Putting your vehicle in/taking it out of storage

MobilityInsuring a vehicleCar
Published on September 2, 2021
11 mins reading time
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Storing your vehicle while away, or for an entire season, or maybe forever? Read on!

Store or scrap?

If you store your vehicle, that’s temporary—for the winter, for example. You want to put it back on the road later. Scrapping your vehicle means you’ll never be driving it again. Obviously, they’re not the same.

Storing your vehicle

Motorcycle, RV, convertible, snowmobile—whatever vehicle you own or drive, here are the steps to getting it ready for storage:

  1. Notify SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) that you intend to store your vehicle. Have the vehicle’s registration certificate on hand. You have four options:
  2. Contact your auto insurer to notify them of your plans to store your vehicle. If you have CAA-Quebec’s No-Stress Policy®, you can fill out an online vehicle storage request form.
  3. Find a safe place to store your vehicle. It could be a garage, a private yard, or a space you rent. Ideally it should be cool and dry, such as the parking lot of an office building or high-rise apartment. Some buildings have parking spaces you can rent by the month, which is also an option at certain warehouses. It is crucial that you don’t leave your vehicle on a public road.
  4. Leave the licence plate on your vehicle.
  5. Deep clean your vehicle to remove any ingrained dirt. Cleaning products and waxes from the CAA-Quebec Boutique can help.
  6. Change the motor oil and oil filter.
  7. Disconnect the battery and, depending on where the vehicle is stored (e.g. if it’s stored outside), remove it and store it inside so that it can be recharged once or twice during winter.
  8. Check your engine antifreeze level and density and make sure you have the right type of windshield washer fluid for the season. This will protect the engine and windshield washer reservoir from freezing up.
  9. Keep the fuel tank three-quarters full to avoid condensation inside the tank.
  10. Adjust the air pressure in the tires if needed.
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Taking a vehicle out of storage

Before you start reusing your vehicle, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Notify SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) that you’re planning to take a vehicle out of storage, so that the vehicle license can be reinstated. Have the vehicle’s latest registration certificate on hand. You have four options:
  2. Notify your insurer of the date you plan to put your vehicle back on the road. If you have CAA-Quebec’s No-Stress Policy®, you can fill out an online request form.
  3. Check the tire pressure and look for any visible damage, including an oil or fluid leak. If you’re travelling far, you might ask a mechanic to do a more thorough inspection.
  4. Drive slowly the first few times and listen closely for any suspicious noises.

Tips to help you save

  • Beat the deadline. Vehicles that have been stored for less than a year minus a day can have their registration reinstated without a mechanical inspection. Make note of the date so you’ll avoid inspection fees and weeks of unnecessary delay.
  • If your vehicle is a car or an RV, check with your insurer to see if you should take the FAQ-16 rider, which suspends civil liability coverage for use of the vehicle. This will qualify you for a credit provided your premium is not already calculated over 12 months for seasonal use. If you have a boat, motorcycle, quad, or snowmobile, seasonal use is already factored into your annual premium, so there are no savings to be had.
  • Another possible savings is a credit on vehicle registration depending on the number of months until your next renewal.
    • It may be best to start storing at the end of a month, since you need to pay for the entire current month anyway. If you’re thinking of taking your vehicle out of storage, do it at the beginning of the month.
    • To be eligible for a partial refund on motorcycle registration, you must store your bike by September 30.
    • For snowmobiles, the deadline is March 31.

Taking snowmobiles out of storage

With winter upon us, here are a few essential steps for taking your snowmobile out of storage:

  1. Register your snowmobile. It’s mandatory whether you stick to trails or not. Contact SAAQ for the registration renewal, which begins in December. You’ll be asked for your registration certificate and your driver’s licence.
  2. Insure your vehicle. The regulation stipulates that civil liability coverage of $1,000,000 is required to drive on a groomed trail or private land.
  3. Renew your trail permit ($) with the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ) if you wish to use the snowmobile trails this winter.
  4. Get an annual mechanical checkup, including spark plugs, oil, battery, braking and acceleration, belts and pulleys, track (voltage, tears), etc.
Practical info for CAA-Quebec members

Why not have your vehicle mechanically inspected and serviced at a CAA-Quebec Approved Auto Repair Service Location? 10 of them specialize in RVs, plus you’ll earn 3% back in CAA Dollars on your invoice amount.

Even if you store your RV, your CAA Plus RV membership card still comes in handy all year as you’re also covered on a snowmobile or quad, in a car, and more.

Scrapping a vehicle

It’s easy to take your vehicle off the road forever:

  1. Notify SAAQ. Have the vehicle’s registration certificate on hand. You have four options:
  2. Once the transaction is completed, remove the license plate from the vehicle.
  3. Keep the new registration certificate marked “Mise au rancart” (scrapped vehicle) that you will receive after the transaction. This document is proof that the vehicle has been scrapped.

If later you wish to put the vehicle back on the road, it must undergo a mechanical inspection at a SAAQ service outlet, at your expense.