Application to lease, purchase or other rights

You may apply to lease or purchase a lot on public land that has not yet been leased. This is known as a first-applicant lease. You may also apply for a special authorization or other land rights, for example, to build or set up a recreational trail, a parking lot, a pipeline (for an artesian well, a water supply system, etc.), or a power or telephone line.

Vacation lots are usually made available for lease in a random draw that takes place annually in the fall.

In some administrative regions, such as Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec, you can get a lease as the first applicant in some remote areas where demand is low. To learn more about the areas open to leasing to the first applicant or for more information, please contact the Centre de services du territoire public.

Leasing public land for a rough forest shelter is suspended. The only way to obtain this type of lease is to acquire an existing lease on public land.

The gouvernement always prefers to lease public land rather than sell it. However, it may agree to sell public land for personal use if the application meets certain conditions. For information on these conditions, please see Guidelines to structure the sale of lands in the domain of the state for personal use (PDF 838 Kb).

If you want to request a special authorization, for example, to build or set up a recreational trail, a parking lot, a pipeline (for an artesian well, a water supply system, etc.), or a power or telephone line, you have to fill out an application to use public land accessible in the How to apply section below. Make sure that you properly fill out section 4.2 on the form. 

To lease or purchase public land as a first applicant, you must:

1. Fill out an application to use public land (PDF 288 Kb).
2. Attach the documents specified in the “Additional Documents Required” section of the form, including :
   • a notice of compliance with municipal by-laws (PDF 144 Kb) (in French only).
   • the power of attorney or certified copy of the resolution adopted by the board of directors or municipal council (PDF 436 Kb) (in French only) authorizing you to submit the application on its behalf If you are acting as a representative (signatory), mandatory, legal person or partnership.
3. Pay a non-refundable administrative fee of $147.17 (including GST and QST) when you submit your application:
   • By cheque or postal order made out to the Ministre des Finances du Québec.
   • By credit card, on certain conditions. If you qualify for credit card payment, you will receive a written notice.
4. Send your complete application, by mail or email, to the coordinates below.

Processing is done in the order of receipt of the applications. We will contact you in writing in one of the following situations:

• Your file is complete and is under consideration.
• Your file is incomplete. In this case, your application will be suspended until the missing documents and information are received.
• Your application is deemed inadmissible.

Processing times may vary, depending on the nature and complexity of your application.

Once your application has been examined, you will receive a notice of acceptance or refusal. If your application is accepted, the notice will be accompanied by administrative and contractual documents (e.g. lease for signature).

If your application is accepted, you will have to pay the price of the land or the lease, but you must also pay administration fees which vary according to the nature of your application.

The gouvernement does not keep a list or map of public lots available for lease, except for the vacation lots available each year by random draw. All public land leases are entered in the Register of the Domain of the State  (in French only). You may consult the interactive map free of charge to see the leases issued in a given area.