Required: itinerant merchant permit (OPC).
With some exceptions, a business that solicits you or signs a contract with you outside its premises must hold an itinerant merchant permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur.
Why it matters: To get this permit, the business must provide the OPC with a bond of up to $100,000. It can be used to compensate customers who obtain a court judgment against the business or reach a settlement with it.
Businesses currently holding this licence in the official lists: 787.
Official sources: Consumer Protection Act, s. 321 · Consumer Protection Act, s. 55 · Consumer Protection Act, s. 59 · Consumer Protection Act, s. 244.7 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 104 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 120 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 12 · Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act, s. 91.15 · OPC, Vente itinérante · OPC, Conseils de consommation : avant d'acheter d'un vendeur itinérant · OPC, Le commerce itinérant, c'est quoi? · OPC, Fournir un cautionnement – Commerçants itinérants · OPC, Demander un permis – Commerçants itinérants
This licence isn't required for some contracts, including those of $100 or less, those signed at a public market, fair or auction, or during a visit you asked for yourself. That last exception doesn't apply if the seller contacted you first, or for doors, windows, insulation, roofing or exterior siding.
Official sources: Consumer Protection Act, s. 57 · Regulation under the Consumer Protection Act, s. 7 · Regulation under the Consumer Protection Act, s. 8 · OPC: itinerant merchant licence exceptions (in French)
The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) received 1,557 consumer complaints about this type of business from October 2025 to September 2026.
Same months three years earlier: 1,734 (-10%).
Complaints about contracts signed at the consumer's home, all sectors combined.
These figures are not about any particular business: OPC data does not name businesses. Complaints are unverified allegations, not findings.