Thousands of Quebecers may receive their driver's licence or registration renewal notices a few weeks late in the mail due to equipment failure at the provincial automobile insurance board, the SAAQ.
This affects drivers whose last names start with M, N, O, or V for vehicle registration renewal, and those born in August for driver’s license fees. Both must be paid for by the end of the month.
But those who miss the deadline by a few days should not worry about late fees.
"Considering this delay, if drivers pay in early September and miss the date by a couple days, they will not be charged a late fee as long as it’s within reason," said Gino Desrosiers, an SAAQ spokesperson.
A note on the SAAQ website says the notices are being delayed "for reasons beyond our control." Desrosiers told CTV News the agency's printers malfunctioned for a few days in early August, causing a potential backlog for hundreds of thousands of drivers.
While the notices are usually mailed out four to six weeks in advance, some drivers may receive them less than two weeks before the deadline.
The SAAQ is expecting "a few more weeks" of delays but is making sure the police are aware of the situation.
"We will ensure that drivers won’t face consequences with the police because of delayed renewals — but again, as long as the delay is reasonable," added Desrosiers.
