Quebec real estate glossary · French to English
Notaire = Notary. It is notary. But a Quebec notary is a jurist who drafts authentic acts, not the notary public who witnesses signatures elsewhere.
En bref, en français : « Notaire » se dit notary. Attention : le notaire québécois est un juriste qui rédige des actes authentiques, très différent du notary public ailleurs en Amérique du Nord.
The word translates directly. The role does not. The Civil Code of Quebec refers throughout to the notary and to notarial acts, and reserves certain acts to notaries.
Educaloi, in English, describes the notary as drawing up "authentic" documents: the deed of sale based on the accepted offer to purchase, and the deed of hypothec if the purchase is financed.
Why newcomers get this wrong
In Ontario or in the United States, a real estate closing runs through a lawyer, and a "notary public" mostly witnesses signatures. In Quebec, the notary is a legal professional with years of civil law training who prepares and publishes the acts that transfer property.
What the notary does in your purchase
- Examines title and the Land Register.
- Prepares the deed of sale and, if applicable, the deed of hypothec.
- Adjusts municipal and school taxes between buyer and seller.
- Holds and disburses the funds, then publishes the act.
Say it in a sentence
The word on its own is rarely the problem. These are the sentences you will actually hear, and what they become in English.
| Vous entendrez | In English |
|---|---|
| Le notaire vérifie les titres avant la signature. | The notary examines title before signing. |
| Les frais de notaire sont à la charge de l'acheteur. | The notary fees are paid by the buyer. |
| Le notaire ajuste les taxes entre les parties. | The notary adjusts the taxes between the parties. |
The mistake we see most often
The mistake is choosing on price alone. The notary examines title, checks the Land Register, handles the funds and publishes the act. A quote that is a few hundred dollars lower means very little compared with a file handled late, because the delay lands on the day you were supposed to get the keys. Ask about turnaround and about who you will actually be able to reach.
Where this fits in a Quebec transaction
Buying or selling in Quebec means signing documents that exist in both languages, written under civil law rather than common law. A word-for-word translation is sometimes right and sometimes actively misleading. The full list is in our Quebec real estate glossary, French to English.
Related terms
Questions we get asked
Is a Quebec notary the same as a notary public?
No. A Quebec notary is a jurist trained in civil law who drafts authentic acts, including the deed of sale. A notary public elsewhere mainly witnesses signatures.
Do I need a lawyer as well?
For a standard purchase, the notary handles the transaction. A lawyer becomes relevant if there is a dispute.
Who chooses the notary?
In Quebec practice, the buyer generally chooses and pays the notary for the deed of sale, though this can be addressed in the promise to purchase.
Published by the Loaa & Manseur team, number one team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025. We work in French and in English. Tell us about your project.