Guides
Quebec French language rules for a cleaning business: signs, quotes and invoices
What the Charter of the French Language and the OQLF require of a cleaning company working in Quebec: signage and vehicle lettering, contracts, invoices, websites and staffing thresholds.
What to take away
- The Charter of the French Language applies to any business or employer operating in Quebec, including temporarily, even if it is based outside the province.
- Customers have the right to be informed and served in French. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) lists invoices, receipts, websites, social media, brochures, signs and advertising among the covered materials.
- Since June 1, 2025, a business name or trademark with a non-French specific element that is visible from outside premises needs French terms so that French clearly predominates.
- A new contract of adhesion has to be given to the customer in French first. Another language is allowed only if the customer expressly chooses it.
- A business with 25 or more employees over a six-month period must register with the OQLF and go through francization.
This article summarizes the OQLF's published guidance for businesses. It is not legal advice. A company that is unsure how a particular sign, form or contract is treated should ask the OQLF or a Quebec lawyer.
Who is covered
A cleaning company does not need to be based in Quebec to be covered. The OQLF says the Charter applies to any business or employer operating in Quebec, including temporarily, even if it is based elsewhere. An Ontario crew sent to a Montreal condo is working in Quebec.
The Charter has two main strands. One concerns the language of work, because workers have a fundamental right to carry out their activities in French. The other concerns the language of commerce and business, because consumers have the right to be informed and served in French. This article deals mostly with the second, though staff size matters for the first.
Planning a Quebec job also means checking the usual business requirements. The licensing and compliance guide and the article on what licences a cleaning business needs cover the rest of the checklist.
Signs, business names and vehicle lettering
The general rule from the OQLF is that public signs and commercial advertising must be in French. They may also include another language, but every message must also appear in French, and French must clearly dominate the same visual field.
The rules on business names and trademarks changed on June 1, 2025, under the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business, published on June 26, 2024.
Business names. A business name's specific element, the distinctive part, may be in another language only if it is paired with a French generic term, meaning the word that describes the type of product or service. A business can also add a French descriptor or a slogan. The OQLF's own example is "Vêtements Coolkids", where the generic is Vêtements and the specific is Coolkids. For a cleaning company with an English brand name, that means pairing the name with a French term for the service.
Trademarks. A trademark can be wholly or partly in another language if no French version is registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. If a French version is registered, that version must be displayed, inside and outside the premises.
What counts as "clearly predominant". The OQLF sets out measurable tests:
- French text must occupy at least twice the space of the text in the other language.
- French must be at least as permanent, visible and legible as the other text, including under lighting.
- On a dynamic sign, French must appear at least twice as long.
- The French terms must be in the same visual field as the name or trademark, so everything can be read at once.
- Hours, phone numbers, addresses, numbers, percentages and articles such as "le" and "la" do not count toward predominance.
Where the exceptions apply. The OQLF says clear predominance of French is not required for a name or trademark inside premises that cannot be seen from outside, on a vehicle, or on a kiosk or independent structure such as a pylon sign showing more than two business names or trademarks. It adds that a business name must always include a French generic term, even in those cases. A van wrap therefore escapes the predominance test, but the name on it should still carry the French generic.
Quotes, contracts and invoices
Invoices and receipts. The OQLF's guide to consumer language rights lists invoices for online or in-store purchases, receipts for activity registrations and quittances among the documents covered by the right to be informed and served in French. A cleaning company should issue invoices and receipts in French for Quebec customers.
Quotes and estimates. The OQLF pages reviewed for this article do not name quotes or estimates. A quote that carries the terms of the job, however, may function as a contract, so treat it with the same care as a contract unless the OQLF or a lawyer tells you otherwise. The quote template is a good starting point for a French-language version.
Contracts of adhesion. The OQLF defines a contract of adhesion as one whose essential terms are imposed by one party and cannot be freely negotiated. A standard service agreement, terms of service for a recurring cleaning plan, or a cancellation policy that customers must accept can fit that description. The rules, in force since June 1, 2023, are:
- A new contract of adhesion must first be provided to the customer in French.
- After that, the parties may choose another language by express will, and the related documents may then be only in that language.
- A bilingual contract, or a French version delivered together with a version in another language, is acceptable, as long as French appears at least as prominently and all versions use the same transmission method.
- If a renewal creates a new contract, the French-version requirement applies.
For online booking, the OQLF says the requirement is met when the French standard clauses are provided to the customer, or when the platform is available in French and the French contract is accessible there.
Websites, social media and advertising
The OQLF's list of covered materials includes websites, social media, brochures, catalogues, storefront signs and advertising posters. Customer service communications by email, chat, phone and in person are covered as well. If a Quebec customer can reach your booking page, your price list or your social media account, plan for a French version.
Product labels, packaging and accompanying documents such as manuals and warranties must be in French. This matters if the company sells protector sprays or stain kits as retail products.
Staffing thresholds
The OQLF says businesses with 25 or more employees over a six-month period must register with the Office and go through the francization process. After registration, the business analyzes its use of French within three months, and the OQLF either issues a francization certificate or requires a francization program with progress reports every 12 months. Businesses with 100 or more employees must have a francization committee. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees have no francization obligation but must state their number of employees when submitting an offer of service or a subsidy request.
The hiring and training guide covers workforce planning, and the expansion and market guide helps when a Quebec move is part of growth.
Enforcement
If a business will not correct a problem the OQLF has identified, the Office can order it to comply, and it can refer the file to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. The OQLF lists fines of $700 to $7,000 for individuals and $3,000 to $30,000 for legal entities, doubled for a first repeat and tripled for each additional one. The OQLF itself does not issue tickets or impose fines.
A checklist before taking Quebec work
- Name and signs.Pair the business name with a French generic term and check any storefront or building sign.
- Vehicles.Confirm the French generic appears on the vehicle name.
- Documents.Prepare French quotes, contracts, invoices and receipts.
- Online.Provide a French booking page and French standard terms.
- Staff.Count employees against the 25-person threshold.
- Records.Keep the version of every contract the customer received first.
