Quebec Bill 96: What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know in 2026
If you run a business that operates in Quebec — or sells to customers there — you’ve probably heard the name Bill 96. Maybe it’s come up in conversation, maybe you’ve seen it in the news, or maybe a client mentioned it and you weren’t quite sure what it meant for your website.
This guide cuts through the noise. Here’s what the law actually says, who it applies to, and what you need to do to get your website into compliance — without spending a fortune or rebuilding from scratch.
What Is Quebec Bill 96?
Bill 96, formally known as An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Quebec, is a significant update to Quebec’s Charter of the French Language. It was adopted in 2022 and has been rolling out in phases, with key requirements for businesses coming into full effect by 2025 and 2026.
The goal of the legislation is to strengthen and protect the French language in Quebec — in workplaces, in public services, and in commercial settings. That includes websites.
Who Does Bill 96 Apply To?
This is the question most small business owners ask first. The short answer: if you have a commercial presence in Quebec, it likely applies to you.
Specifically, the law targets:
- Businesses operating in Quebec — including physical stores, service providers, and professionals
- Online businesses that market to Quebec consumers — if you’re actively selling to Quebec residents, your website is in scope
- Enterprises of all sizes — while some larger obligations kick in for businesses with 25+ employees, the consumer-facing language requirements apply broadly
If you’re a small business in Montreal, Quebec City, or anywhere else in the province, or if you run an e-commerce store that ships to Quebec and markets to Quebec customers, you’re in scope.
What Does “Compliant” Actually Mean for Your Website?
This is where a lot of business owners get confused. Compliance doesn’t mean your site has to be only in French. It means French must be genuinely and fully available.
Specifically:
- Your website must be available in French
- The French version must be at least as prominent as any other language version — you cannot make English the default and bury a French option
- Product names, descriptions, services, and all commercial communication must be available in French
- You cannot require customers to use English to complete a transaction
A site that’s fully English with a small “switch to French” link at the bottom probably doesn’t meet the spirit of the law. A properly bilingual site — where French is a true equal alongside English — does.
What Are the Penalties for Non-Compliance?
Let’s be clear: the enforcement regime is real. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) has the power to investigate complaints and issue orders. Fines for non-compliance range from $3,000 to $30,000 for individuals and up to $250,000 for corporations, with escalating amounts for repeat violations.
More practically, complaints can come from customers, competitors, or advocacy groups — and even a single complaint can trigger an investigation. The reputational risk of being seen as non-compliant in Quebec is also real, particularly if your brand serves a Quebec audience.
That said, the OQLF’s approach has generally been to work with businesses to help them come into compliance rather than immediately issuing punitive fines. If you act now and make a genuine effort, you’re in a much stronger position than if you ignore it.
How to Get Your Website Compliant Quickly
The practical challenge is that most small business owners built their websites on platforms like GoDaddy, Wix, Shopify, Weebly, or Squarespace — and these platforms don’t always have simple built-in multilingual tools. Some have no multilingual support at all.
This is where Multilingualizer comes in. It works as a lightweight JavaScript tool that sits on top of whatever platform you’re already using. You add a script snippet to your site’s header once, then wrap your content in language tags directly in your page editor. The result: a fully bilingual French/English site that lets visitors toggle between languages.
The process looks like this:
- Sign up for Multilingualizer and get your unique JS snippet
- Paste the snippet into your site’s custom code or header settings
- In your page editor, wrap your English text with
[en]...[/en]tags and add your French translation with[fr]...[/fr]tags - A language switcher appears automatically — visitors can toggle between English and French
This works on GoDaddy, Wix, Weebly, Shopify, Webflow, WordPress, and most other platforms. At $3.99/month, it’s by far the most cost-effective route to compliance for a small business.
A Note on Translation Quality
The law doesn’t require professional certification of your translations, but it does require that your French content is genuinely comprehensible and complete. Running your site through Google Translate and calling it done is risky — machine translations can be awkward or inaccurate, and if a customer complains that your French version is incomprehensible, that’s a problem.
If you’re not a French speaker, consider hiring a translator for your key pages — homepage, product descriptions, contact page. Multilingualizer lets you enter your own human translations exactly, so whatever quality of French you provide is what gets shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bill 96 apply to my online store?
Yes, if you’re marketing to Quebec consumers. The law covers commercial websites that serve Quebec residents — it’s not limited to businesses physically located in Quebec. If you’re running Facebook ads targeting Quebec, shipping to Quebec addresses, or explicitly listing Quebec as a service area, you’re in scope.
What happens if my website isn’t in French in Quebec?
Technically, you’re non-compliant and could face complaints to the OQLF. Fines range from $3,000 to $250,000 depending on the severity and whether you’re an individual or corporation. More practically, you risk losing Quebec customers who are entitled by law to be served in French and may choose competitors who offer it.
How do I make my website compliant with Bill 96?
The fastest route is to add a bilingual toggle to your existing site using a tool like Multilingualizer. You don’t need to rebuild your website or switch platforms. Add the script to your site’s header, wrap your page content in French and English tags, and you have a compliant bilingual site. The technical setup takes under 30 minutes — the bulk of the time is writing your French translations.
Get Compliant Today
Bill 96 compliance doesn’t have to mean a costly rebuild or weeks of development work. With Multilingualizer, you can add proper French/English bilingual functionality to your existing website — on any platform — for $3.99/month.
Start your free trial of Multilingualizer and get your Quebec-compliant bilingual website set up today.
