Incorporating in Québec: REQ, Platform or Notary?

Incorporating in Québec comes down to three legitimate routes: filing yourself with the Registraire des entreprises (REQ), using an online platform like Lexstart, or hiring a notary or lawyer. All three produce a real corporation. The right choice depends on your structure's complexity, your budget, and your comfort working in French with a government registry.

What are the three ways to incorporate in Québec?

Every Québec corporation starts the same way: articles of incorporation are filed with the Registraire des entreprises, which issues a certificate of incorporation and a Québec enterprise number (NEQ). What changes between routes is who prepares the paperwork, what you receive beyond the certificate, and how much guidance you get.

Government fees shown are the Registraire des entreprises rates in effect January 1, 2026 and may change.

Option 1: filing directly with the Registraire des entreprises (REQ)

The DIY route means filing your articles directly through the REQ's online services. The official process is described on the Québec government page for incorporating a business corporation, with the fee schedule on the Registraire des entreprises fees page.

The government fees:

A few practical notes. A numbered company (for example, 1234-5678 Québec inc.) skips the name reservation step entirely. Once the REQ accepts your filing, you receive a certificate of incorporation, an NEQ, and registration in the enterprise register. File the initial declaration within 60 days, while it is free.

Now the honest part. The REQ files your articles and registers your corporation, but that is all it does. It does not prepare your by-laws, organizational resolutions, share certificates or corporate registers. It does not advise you on share classes, and it does not give you a minute book. The DIY route produces what many lawyers call an empty corporation: legally created, but not organized.

Skipping corporate organization is one of the most common and costly mistakes new incorporators make. Corporations have an ongoing duty to keep proper records, and gaps in your minute book surface at the worst moments: a bank loan, investor due diligence, a tax audit, or a sale. We cover this obligation in our guide to corporate records in Canada.

Also note that the REQ's services and filings operate in French. If reading government legal forms in French makes you nervous, factor that in. Still, for a solo founder comfortable in French who understands basic share structures and will prepare organizational documents separately, DIY is a genuinely good, inexpensive option.

Option 2: an online incorporation platform like Lexstart

An online incorporation platform sits between DIY and a full legal engagement. With Lexstart, you answer a guided questionnaire and the platform handles the filing, whether you incorporate in Québec or federally. The process was designed by lawyers.

The real difference from DIY is everything that comes after the certificate. A platform incorporation includes the core organizational documents the REQ never touches: by-laws, organizational resolutions, and a digital minute book that keeps your records in order from day one. Lexstart also offers legal templates such as a shareholders agreement, employment contracts and a privacy policy, plus annual compliance services to keep your corporation in good standing.

For English-speaking entrepreneurs, the bilingual FR/EN service matters. Your filings still go to a French-language registry, but you work through the process in English, with support in both languages. That removes the biggest source of friction anglophones face when incorporating in Québec.

Pricing is published upfront on the pricing page, with government fees paid on top, so you can compare the total against the DIY numbers above and a notary's quote. Our overview of incorporating a business online in Canada explains how these platforms work in more detail.

This route fits founders who want a complete, properly organized corporation at a clear price, but whose structure is standard enough not to need custom legal advice.

Option 3: a notary or lawyer

A notary or lawyer is the real third option as soon as there are multiple shareholders, a tax rollover, or a non-standard structure. In Québec, a notary often offers good value for money compared with large law firms.

Budget roughly $1,000 to $2,500 or more for a standard incorporation with a professional. In exchange, you get full legal advice: someone who asks about your situation, designs custom share classes, drafts a shareholder agreement tailored to your co-founder dynamics, and coordinates with your accountant on tax planning.

That advice is not a luxury when the stakes justify it. If you are rolling assets in under a tax deferral, splitting equity among founders with different contributions, or building a holding structure, templates stop being enough. A professional who takes responsibility for the structure is worth the fee, and choosing a notary over a large firm often keeps that fee reasonable.

What about federal incorporation?

You can also incorporate federally instead of under Québec law. Corporations Canada's online incorporation costs $200, with the certificate typically issued within one business day. But it is not a way around the REQ: a federal corporation doing business in Québec must still register with the Registraire des entreprises, and registration fees apply.

The federal versus provincial question deserves its own analysis, which we cover in our guide to federal or provincial incorporation in Québec. All three routes above can handle either jurisdiction.

REQ vs Lexstart vs notary: full comparison

How to choose based on your situation

FAQ about incorporating in Québec

How much does it cost to incorporate in Québec?

Government fees are $397 for the certificate of incorporation ($595.50 priority), plus $27 for an optional name reservation. The initial declaration is free within 60 days, and annual registration costs about $106 per year. Add platform fees on top, or professional fees of roughly $1,000 to $2,500+ with a notary or lawyer.

Can I incorporate in Québec in English?

The REQ's services and filings operate in French, which is the main hurdle for anglophone founders filing on their own. A platform like Lexstart lets you complete the whole process in English with bilingual support, and handles the French-language filings with the registry on your behalf.

Is the certificate of incorporation enough?

No. The certificate creates the corporation but does not organize it. You still need by-laws, organizational resolutions, share certificates, corporate registers and a minute book. Without them, your corporation cannot properly document ownership or decisions, which creates problems with banks, investors and tax authorities later.

When should I use a notary instead of a platform?

As soon as your situation goes beyond a standard structure: multiple shareholders with different contributions, a tax rollover of existing assets, a holding company setup, or custom share classes. Those cases need personalized legal advice, and in Québec a notary often offers good value compared with large law firms.

What happens if I never organize my corporation (no by-laws, no minute book)?

Your corporation still exists, but you cannot cleanly prove who owns shares or that decisions were properly made. That gap surfaces during bank financing, investor due diligence, tax audits or a sale, and fixing years of missing records afterward costs far more than doing it right from the start.

Ready to incorporate in Québec?

All three routes lead to a real corporation. DIY rewards founders who are comfortable in French and disciplined about corporate organization. A notary earns the fee when the structure is genuinely complex. For most founders in between, especially anglophones facing a French-language registry, a platform delivers a properly organized corporation at a predictable price. Start your incorporation with Lexstart or explore our legal services for everything that comes after.