Quebec Small Claims File Online: Using the GNJQ Portal

What the GNJQ Portal Is

The Greffe numérique judiciaire du Québec (GNJQ), accessed through the Lexius platform at lexius-gnjq.justice.gouv.qc.ca, is Quebec's online court filing system. It lets you submit a small claims application (Form SJ-870E), upload exhibits, and pay filing fees by credit card without visiting a courthouse.

The portal has English navigation, though some system labels, confirmation messages, and terms-of-use screens appear in French. It works, but you need to know which fields map to which parts of your claim.

What You Can Do Online

• File a small claims application (SJ-870E)
• Upload supporting exhibits as PDFs
• Pay filing fees by credit card
• Submit an application in the course of a proceeding, such as for an extension or exhibit access (SJ-1268)
• File a response if you're a defendant (SJ-871E)
• File a declaration for default judgment (SJ-986)

What You Can't Do Online

The GNJQ portal has exclusions. Not every type of small claims filing can go through the system — some interlocutory requests and certain form types still require in-person filing at the court clerk's office. The portal's exclusions page lists what's currently supported.

How to File: The Basic Flow

Create an account: GNJQ submissions require digital authentication. Follow the portal's current sign-in instructions to create or access an account. English-language registration is available, though some setup steps default to French before the language preference takes effect.

Select the procedure: Choose "Petites créances" (Small Claims) as the procedure type. The system will walk you through the form fields for your application.

Fill in the parties: Enter your name and address, then the defendant's full legal name and address. For businesses, use the registered name from the REQ and verify it against the registry record before filing.

Describe the claim: Enter the facts chronologically, the amount claimed, and the legal basis. The text fields accept English.

Upload exhibits: Attach your supporting documents as PDF files. Each document gets labelled with an exhibit number corresponding to your list of exhibits (Form SJ-840). Photos, scanned contracts, delivery receipts, and formal notice copies all go here. File primary supporting exhibits within 10 calendar days after the application; additional exhibits must be filed and served at least 30 calendar days before the hearing.

Pay: The system calculates the fee based on your claim amount and party type. Credit card payment is processed immediately — keep the confirmation number.

Confirmation: Once submitted, the system generates a filing confirmation. The court clerk then takes over notification of the defendant by registered mail.

Practical Tips

Leave time to file. Allow time to resolve sign-in or upload problems; don't wait until the court deadline to submit online.

Name your PDFs clearly. "Exhibit-01-Contract-2025-11-15.pdf" is easier for the clerk and judge to work with than "IMG_4392.pdf."

Check the upload requirements. Use files that meet the portal's current requirements. If an upload fails, check those requirements before compressing or splitting a file.

Keep your own copies. Save the filing confirmation and maintain an organized folder of everything you uploaded, with the same exhibit numbering.

When In-Person Filing Makes Sense

If you're not comfortable with online forms, or your documents don't translate well to PDF, the court clerk's counter at your local judicial district courthouse accepts paper filings. Paper applications need to be sworn before a commissioner for oaths, notary, or court clerk — an extra step that the digital process handles differently.

Navigating the Portal Confidently

Our Quebec Small Claims Filing Guide includes a bilingual GNJQ field-by-field walkthrough that maps every portal screen to its English equivalent, so you know exactly what each field is asking for — even when the label appears in French.

See more Quebec guides →