Quebec French for partner marketing

What has to be in French in Quebec?

Commercial documents first. Éducaloi lists catalogues, brochures, pamphlets and any other document of a commercial nature, online or in print.¹ Its business guide adds order forms, receipts, warranties, websites and social media pages.²

Websites. Since June 2022, enterprises must ensure that their websites are available in French, unless they fall under an exception to the law.¹ You must have a French version of your website if your business has an address in Quebec and you offer your products or services to Quebecers. Éducaloi adds that e-commerce businesses without a physical address in Quebec must also respect these rules.²

Social media replies count too. If a customer posts in French, you must reply in French.²

The government's summary of the Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec frames all this as a right: the consumer's fundamental right to be informed and served in French, which businesses offering goods or services must respect.⁵

Does the French have to be as good as the English?

Yes. You can have a version in English or another language as long as a French version of comparable quality is available.²

The government's summary puts it this way: the accessibility of commercial publications in French must be at least as favourable as in another language.⁵

Miller Thomson, a law firm, spells out what that looks like. Catalogues, websites and order forms must be available in French on terms at least as favourable as any other language version. A French version that is harder to find, less complete or less prominently displayed than an English version is non-compliant even if it technically exists.³ The firm includes digital platforms, social media, email marketing and online advertising.³

In marketing terms, I read that as one launch. The French page goes live the same day as the English, with the same offer and the same depth. And machine French that nobody reviewed hurts your brand long before anyone files a complaint.

Does French have to dominate in advertising?

On signs and ads in public spaces, yes. Éducaloi says public signs and commercial advertising must generally be in French. Another language can appear if French is markedly predominant, which is achieved when the French text occupies at least twice the space of the other language.²

That covers posters, signs, stickers and other advertising that is visible to anyone in public spaces, inside or outside buildings. Sometimes only French can be used, for example on buses and on some large billboards.²

Since June 1, 2025, a regulation defines marked predominance. The space given to the French text must be at least twice as large, and its legibility and visibility must be permanent and equivalent to those of the other language. The government's announcement applies this to public signs and commercial advertising visible from outside a premises.⁴

Miller Thomson adds that equal-size bilingual signage does not satisfy the standard.³

Is there a B2B exception?

No. Miller Thomson writes that enterprises must communicate in French in both B2C and B2B contexts, citing sections 5 and 50.2 of the Charter of the French Language.³

None of the sources I checked lists an exception for marketing aimed at business buyers. The rules on commercial documents name catalogues, brochures and any other document of a commercial nature.¹

Contracts are where B2B gets some room. Standard-form contracts must be in French.² Other contracts may be entered into in another language where expressly agreed. Miller Thomson notes that the agreement must be genuine and documented, and that a boilerplate clause added by the stronger party to a standard form would not satisfy the requirement.³

For a channel program, that means a vendor's English campaign kit isn't enough for a Quebec partner. The landing page, the brochure, the emails and the social posts all need French that holds up next to the English.

What happens if you don't comply?

The Office québécois de la langue française can act after a complaint or its own inspection, and can order an enterprise to comply within a set time limit.¹ Anyone who suspects you're not following the rules in the Charter of the French Language can file a complaint.² Miller Thomson notes that enforcement is often triggered by complaints from customers, employees or competitors.³

Under section 205 of the Charter, fines for legal persons range from $3,000 to $30,000.³ Éducaloi says that range applies for each day the offence continues, and that the fine is doubled for a second offence and tripled for any additional offence.²

The OQLF can also ask a court to order the removal or destruction of any poster, sign, advertisement or billboard.²

What should a partner marketer do?

• Launch French and English on the same day, with the same offer.
• Have someone who writes Quebec French review every machine translation before it goes out.
• Check a vendor's kit before you co-brand it. If there's no French, budget for the writing.
• On signs and ads in public spaces, give French at least twice the space.²
• Ask a Quebec lawyer before a large launch or a new contract template.

Writing Quebec French within the language law is part of my Voice service. For how it plays out across a partner program, see channel marketing.