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Check your municipal permits and zoning

In Quebec, permits for a home business are set by your municipality, and in Montréal by your borough.

Time
1–2 hours
Cost
Varies by municipality

Check your municipal permits and zoning: step-by-step guide

Screenshots use a made-up example business. Official sites change, so yours may look slightly different.

  1. Montréal get an occupancy permit page for Le Plateau-Mont-Royal with the sentence about using part of your home for professional purposes highlighted
    1. Each municipality sets its own rules. In Montréal, a certificate of occupancy is needed to use part of your home for professional purposes, and fees vary by borough. Check with your own municipality or borough.

Screenshots captured 2026-10-18. See something different? Report a problem

It depends on your municipality

We found no general Quebec business licence for a small retailer. Each municipality sets its own rules.

In Montréal, a certificate of occupancy is required to use part of your home for professional purposes, and each borough sets its own fee. In Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, for example, it costs $376. Ask your borough's permit counter whether an online store with no customer visits needs one before you start.

Look up your own municipality rather than assuming Montréal's answer applies to you.

Be upfront about what you sell

Some products or business types carry extra by-laws or requirements, including food. Tell your municipality exactly what you will sell so you know before you start, not after.

Keep the answer

Save your certificate. If the municipality confirms you do not need one, get that in writing, because banks and suppliers sometimes ask.

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