Québec Auto Insurance Endorsements, What They Add to Your Policy

Québec's standard policy, the Q.P.F. No. 1, is the same for everyone. To adapt it to your situation, insurers use endorsements (avenants), which the form defines as documents that modify the insurance contract. Their official name is “Quebec Endorsement Form,” or Q.E.F. (F.A.Q. in French), followed by a number. The endorsements that apply to you are listed in Item 4 of your Declarations (conditions particulières): an endorsement that is not listed there is not part of your contract.

None of these additions is required by law. On replacement cost and replacement insurance, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) puts it bluntly: if these products do not suit you, do not buy them. Here is what the common endorsements add and who they can be worthwhile for.

Common endorsements at a glance

Endorsement	What it adds	Who it can be useful for
Q.E.F. No. 43, replacement cost	An indemnity that does not take depreciation into account, for a total loss or for replaced parts, depending on the variant chosen	Buyers or long-term lessees of a new vehicle
Q.E.F. No. 27, rented or borrowed vehicles	Liability for damage to a vehicle you rent or borrow, in Canada and the United States	People who rent or borrow vehicles
Q.E.F. No. 20, travel expenses	Rental of a vehicle of a similar category at the insurer's expense, for any covered loss	Households that depend on a single vehicle
Q.E.F. No. 33, roadside assistance	Reimbursement of roadside assistance costs, within the endorsement's limits	Drivers with no other assistance service
Q.E.F. No. 34, accident benefits	An indemnity in the event of death or loss of a limb or of sight following an automobile accident	People who want protection separate from the public plan

Replacement cost, Q.E.F. No. 43

Without an endorsement, Chapter B compensates your vehicle at its actual cash value on the day of the loss, which takes depreciation into account. (The English version of the policy calls the chapters Section A and Section B.) The AMF gives the example of a vehicle bought new whose value has dropped sharply after a few years: after an accident, the insurer reimburses at most that reduced value. The basic rule is just as strict for repairs: under the Q.P.F. No. 1, the insurer only bases the cost on original equipment manufacturer body parts if the vehicle is less than two years old or has less than 40,000 km.

The replacement cost endorsement (valeur à neuf) makes up for that loss of value. According to the AMF:

• you choose the dealer that will replace your vehicle, or you can receive a lump sum equal to the value of the new vehicle;
• parts to be replaced are replaced with new original equipment manufacturer parts;
• a deductible is generally payable;
• the endorsement is always taken out with your auto insurer, and its price, set for the term of the contract, can change at each renewal.

The form comes in several variants, designated A to F in the AMF's list, which do not all address the same situations.

Who it is for

It is aimed first at new vehicles, bought or leased long term. It can be particularly relevant if the vehicle is financed: after an early total loss, the loan balance can exceed the actual cash value.

What to check

• How long the protection lasts and from what date it is counted.
• The variant offered and the eligible vehicles.
• Vehicle rental during repairs: according to the AMF, it is often included, but you need to ask.

Replacement cost or replacement insurance, two separate products

The AMF distinguishes two ways to protect yourself against depreciation: the replacement cost endorsement, an addition to your auto insurance, and replacement insurance (Q.P.F. No. 5), a separate coverage.

	Replacement cost endorsement (Q.E.F. No. 43)	Replacement insurance (Q.P.F. No. 5)
Insurer	Always your auto insurer	Not necessarily the same one
Price	Set for the term of the contract, can change at renewal	Set once, at purchase
After a total loss	Replace the vehicle or receive a lump sum	Replacing the vehicle is mandatory
Deductible	Generally payable	Reimbursed
Renewal	With the auto insurance	No, fixed term

According to the AMF, you cannot claim an indemnity under both protections at the same time: you have to choose. Replacement insurance only applies if your main policy compensates you first; removing a protection from your policy, collision for example, can therefore also cost you the replacement insurance indemnity.

A change is coming: according to the AMF, as of January 1, 2027, dealers will no longer be able to offer replacement insurance, which will continue to be offered by certified representatives and firms. Until then, if you buy it from a dealer, the AMF reminds you that you can cancel the contract within 10 days of purchase, without penalty, and that the dealer is not authorized to compare these products for you; a damage insurance agent or broker can.

Rented or borrowed vehicles, Q.E.F. No. 27

Chapter A protects others against the damage you cause them, but as a general rule it does not cover damage to the vehicle you rent. According to the AMF, Q.E.F. No. 27 covers you if you are liable for damage to a vehicle that you rent or borrow in Canada and the United States. Its official title refers to civil liability for damage caused to vehicles of which the named insured is not the owner, including vehicles provided by an employer; a variant, Q.E.F. No. 27a, excludes the latter.

Two clarifications. If you rent a car because yours is being repaired, Chapter B of the Q.P.F. No. 1 already covers, under certain conditions, your liability for damage to a temporary replacement vehicle; Q.E.F. No. 27 is broader, covering for example a rental on a trip. And if you borrow a friend's car and cause an accident, Info-Assurance explains that your friend's insurance compensates your friend according to the protections chosen and that, if you have Q.E.F. No. 27, your insurer can also pay for that damage: your friend can then claim from either one.

The reverse matters too. If you lend your car and the borrower causes an accident, your insurer, after compensating you under Chapter B, cannot in principle turn against that person: the Q.P.F. No. 1 rules out that recourse against a person who had custody of the vehicle with your consent, subject to exceptions, for example if that person did not comply with the contract.

Who it is for: people who rent a vehicle on a trip, for work or during a move. The endorsement can replace, in whole or in part, the damage protection offered at the rental counter; compare its limits and exclusions with the rental contract before deciding. Some credit cards also offer protection when you rent, with their own conditions. For a rental outside Canada and the United States, note that Q.E.F. No. 44 can extend the application of the coverage to other countries or places; ask what it covers.

Travel expenses, Q.E.F. No. 20

Without an endorsement, Chapter B already provides for travel expenses, but only if the vehicle is stolen in its entirety: under the Q.P.F. No. 1, up to $3,000 per loss for each vehicle, for expenses incurred from 72 hours after the theft is reported. According to the AMF, Q.E.F. No. 20 lets you, among other things, rent a vehicle of a similar category at the insurer's expense for any covered loss, with the same eligible expenses as that basic coverage. Variants exist: a broad form (No. 20a) and versions that add loss of income (Nos. 20b and 20c).

Who it is for: households that depend on a single vehicle for work or family. What to check: the limits shown in the contract, the eligible expenses and the period during which they are reimbursed.

Roadside assistance, Q.E.F. No. 33

Q.E.F. No. 33, Insurance for roadside assistance costs, reimburses assistance costs according to the services and limits set out in the endorsement. It may interest drivers who do not already have assistance through an auto club, the vehicle manufacturer or a credit card. Before adding it, make sure you are not paying twice for the same service.

Other endorsements worth knowing

• Accident benefits (Q.E.F. No. 34): according to the AMF, an indemnity in the event of death or loss of a limb or of sight following an automobile accident, separate from the SAAQ public plan.
• Storage (Q.E.F. Nos. 16 and 17): suspension of coverage while the vehicle is stored, then its reinstatement.
• Electronic equipment (Q.E.F. No. 37): changes to Chapter B coverage for this equipment.
• Paid passenger transportation and delivery (Q.E.F. Nos. 48 and 48a): for uses the AMF asks you to declare to your insurer.
• Creditor (Q.E.F. Nos. 23a and 23b): notice to, or coverage granted to, the creditor of a financed vehicle.

Some insurers also offer protections of their own, under other names; read their conditions as you would an endorsement's.

How to choose your endorsements

An endorsement generally adds to the premium. Three questions help you decide:

1. What concrete risk does it cover for you? A rental endorsement only matters if you rent vehicles.
2. Are you already protected elsewhere? Credit card, auto club, manufacturer's warranty, replacement insurance.
3. Could you absorb this risk yourself? For example, paying for a few days of replacement transportation.

Review your endorsements at each renewal: your needs change, and so does your vehicle's value. Before signing, the AMF recommends making sure you understand the protections offered, the maximum amounts payable and the applicable deductibles. When you compare quotes, check that they include the same endorsements, with the same limits. Our guide to the Q.P.F. No. 1 policy shows where they appear in your Declarations.

We explain; the quotes come from licensed partners.

Sources

• Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), lautorite.qc.ca: auto insurance and common endorsements, replacement cost and replacement insurance, car dealers and insurance, new rules for the sale of insurance by dealers, approved auto insurance forms (Q.P.F. No. 1, Q.P.F. No. 5 and Q.E.F.).
• Info-Assurance (IBC and GAA), infoassurance.ca: lending your car and insurance, replacement insurance.
• Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA), gaa.qc.ca: the auto insurance policy.
• Automobile Insurance Act (Loi sur l'assurance automobile, CQLR, chapter A-25) and Civil Code of Québec, LégisQuébec, legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca.