Civil and Penal Sanctions Stemming from Registration

Failure to comply with registration obligations constitutes an offence, and the enterprise is liable to penalties.

An enterprise that fails to register and is required to do so, or which is cancelled ex officio, risks the suspension of its right to take legal action.

A Québec legal person that has been cancelled ex officio is deemed to have been dissolved.

Failure to file a declaration of registration

An enterprise that fails to file its declaration of registration is liable to a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 in the case of a natural person, or in all other cases, to a fine of $2,000 to $20,000.

Failure to file other declarations

An enterprise that fails to file the other declarations required by law, that files a false declaration, or that files an incomplete or misleading declaration, is liable to a fine of $500 to $5,000 in the case of a natural person, or in all other cases, to a fine of $1,000 to $10,000.

Fines can be doubled for repeat offences.

In addition, when an offence is committed by a director, an administrator of the property of others, an officer or an attorney, the minimum and maximum fines are double those set for a natural person committing the offence. 

Furthermore, whoever does or omits to do something in order to help a person commit an offence covered by the law (or who orders, authorizes, advises, encourages, incites or causes a person to commit such an offence) is guilty of the same offence.