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 a hunted or trapped and undressed pelt 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.

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

However, you must obtain a permit to sell the undressed 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 an undressed pelt of an animal hunted or trapped in accordance with certain conditions.

Some countries require an export form. This document is available if you request it by contacting one of our regional offices. To export a black bear or part of a black bear from Québec, including the pelt or part of the pelt, the transportation coupons and the proof of registration serve as authorization within the meaning of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act.

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 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
• Black bear (proof of registration accompanied by the transportation coupon)

To export these animals or parts of these animals, their by-products or any other products from these species from Canada, you 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.