeat offenses. The Office Québécois de la Langue Française (OQLF) is responsible for enforcing the law and may issue fines, conduct inspections, or require corrective action. In some cases, company directors can be held personally liable if due diligence is not demonstrated.
Bill 101, also known as The Charter of the French language, was enacted in 1977. Bill 101 defined French as the official language of the provincial government in Quebec and is a predecessor of Bill 96.
Yes. Bill 96 requires that all written and spoken French used in business operations be appropriate for the Quebec market, meaning it must be in Canadian French. French content created for audiences in France must be localized to reflect Quebec’s linguistic norms, terminology, and cultural context.
Bill 96 Resources
