DISPLAY GUIDE - How to display a registration number and a tourist accommodation registration certificate?
Failure to comply with one or more of the obligations described on this page could result in a fine issued by Revenu Québec.
Where and how to display your establishment’s REGISTRATION NUMBER?
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
You must clearly indicate the registration number and, if applicable, the name of your establishment, on all advertising used for promotion and on any website, whether or not transactional, used in connection with your establishment’s operation.
This information must be displayed notably on:
Digital Platforms
Any advertisement or website, whether or not transactional, used to promote your accommodation offering, must clearly display the registration number and, if applicable, the name of the establishment*.
These details must be displayed notably on:
• Your listings on digital accommodation platforms
(Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, etc.);
• Your listings on any other website (Kijiji, Marketplace, etc.);
• Your establishment’s website;
• Your social media pages and profiles (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
* Any accommodation offer posted on a transactional digital platform must also display the expiration date of the registration certificate.
All Advertising
Any advertising material used to promote your establishment’s accommodation offering must clearly present the registration number and, if applicable, the name of the establishment.
This includes, among others:
• Advertising documents: flyers, posters, etc.;
• Advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and tourist guides;
• Billboards;
• TV and digital advertisements if the nature of the offer is mentioned in the message;
• Advertising messages in the telephone directory (Yellow Pages) where the nature of the offer (tourist accommodation) appears;
• Displays on vehicles showing the business name that circulate on public roads;
• When advertising is verbal, such as on the radio, you must explicitly mention that “the establishment is registered in accordance with the Tourist Accommodation Act.”
The registration number consisting of 6 digits must be indicated in one of the following ways:
“Registration Number XXXXXX”;
“No. of registration XXXXXX”;
“Reg. XXXXXX”.
It can be placed anywhere on the advertisement.
Where to display your establishment’s REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE?
At the establishment
The registration certificate must be displayed where the public can see it, that is, at the main entrance of the establishment or building, in the case of a building with multiple housing units.
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
The certificate must be displayed at all times and placed in a visible or accessible location for everyone, not just for tourists.
Transactional digital accommodation platforms
You are required to send the digital registration certificate (PDF) of your establishment to the transactional platforms on which you wish to display an offering.
IMPORTANT! When posting an accommodation offer on a transactional digital platform (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, etc.), ensure you transmit the identical information as on the registration certificate; address, postal code, name of the establishment, number of units, expiration date (in the format required by the platform), etc..
What to do after renewing your registration?
Replace the displayed registration certificate at the establishment with the new certificate received following renewal.
Send the new registration certificate to the transactional platforms where you display an accommodation offer. The platform may also ask you to update the expiration date of your registration.
Where to find your registration number and certificate?
Your establishment’s registration number can be found on the registration certificate, which must be displayed where the public can see it. This certificate was sent to you by email.
>If you are registered, the certificate is also available for download in your CITQ Portal.
REMINDER - Classification badge
The law provides that Revenu Québec may impose significant fines if a classification badge (or reproduction thereof) is displayed or used after September 1, 2023. If you have not yet done so, it is imperative to remove any images or representations of the old badge from your establishment, website, or promotional materials.
All information regarding the display of the certificate and presentation of the registration number can also be found on this page of the Ministry of Tourism.