What does Bill 96 require of advertising in Quebec?
Part of US and Canada targeting
The short answer
Under Quebec's Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96 in 2022, commercial advertising must be in French. It may also use another language if French is markedly predominant, which since June 1, 2025 the regulation defines as French text with at least twice the space, or twice the display time, of the other language.
Key takeaways
- Section 58 of the Charter says commercial advertising must be in French, and may be bilingual only if French is markedly predominant.
- Since June 1, 2025 the language of commerce regulation sets the test: French needs at least twice the space of the other language in the same visual field, or twice the display time when texts alternate.
- Section 59 exempts advertising carried in news media that publish in a language other than French, and the regulation lets ads for a cultural or educational product in another language run in that language.
- The Office québécois de la langue française can order a business to comply, and a court can order a noncompliant advertisement removed; breaching an Office order is an offence.
What did Bill 96 change in the Charter of the French Language?
Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec, was introduced on May 13, 2021, passed on May 24, 2022 and received assent on June 1, 2022 as chapter 14 of the 2022 Statutes of Québec, per the National Assembly's bill page (opens in a new tab), coming into force that day with exceptions. It amends the Charter of the French Language (opens in a new tab), which governs the language of commerce and advertising.
Definition
- Markedly predominant
- The Charter's test for bilingual advertising in Quebec. Under section 27.4 of the language of commerce regulation, French is markedly predominant where the French text has a much greater visual impact than the text in the other language.
Section 1 of the amended Charter now says French is the official language of Québec and that only French has that status. The advertising rule itself, section 58, is older; the 2024 amendment to the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business (opens in a new tab) defined how predominance is measured.
What does the Charter say about commercial advertising, section by section?
The rules a media plan meets sit in a handful of sections, summarized from the English version on LegisQuébec.
| Provision | What the text says | Why a planner meets it |
|---|---|---|
| Charter, section 58 | Public signs and posters and commercial advertising must be in French; they may be in French and another language provided French is markedly predominant | The base rule for every ad unit with words in it |
| Charter, section 58.1 | A registered trademark may appear only in another language if no corresponding French version is in the federal register | English brand names in an ad |
| Charter, section 59 | Section 58 does not apply to advertising carried in news media that publish in a language other than French, or to non-profit religious, political, ideological or humanitarian messages | English-language news publishers on a plan |
| Charter, section 52 | Regardless of the medium, catalogues, brochures, commercial directories, order forms and similar public documents must be in French | Landing pages that work as catalogues or order forms |
| Regulation, section 22 | Advertising about a cultural or educational product or a news medium may be only in another language if the product, activity or medium is in that language, unless it runs in a French-language news medium | Books, courses, shows or media in English |
| Regulation, sections 15 and 16 | Billboards of 16 square meters or more visible from a public highway, unless on the firm's own premises, and ads in or on public transit and bus shelters, must be only in French | Digital out of home screens bought programmatically |
Must digital ads shown in Quebec be in French?
The Charter's advertising rule does not carve out digital media, and the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) applies it online. Its guide to social media (opens in a new tab) says that all commercial posts a business publishes about products or services meant for the Quebec market must be in French, including videos, text inserted in an image and any other content, whether permanent or ephemeral. If a post also runs in another language, the French version must be at least equivalent and offered on terms at least as favorable.
The guide adds that the consumer must not have to change account or device settings to reach the French version, and a business with separate English and French accounts must publish each French post at the same time. The OQLF's consumer rights page (opens in a new tab), updated October 6, 2026, lists websites and social media among places where customers have the right to be informed in French.
| Situation | Provision | What the text requires or allows |
|---|---|---|
| Display banner in French only | Charter, section 58 | Meets the base rule |
| Bilingual banner, English and French | Section 58; regulation, sections 27.4 and 27.6 | French text at least twice the space of the other language in the same visual field, with equivalent legibility |
| Animated banner or video that alternates languages | Regulation, section 27.6, on dynamic signage | Where French and another language alternate in dynamic signage, French visible at least twice as long; the text is written for signage |
| English-only ad on an English-language news site | Charter, section 59 | Section 58 does not apply to advertising carried in news media publishing in another language |
| English-only ad for an English-language book or course | Regulation, section 22 | Allowed in that language unless the vehicle is a French-language news medium |
| Sponsored social media post | OQLF social media guide | Must be in French; a version in another language needs a French version at least equivalent |
What changed for commercial advertising on June 1, 2025?
The OQLF's page on displaying trademarks and enterprise names (opens in a new tab) states that new rules on public signs and commercial advertising, especially where an enterprise name or trademark is involved, have been in force since June 1, 2025. They came from the 2024 amendment to the language of commerce regulation, Order in Council 1000-2024.
The June 2025 rules as the regulation writes them
- Predominance has a measure. Section 27.6 says French has a much greater visual impact when, in the same visual field, the space for the French text is at least twice the space for the other language, and its legibility and permanent visibility are equivalent.
- The visual field is defined. A same visual field is an overall view where all components of the sign or advertising are visible and legible at the same time without having to move.
- Some French does not count. Business hours, telephone numbers, addresses, numbers, percentages and articles are not considered when assessing predominance.
- Alternating text is timed. In dynamic signage that alternates French and another language, French must be visible at least twice as long as the other language.
- Outside signs need French words beside an English mark. Under section 27.7, a trademark or enterprise name in another language on a sign visible from outside premises must be accompanied by French terms, such as a generic term, a description or a slogan.
Who enforces the Charter of the French Language?
The Office québécois de la langue française handles complaints and compliance. Under section 177 it may order the author of a failure to comply or to stop contravening the Act within a time it sets, after a written prior notice of at least 15 days where administrative justice rules apply. Under section 184 a court may, on the Office's application, order a contravening advertisement removed or destroyed at the expense of the person named.
| Provision | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Section 177 | The Office may order compliance after becoming aware of a failure |
| Section 184 | A court may order a contravening advertisement removed within eight days, against the equipment owner or whoever placed it |
| Section 205 | Contravening an Office order under section 177 is an offence: $700 to $7,000 for a natural person and $3,000 to $30,000 in other cases |
| Section 207 | Minimum and maximum fines double for a second offence and triple for a subsequent one |
| Section 208.0.1 | An offence that continues for more than one day is a separate offence for each day |
Bill 96 also created a French Language Commissioner, appointed by two thirds of the National Assembly with investigation powers, and a Minister of the French Language. The Office remains the body a business deals with on advertising complaints.
How would a plan record English ads in Quebec?
A plan that runs English creative in Quebec is easier to review when each line names the provision it relies on. The fictional example shows the record, not a legal conclusion. For finding publishers, see French Canadian advertising; for personal information rules, see Quebec Law 25 advertising.
Fictional example. Unnamed brand, no results implied.
A Winnipeg yarn retailer plans its first Quebec flight
An unnamed online retailer of yarn and knitting supplies based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, wants display and video ads in Quebec beside knitting patterns, craft tutorials and home crafts content. Its existing creative is English only, with an English brand name and a registered English trademark that has no French version in the federal register.
The planner builds two creative sets. French is the default for Quebec. Bilingual banners give French at least twice the space of English in the same frame, and the six second video shows French captions twice as long as English ones. English-only units run only on English-language news publishers, each tagged with section 59. The registered trademark appears with a French descriptive line beside it.
- Tag each placement with the publisher's language of publication, read from its articles.
- Tag each creative with its languages and, for bilingual units, the space or time ratio.
- Note the provision each English unit relies on: section 58, section 59 or regulation section 22.
How can a planner confirm the language of each Quebec publisher?
Section 59 turns on the language a news medium publishes in, so the plan needs evidence of it. PlacementGraph reads it from the publisher's own articles.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bill 96 ban English advertising in Quebec?
Section 58 allows advertising in French and another language provided French is markedly predominant, and section 59 and the regulation list cases where another language may be used alone, such as advertising carried in news media that publish in that language. Some places, such as public transit, require French only.
Does an English trademark need a French translation in an ad?
Section 58.1 allows a registered trademark to appear only in another language if no corresponding French version is in the register kept under the federal Trademarks Act. If a French version of the trademark is registered, the OQLF says that version must be displayed.
Can customer comments on a brand's social media stay in English?
The OQLF social media guide says comments the public posts on a business's accounts may be in the language of their choice, and the business may reply in that language, but it must reply in French to a person who wrote in French.
Does the Charter apply to a business located outside Quebec?
The OQLF social media guide applies the rule to commercial posts about products or services intended for the Quebec market, and its consumer rights page speaks of businesses doing business in Quebec. Neither guide sets a different rule by the location of the advertiser's head office.
Sources
- Charter of the French language, chapter C-11 (opens in a new tab)LegisQuébec, Government of Québec
- Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business, chapter C-11, r. 9 (opens in a new tab)LegisQuébec, Government of Québec
- Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec (opens in a new tab)National Assembly of Québec
- Affichage des marques de commerce et des noms d’entreprises (opens in a new tab)Office québécois de la langue française
- Médias sociaux (guide, 2025) (opens in a new tab)Office québécois de la langue française
- Acheter des produits, recevoir de l’information et bénéficier de services en français (opens in a new tab)Office québécois de la langue française
Researched and written by PlacementGraph Research. Read how we research, source and update these pages. Corrections: diana@placementgraph.com.