Selling and exporting pelts

To sell the pelt of a trapped or hunted animal, you may contact an authorized trader. Some conditions must be respected if you export the pelt.

To sell the raw pelt of a hunted or trapped animal to a fur dealer, dresser or auction house, you must provide:

• the number of the fur-bearing animal management unit (also known as UGAF) from which it comes;
• the number of the hunter’s or trapper’s certificate confirming your identity.

You may sell or dress the pelts from your own hunting or trapping without holding a fur trader or dresser permit.

However, you must obtain a permit to sell the raw pelt of a hunted or trapped animal, if you wish to:

• trade in it
• dress it
• serve as an intermediary for the sale or trade of such pelts in exchange for any benefit.

To obtain a permit, contact the wildlife protection office in your region.

It is possible to export from Québec a raw pelt of an animal hunted or trapped in accordance with certain conditions.

Export form

Some countries, as well as other provinces or territories of Canada, require an export form. This document is available if you request it by contacting one of our regional offices.

Trader’s responsibilities

Hunters and trappers cannot obtain an export certificate.

No document is issued for the importation of an animal.

The trader must ensure that they have all the necessary authorizations before importing goods into Québec. This responsibility also applies if the trader subsequently exports those goods to other provinces or territories of Canada. Despite holding proof for export, some provinces or territories of Canada may also require a permit, which will be issued to the trader before furs or anatomical parts of species at risk in Canada (e.g. polar bear) are imported into their territory.

Special case of the black bear

To export a black bear or any of its parts outside Québec, including the pelt, the hunter or trapper must:

• affix to the raw pelt the transportation coupon or the medium on which its unique number is legibly and indelibly inscribed;
• keep proof of their registration confirmation in which the transportation coupon number is inscribed and present it to the trader.  This number must match the one inscribed on the pelt. The export certificate, issued based on this evidence, serves as authorization within the meaning of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act.

Protected species

Some fur-bearing animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This Convention prohibits the trade in certain species so as not to hinder their survival. In Canada, some provinces or territories may require an import permit, and may issue one to you, for furs or by-products of species protected or at risk in the country, despite the authorization to possess them in Québec with the corresponding evidence.

In Québec, the following animals cannot be exported without an export certificate issued by the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs:

• wolf
• North American river otter
• Canada lynx
• bobcat
• polar bear (proof of registration and the number of the tag affixed to the raw pelt are mandatory at all times, including for any part of the animal, where applicable);
• black bear (It is strongly recommended that the proof of registration of the hunted or trapped animal be presented to the trader, or provided upon the trader’s request. The transportation coupon or the medium on which the unique number appears, inscribed legibly and indelibly, must be affixed to the raw pelt).

Export licence

To export these animals or parts of these animals, their by-products or any other products from these species from Canada, the trader who holds a valid permit must obtain a CITES permit so that their entry is permitted in the importing country.

To obtain such a licence, you must contact Environment and Climate Change Canada.

If you wish to export to the European Union, certain products require a certificate of origin.

For more information, contact the Fur Council of Canada.

To obtain a permit, please fill out the form Demande de permis de commerçant de fourrures (PDF 806 Kb) (in French only). Bring the completed form to your regional wildlife management office.

The validity period of the fur trader’s permit begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year.

Permit category fees (Before Taxes) as of April 1, 2025 and 2026

Definitions of permit types:

• Trader or intermediary permit for residents (code M) or non-residents (code N) to sell or trade undressed pelts
  This permit authorizes a trader to buy pelts directly from trappers or hunters.
• Dresser of undressed pelts permit (code A)
  This permit is intended for fur traders who wish to dress raw pelts. These fur traders are companies that offer, for a fee, services to customers (trappers, individuals, wholesalers, manufacturers, etc.) wishing to have furs dressed (tanned).
  
  This permit also allows the fur trader to dress pelts for taxidermy purposes (e.g., for a taxidermist or for the fur trader).
• Dresser of undressed pelts for taxidermy purposes permit (code T)
  This permit authorizes a fur trader to dress pelts for taxidermy purposes only.
• Public auction permit for the sale of undressed pelts (code E)
  This permit authorizes an auction house to collect and consign undressed pelts from Québec trappers or hunters and then sell them.

If you have any questions, please contact your regional wildlife management office.

To renew a fur trader’s permit, you must complete the Demande de permis de commerçant de fourrures and return it with the required fee to the wildlife protection office in your region.

To be eligible to renew your permit, you must have done the following:

• Submitted to the Minister before September 10 of the current year, if applicable: Copies of completed register forms for each purchase of a raw pelt;
• Returned copies of cancelled forms from this register, or provided in writing the last completed register number in writing if no pelts were traded during the permit validity period;
• Paid the fees due before September 10 of the current year.

Failure to meet these three conditions disqualifies the permit holder from obtaining a new permit for the year following the reference year.

Every year, nearly a hundred fur trader permits are issued. This Registre de commerçants favours access to the Canadian and international commercial fur markets.

The purpose of the register is to facilitate trade and compliance with the legal obligations of trappers and hunters of fur-bearing animals.

Only establishments that have given their consent to the dissemination of information concerning them appear in this register. This register is permanent.

In the event of a change in the posting of information on a trader, an abandonment or a potential registration, please complete the Demande ou modification de consentement (PDF 77 Kb) (in French only) and send it to the following email address dgeht@environnement.gouv.qc.ca.