Short answer
Under Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, enterprises that operate in Quebec and offer goods or services there must generally make their websites available in French. Other languages are allowed as long as a French version of comparable quality is available. For a dental clinic, that means complete French pages for treatments, team, locations, forms and policies. Rules on trademarks and signs changed on 1 June 2025.
What the Charter requires of websites
Éducaloi, a Quebec legal information organization, summarizes the position for businesses: every enterprise that operates in Quebec and offers goods or services there must respect consumers’ right to be served in French. Websites generally must be available in French, unless they fall under an exception, and may also offer other languages as long as a French version of comparable quality is available.1
The obligation covers commercial documents such as catalogues and brochures, whether online or in print.1 For a dental clinic website, treat every patient-facing page as covered: home, treatments, team, new patient information, locations, appointment requests, privacy notice and accessibility statement.
Enforcement is real
The Office québécois de la langue française publishes notices on the Government of Quebec’s news site about businesses found in breach of the Charter. In one notice from July 2022, a business paid a $1,500 fine after a complaint because the French version of its website was not accessible on terms at least equal to the English version. The notice cites section 52 of the Charter and section 10 of the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business.3 Notices like this are public and name the business. That violation was recorded in July 2021, before the penalty increases that came with Bill 96. Éducaloi explains that for violations that occurred after June 2022, fines range from $3,000 to $30,000, doubled for a repeat offence and tripled for a third.1
The June 2025 changes
Several changes took effect on 1 June 2025. According to DLA Piper, trademarks may now appear in a language other than French if they are recognized under the Trademarks Act, whether registered or not, and no French version appears in the register. For signs visible from outside premises, a non-French trademark must be accompanied by French terms that are markedly predominant, such as a generic term or a description of services.2
For commercial advertising and public signs in general, DLA Piper notes that French must be markedly predominant where another language is used, and that on public signs French text must occupy at least twice the space of the other language in the same visual field.2 Those rules are written for signs and advertising rather than websites, but the OQLF notice above shows that a French version available on terms at least equal to the English one is the expectation for websites, which is a sensible starting point for page design.
Planning a bilingual dental website
- Structure. Give each language its own set of addresses, such as /fr/ and /en/, so patients and search engines can find and share each version.
- Equal completeness. Every page in English has a French counterpart of comparable quality. Do not leave forms, error messages or policies in English only.
- Default language. Make French the default for visitors in Quebec, with a clear language switch on every page.
- Forms and messages. Labels, help text, error messages and confirmation messages all need French versions. So do automatic emails.
- Team and titles. Translate titles and registration categories accurately, using the terms your regulator uses in French.
- Search signals. Mark each page’s language in the code and link language versions to each other so search engines show the right one.
- Documents. New patient forms and PDFs need French versions too.
Translation quality
Comparable quality is the standard to aim for. A French version that reads like machine output, or that leaves out details found in English, falls short of that. Budget for professional translation or a fluent French writer, and for a review by someone at the clinic who knows the services. Treatment descriptions should be checked by a dentist in both languages, because a mistranslation can mislead patients.
Advertising rules still apply in French
The Charter covers language. It does not replace dental advertising rules. In Quebec, dentists are regulated by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec, and the same care about claims, titles and testimonials applies in both languages. See our guide to dental advertising rules.
Multi-province groups
A group with clinics in Quebec and elsewhere can run one bilingual site. Quebec location pages are written in French first. Locations outside Quebec can still offer French where it serves patients. Our multi-location websites service plans this structure.
This guide is general information based on secondary sources and is not legal advice. For decisions about trademarks, signage or specific website content, speak with a Quebec lawyer or the Office québécois de la langue française.
A bilingual launch checklist
Before launching a bilingual site, check each of these points in both languages:
- Every page has a counterpart in the other language, and the language switch leads to the matching page, not the home page.
- The appointment request form, its error messages and its confirmation message are complete in French.
- Automatic emails, such as form confirmations, are available in French.
- Page titles and descriptions are written in each language, not left in English on French pages.
- The privacy notice, accessibility statement and terms exist in French.
- Images that contain text, such as banners, have French versions or no text at all.
- Structured data and language markers in the code match the language of each page.
Ask a fluent French speaker who did not translate the pages to read them on a phone. A fresh reader spots gaps that the translator may miss.
Frequently asked questions
Can our Quebec clinic have an English website?
It can have an English version. Éducaloi explains that websites of enterprises operating in Quebec must generally be available in French, and other languages are allowed as long as a French version of comparable quality is available.
Can we use an automatic translation plugin?
It is risky. The French version should be of comparable quality to the English one. Machine translation can be a starting point, but a fluent French speaker should review every page, especially treatment descriptions and anything patients rely on.
Does our English practice name need to change?
Not necessarily. Rules on trademarks changed on 1 June 2025, as DLA Piper explains. Whether your name qualifies as a recognized trademark, and what French wording must accompany it on signs, is a question for a Quebec lawyer.
Do the French rules apply to clinics outside Quebec?
The Charter of the French Language applies to enterprises operating in Quebec. Clinics in other provinces are not covered by it, although offering French can still help patients, especially near the Quebec border or in francophone communities.
Sources
- Éducaloi: Language legislation, does your website comply? Secondary source (legal information non-profit)
- DLA Piper: Quebec’s language laws changed this week (5 June 2025) Secondary source (law firm)
- Office québécois de la langue française, via Québec.ca: Infraction à la Charte de la langue française, le site Web de l’entreprise Quality Belt Maintenance ltée (22 July 2022) Government
Checked on 29 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current version with the regulator before you publish.
