Short answer
Yes, if your business carries on activities in Quebec. According to the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), consumers have the right to access a complete French version of a business’s website. The rule comes from section 52 of Quebec’s Charter of the French language, amended in 2022 by the law known as Bill 96. An English version is still allowed, as long as the French version is available on terms at least as favourable. Customer service and chat, online terms, invoices and advertising have their own rules. Here they are, section by section, followed by how to build a bilingual site that Google understands. This is general information, not legal advice.
The short answer
French is required; English is allowed. Section 52 of the Charter says that catalogues, brochures, order forms and any other documents of the same nature available to the public must be drawn up in French, “regardless of the medium used”. The OQLF applies this directly to the web: consumers have the right to a complete French version of a business’s website and to French content on its social media.
The same section says no one may make such a document available in another language if the French version is not available on terms that are at least as favourable. A full English site with a partial, outdated or hidden French version does not meet the rule. A French-only site does.
These obligations apply to every business carrying on activities in Quebec, whatever its size. The 25-employee threshold you may have heard about is something else: it triggers mandatory registration with the OQLF for the company’s internal francization process.
What the law requires, element by element
A website touches several provisions at once. The table below follows the English text of the Charter and of the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business published on LégisQuébec, and the OQLF’s consumer-facing explanation.
| Website element | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pages, product pages, online catalogue, commercial blog | In French; another language is allowed if the French version is available on terms at least as favourable | Charter, s. 52; OQLF |
| Separate French and English versions | Allowed: two separate versions, provided the French version is available under no less favourable conditions of accessibility and quality | Regulation, s. 10 |
| Customer service, chat, voicemail | A business offering goods or services to consumers must respect their right to be informed and served in French | Charter, s. 50.2; OQLF |
| Order forms, invoices, receipts, confirmations | In French; another language only if the French version is available to the recipient on terms at least as favourable | Charter, ss. 52 and 57 |
| Non-negotiable terms of sale or subscription (contracts of adhesion) | In French; the parties may be bound by another version only after the French version has been provided and if that is their express wish | Charter, s. 55; OQLF (requirements in force since June 1, 2023) |
| Bilingual commercial advertising | French must be markedly predominant: the French text must have a much greater visual impact | Charter, s. 58; Regulation, s. 27.4 |
| App, customer portal or software offered to the public | Available in French, unless no French version exists | Charter, s. 52.1 |
| Name of a business established only outside Quebec, recognized trademark with no registered French version, personal names | May stay in another language in a publication | Regulation, s. 13 |
Texts checked on October 2, 2026: Charter of the French language up to date as of June 10, 2026 and Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business up to date as of May 1, 2026, on LégisQuébec; OQLF page on the language of commerce and business last updated June 3, 2026 (French only).
What “at least as favourable” means on a website
The Charter does not give a technical checklist. Here is how we, as developers, turn the requirement into checks you can run on a site. This is our practical reading, not an official interpretation: for a specific situation, ask a lawyer or the OQLF.
- Same content: every page, product, price, promotion and downloadable document exists in French, not just the home page and the menu.
- Same features: cart, checkout, booking, customer account and forms work just as well in French.
- Same freshness: a sale or a new product appears in French at the same time as in English, not a week later.
- Same access: the language switcher is visible on every page and leads to the equivalent page, not to the other language’s home page.
- Automated messages too: confirmation emails, error messages, notifications and texts go out in French to a French-speaking customer.
- Chat and AI agents: if they answer in English, they must also be able to inform and serve in French.
Does it apply to businesses outside Quebec?
The OQLF says that all businesses have obligations regarding the language of commerce and business, and that customers of businesses operating in Quebec have the right to be served and informed in French before, during and after a transaction. Section 89.1 of the Charter adds that no provision may be interpreted so as to prevent its application to a business that carries on its activities in Quebec.
For a company in Ontario, the United States or Europe that sells online to Quebecers without an establishment here, whether it “carries on activities in Quebec” depends on the facts, and that is a question for a lawyer. One point is explicit in the text: for a product whose labelling or software is not compliant, section 177 lets the OQLF order an online marketplace to stop allowing people located in Quebec to buy it when the seller has no establishment in Quebec.
In practice, if Quebec is a market you actively pursue, with Quebec pricing, shipping or advertising, plan a complete French version from the start. It is far cheaper to build in than to retrofit.
Enforcement and fines
Most cases start with a complaint. Anyone can file one with the OQLF, which reviews it. When the OQLF finds a failure to comply, section 177 lets it order the business to comply within a set time, after written notice of at least 15 days giving the business a chance to respond. The order stays in effect for two years (s. 178).
Failing to comply with an order is an offence (s. 205). The amounts below are in the Charter; they double for a second offence and triple after that (s. 207), and an offence that continues for more than one day is a separate offence for each day (s. 208.0.1).
| Offender | Fine per offence (CAD) | Second offence (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Natural person | $700 to $7,000 | $1,400 to $14,000 |
| Business (all other cases) | $3,000 to $30,000 | $6,000 to $60,000 |
Charter of the French language, ss. 177, 178, 205, 207 and 208.0.1, up to date as of June 10, 2026. Second-offence amounts are the doubling set by s. 207. In US dollars, $3,000 to $30,000 CAD is roughly US$2,100 to US$21,100 at the Bank of Canada rate of October 1, 2026 (US$1 = C$1.4243). General information, not legal advice.
Building a bilingual site Google understands
Compliance and SEO point the same way. Google recommends different URLs for each language version rather than cookies or browser settings, and says it determines a page’s language from its visible content, not from the lang attribute or the URL. A half-translated page serves neither language well.
To connect the versions, use hreflang annotations. Google is explicit: each language version must list itself and all other versions, and if two pages do not both point to each other, the annotations are ignored. You can put them in the HTML head, in HTTP headers or in the sitemap; one method is enough.
- One URL per language, for example /services and /en/services, each with complete content.
- Reciprocal hreflang pairs, plus an x-default value for the fallback page.
- No automatic redirect based on browser language: Google advises against it because it can prevent people and crawlers from seeing all versions.
- A visible link to the other language on every page, pointing to the equivalent page.
- Titles, meta descriptions, alt text, structured data and PDFs translated too, not just the body text.
- Transactional emails, invoice templates and chat replies tied to the language the customer chose.
Steps to get compliant
Whether your site is English-only or “half bilingual”, the process is the same, and it fits well into a redesign, which is the right time to set up a clean URL structure.
- Inventory everything: pages, product pages, documents, forms, automated emails and chat messages.
- Compare the two languages page by page and note what is missing or lagging in French.
- Have the missing content translated or written, starting with what sells: prices, products, checkout, terms.
- Provide the French version of your terms before acceptance, and only bind a customer to the English version if they expressly chose it.
- Set up the technical structure: URLs per language, hreflang, switcher, language remembered for emails.
- Check your social media and any bilingual ads (French markedly predominant).
- Put a rule in place for the future: nothing is published in one language without the other.
Common mistakes
- A machine-translation overlay that leaves menus, forms or checkout in English and creates no separate URLs for Google.
- A French version frozen at launch while the English site keeps evolving.
- A chat widget or AI agent that only answers in English.
- Confirmation emails and invoices generated in English by the payment or booking platform.
- Terms of use shown only in English at checkout.
- An automatic redirect to English based on the browser, which hides the French version from crawlers and some visitors.
- Assuming the rules only apply to companies with 25 or more employees.
What a bilingual site costs
There is no reliable public price for “adding English” or “adding French”: the cost depends mostly on how much text must be translated or written and on how the site is built. Three items always come up: writing or translation, technical integration of both languages, and keeping both versions current.
On WordPress, the second language usually comes from a plugin. For example, Polylang Pro starts at €99 per year and WPML Multilingual CMS costs €99 for the first year, according to their pricing pages checked on October 2, 2026 (about C$159 or US$111 each). On a custom site, the bilingual structure is part of the build. Either way, ask for the second language to be priced as a separate line in the quote, with or without translation.
Conversions at Bank of Canada rates of October 1, 2026 (€1 = C$1.6030; US$1 = C$1.4243), rounded.
What ZeniTech offers
ZeniTech is a web, app, automation and AI agency based in Québec City, working in English and French and delivering remotely across Canada and the United States. Our own site publishes its pages in French–English pairs linked with hreflang, as described above. Prices are published in Canadian dollars, before taxes: an express redesign of an existing site from C$599, a brochure site from C$3,500, a professional site C$7,500, an online store from C$12,000, hosting and maintenance C$150 per month. The exact price is written in the quote before work starts.
The code lives in a repository in your name from the first commit; the domain and hosting are in your name too. ZeniTech is not a law firm: for questions about how the Charter applies to your business, talk to a lawyer or the OQLF.
Frequently asked questions
Does my website have to be in French in Quebec?
Yes, if your business carries on activities in Quebec. According to the OQLF, consumers have the right to access a complete French version of a business’s website, under section 52 of the Charter of the French language. An English version can exist alongside it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can my Quebec website be bilingual, English and French?
Yes. Quebec’s Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business allows two separate versions, one only in French and the other only in another language, provided the French version is available under no less favourable conditions of accessibility and quality. In practice: same content, same features, updated at the same time.
Does Bill 96 apply to small businesses with fewer than 25 employees?
For the website, yes. The 25-employee threshold is about mandatory registration with the OQLF for internal francization. The rules on the language of commerce and business, including section 52, which covers publications such as a website, apply to every business carrying on activities in Quebec.
What is the fine if my website is not in French?
Fines do not apply right away. After a complaint, the OQLF can order the business to comply, with at least 15 days’ notice. Failing to comply with that order is an offence: C$3,000 to C$30,000 for a business and C$700 to C$7,000 for a natural person, doubled for a second offence and counted for each day the offence continues.
I am a US or Ontario company selling online to Quebec. Does the law apply to me?
The Charter targets businesses that carry on activities in Quebec; whether online sales without an establishment here count depends on the facts and is a question for a lawyer. For products with non-compliant labelling or software, section 177 lets the OQLF order an online marketplace to stop selling them to people located in Quebec.
Does my website chatbot need to speak French?
It must allow you to serve customers in French. Section 50.2 of the Charter requires a business offering goods or services to consumers to respect their right to be informed and served in French, and the OQLF applies this to customer service and voicemail. A chat agent that only answers in English is a problem.
Is machine translation enough for the French version?
The Charter does not prescribe a translation method; it requires a complete French version available on terms at least as favourable. Machine-translation overlays often leave menus, forms or checkout in English and create no separate URLs Google can index. At a minimum, have everything that sells reviewed by a fluent writer.
How do I keep a bilingual site from hurting my SEO?
Give each language its own URL, connect the pairs with reciprocal hreflang annotations, avoid automatic redirects based on browser language and translate the full content, not just the template. Google determines a page’s language from its visible content.
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- LégisQuébec: Charter of the French language, chapter C-11 (up to date as of June 10, 2026)
- LégisQuébec: Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business, C-11, r. 9 (up to date as of May 1, 2026)
- OQLF: language of commerce and business, consumer rights (French, updated June 3, 2026)
- OQLF: business obligations and francization (25 or more employees) (French)
- OQLF: contracts of adhesion, requirements in force since June 1, 2023 (French)
- Québec.ca: about the Charter of the French language (Bill 96 assented to June 1, 2022) (French)
- Google Search Central: managing multi-regional and multilingual sites
- Google Search Central: tell Google about localized versions of your page (hreflang)
- Polylang: pricing (checked October 2, 2026)
- WPML: pricing (checked October 2, 2026)
- Bank of Canada: daily exchange rates (October 1, 2026)