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 type of allocation is referred to as the first-applicant lease. Currently, only the Côte-Nord region offers this type of allocation for vacation lots.

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 terms and conditions for vacationing development on lands in the domain of the State are set out in the “Lignes directrices sur le développement de la villégiature sur les terres du domaine de l’État (in French only) (PDF 1.97 Mb)”.

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 (in French only) (PDF 284 Kb).
2. Attach the documents specified in the “Additional Documents Required” section of the form, including:
   • a notice of compliance with municipal by-laws (in French only) (PDF 144 Kb).
   • the power of attorney or certified copy of the resolution adopted by the board of directors or municipal council (in French only) (PDF 436 Kb) 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 $607.07 (including GST and QST) when you submit your application:
   • By online payment or credit card upon receipt of your acknowledgement of receipt by email.
   • By cheque or postal order made out to the Ministre des Finances du Québec.
4. Send your complete application, by mail or email, to the coordinates below.

The average time to process usually takes between 3 or 5 months. This will vary depending on the application's nature and complexity, as well as the volume of in-process applications or issues encountered during the analysis. This processing time excludes waiting periods when additional information is requested from you. It also excludes the time required for surveys and notarial acts, which, in some cases, will enable the transaction to be finalized.

Application processing includes the following steps:

• Application eligibility: This step assumes that you have completed the form, paid the administration fees, and provided all required supporting documentation.
  If your application is incomplete, you will be notified by a member of our staff. It will be put on hold until the missing documents and information are received.
• Application analysis: This step involves the land analysis, consultation with departments, agencies and Indigenous communities, and the assessment of the business plan, as appropriate.
• Decision on granting the right to use public land: If you are granted a right, you will receive an offer from the government. You will be required to pay the fees and sign the documents when requested.

Public and community development projects on public lands may be eligible for the Programme d’aide à la mise en valeur du territoire public (in French only) [Public Land Development Assistance Program].

For each step, a staff member will accompany you in the follow-up of your file.

Once your request has been processed, you will receive a letter informing you of its acceptance or refusal. If your application is accepted, the letter will be accompanied by administrative and contractual documents (e.g. lease to sign).

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.