Legal obligation to know French to become a member of a professional order

To legally practice a profession governed by a professional order, you must:

• become a member of the professional order
• obtain a licence to practice

To become a member of a professional order and obtain a licence to practice, you must have a knowledge of French appropriate to your profession, that is to say, be able to in French.

Under section 35 of the Charter of the French Language , your professional order considers that you have knowledge of French if you meet 1 of the following conditions:

• You have completed at least three years of secondary or post-secondary education in French and full time. 
• You have passed the French mother tongue exams in the 4th or 5th year of secondary school in Québec.
• You obtained a secondary school diploma (DES) in Québec in 1985-1986 or later.

In all other cases, you must obtain a certificate of knowledge of French. The Office québécois de la langue française is responsible for issuing such attestations to those who have passed the French exam.

Under sections 35.1 and 35.2 of the Charter:

you must maintain a knowledge of French that is appropriate to the practice of the profession for as long as you hold a license to practice;

if, for valid reasons (e.g., complaints related to an inability to provide service in French or an inspection that could not be conducted in French), your professional order considers that you have not maintained a knowledge of French that is appropriate to the practice of the profession, it may recommend measures (e.g., refresher courses) to help you regain this knowledge (Section 35.2).

if, despite the recommended measures, your professional order considers that there are serious grounds for believing that you still do not demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of French, it may require you to pass the French exam administered by the Office québécois de la langue française.

If you do not yet have an attestation of knowledge of French and have acquired the professional skills required for a temporary license outside Québec, you may be able to obtain such a license.

However, it is up to your professional order to verify if you are eligible.

Contact the general information service of the Office québécois de la langue française:

Montréal area:
514 873-6565

Elsewhere in Québec (toll free):
1 888 873-6202