Required: health studio permit (OPC).
Under Québec’s Consumer Protection Act, gyms and weight-management centres (“physical fitness studios”) must, with a few exceptions, hold a permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur.
Why it matters: To get this permit, the centre must post a $25,000 security per location; if it closes during your membership, the Office may use it to refund you, fully or in part.
Businesses currently holding this licence in the official lists: 762.
Official sources: Consumer Protection Act, s. 321 · Consumer Protection Act, s. 198 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 108 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 120 · OPC – Centres d’entraînement ou de contrôle du poids : conseils avant de s’abonner · OPC – Fitness Centre Closure · OPC – Exploitants de studios de santé : Ai-je besoin d’un permis? · OPC – What Is a Fitness or Weight-management Centre? · Consumer Protection Act, s. 322
Facilities run by a municipality, school, CEGEP or university don't need this licence, and neither do outdoor activities offered without a facility.
A permit covers specific locations: check that the one you're joining is listed.
Official sources: Consumer Protection Act, s. 188 · OPC: health studio licence exceptions (in French)
The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) received 713 consumer complaints about this type of business from October 2025 to September 2026.
Same months three years earlier: 660 (+8%).
This complaint category also covers other sports, leisure and cultural services.
These figures are not about any particular business: OPC data does not name businesses. Complaints are unverified allegations, not findings.