Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts in Ontario:

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Last Updated: September 17 2026

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Question:Received a ticket or summons for illegal buying or selling of pelts in Ontario, what should I do next?

Answer:DefendCharges.ca™ can help you understand the exact illegal buying or selling of pelts charge, gather the right documents, and plan next steps to respond to a summons or disclosure before deadlines, including how Ontario defines a “pelt” and a “transaction,” when licences or lawful source rules may apply, and what seizure or forfeiture risks could follow.  Do not panic or automatically pay the ticket, because paying is often treated like a guilty plea and the offence wording (including whether it is the general Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 rule or a more specific regulatory pelt rule) can change the consequences.  Call (647) 559-3377 for paralegal support in Ontario.

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Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts in Ontario

Received a ticket or summons for Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts in Ontario, the charge concerns whether you bought, sold, offered, traded, bartered, or otherwise dealt with a pelt contrary to Ontario wildlife law.  The exact charge matters because Ontario has different rules for buyers, sellers, hunters, trappers, farmers, fur dealers, and other pelt transactions.

Note: Please contact DefendCharges.ca™ by phone at: (647) 559-3377 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Do not panic.  Being charged does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  Ontario's legal meaning of buying or selling is broader than a completed cash transaction, but the law also permits some pelt transactions when the required licence, lawful source, buyer or seller status, possession requirements, and other conditions are satisfied.

This page explains what an Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts charge means, what Ontario considers a pelt and a transaction, when buying or selling may be lawful, what must be proven, current fines and possible consequences, evidence, possible defences and legal issues, seizure and forfeiture, and what may happen next.

I Received an Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts Ticket or Summons.  What Should I Do?

Read every document carefully and do not miss the response deadline or required court date.  A summons is a court document requiring you to attend court or respond as directed.  Your documents may use wording such as Unlawfully buy pelts, Unlawfully sell pelts, Sell pelts to unauthorized buyer, Fur dealer — unlawfully sell pelts, Unlawfully buy pelt, or Unlawfully sell pelts of furbearing mammals killed during the closed season.

Start with the exact offence wording and section number.  Keep any pelt involved, photographs, purchase or sale records, trapping or Small Game Licence information, fur dealer records, licence to possess a pelt, notice of possession confirmation, advertisements, messages, payment records, shipping documents, auction records, and anything provided by the Conservation Officer.  Record who owned the pelt, where it came from, who the buyer and seller were, and what was offered, exchanged, or transferred.

Should I Pay the Ticket?

Paying the ticket will generally be treated as pleading guilty and will result in a conviction, meaning a finding of guilt.  Before paying, identify whether the charge is the general buying or selling offence under section 48 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 or a more specific regulatory offence concerning the buyer, seller, licence, number of pelts, closed season, fur dealer, or auction transaction.

The distinction matters because the legal requirements, set fines, and maximum penalties are not identical.  The amount printed on a ticket should therefore be considered together with the exact offence and any possible consequences of a conviction.

What Is Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts?

Illegal Buying or Selling of Pelts is a plain English title covering several Ontario offences involving pelt transactions.  A pelt is legally defined as the untanned skin of a furbearing mammal, whether or not the skin is still on the carcass.  Furbearing mammals include animals such as beaver, coyote, raccoon, fox, mink, and muskrat.

Section 48(1) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 generally prohibits buying or selling game wildlife or specially protected wildlife, including pelts, except under the authority of a licence and in accordance with the regulations.  Ontario Regulation 666/98 contains more detailed rules governing lawful pelt transactions.

Ontario also gives buy or sell a broader meaning than an ordinary purchase.  The definition includes leasing, bartering or trading for consideration, offering to buy or sell, and possessing something for the purpose of buying, selling, leasing, bartering, or trading it for consideration.  Consideration means something of value given or promised as part of the transaction.

The exact wording on the ticket or summons determines which rule must be considered.  A lawful harvest does not automatically make every later sale lawful, and a person who did not hunt or trap the animal can still face a buying offence if the requirements governing the purchase were not followed.

Does Money Have to Change Hands?

No.  A completed cash payment is not required for conduct to fall within Ontario's definition of buying or selling.  An advertisement or offer may be relevant, as can a trade or barter for something of value and possession of a pelt for the purpose of a proposed transaction.

A genuine gift without consideration is different from buying or selling under this definition.  However, separate possession requirements may still apply to the person who receives the pelt.

When Can Pelts Be Bought or Sold Lawfully?

Ontario law permits a number of pelt transactions when the applicable legal requirements are satisfied.  The source of the pelt, the authority held by the seller, the status of the buyer, and any required records or possession documents may all matter.

Trapping Licence Holder

A person holding a licence to trap furbearing mammals may sell all or part of a furbearing mammal trapped by or on behalf of that licence holder, including the pelt, without obtaining another sale licence.  The trapping licence or proof that it exists must be produced at the time of sale.

Small Game Licence Holder

A Small Game Licence holder may sell pelts of furbearing mammals lawfully killed under that licence during the open season without another sale licence.  Where a licence to possess a pelt applies, that authority can also affect whether a later sale is permitted, and the licence or proof of the applicable authority must be produced at the time of sale.

Farmer

A qualifying person hunting or trapping under the farmer provisions may sell qualifying furbearing mammal carcasses and pelts under a farmer's licence to sell pelts and carcasses.  Licence production and applicable reporting requirements must also be followed.

Fur Dealer

A fur dealer's licence can authorize the buying and selling of pelts, but it does not permit every transaction.  A licensed seller must sell only to someone who may lawfully buy the pelt, and a fur dealer must comply with the applicable purchasing, selling, and recordkeeping requirements.

Can I Lawfully Buy a Pelt for My Own Use?

Yes, but both the source of the pelt and the possession requirements matter.  Ontario Regulation 666/98 provides that a fur dealer or a person purchasing a pelt for their own use must buy it from a licensed fur dealer or another person who is selling the pelt in accordance with the Act.

Current Ontario law also requires a person who buys a pelt for their own use, where the applicable possession provisions require it, to submit a notice of possession to the Ministry in the format established by the Ministry.  The Ministry's confirmation must be kept for as long as the pelt remains in that person's possession.

Providing incomplete, false, or misleading information can result in the person being treated as having failed to submit the required notice.  The purchase records and Ministry confirmation may therefore be important if the lawful purchase or continued possession is later questioned.

What If the Pelt Was Bought or Sold Through a Fur Auction House?

Ontario has a specific exemption for people registered to buy or sell pelts at a fur auction house.  A registered person can be exempt from the section 48(1) licence requirement for that auction activity.

The exemption has conditions.  A person who buys a pelt under the fur auction provision must not accept delivery of it in Ontario and must not sell it anywhere other than at that fur auction house.  A person holding a fur dealer's licence is also restricted from registering under the auction exemption.

What If the Animal Was Killed During a Closed Season?

Ontario generally prohibits selling the pelt of a furbearing mammal killed during the closed season.  A closed season is the period when hunting or trapping that species is not permitted.

There are specific exceptions.  A Small Game Licence holder, trapping licence holder, or qualifying farmer may be able to sell a closed season pelt when the required licence to possess the pelt is held.  A fur dealer may also sell a qualifying pelt lawfully bought from an authorized source.

What If the Pelt Came From a Farmed Animal?

The source of the pelt can substantially change the legal analysis.  Ontario Regulation 666/98 provides an exception for a person buying or selling pelts of farmed animals that are furbearing mammals where the person is not also buying or selling pelts of non farmed furbearing mammals.

Records identifying the animal as a qualifying farmed animal may therefore be important.  An invoice, bill of lading, transaction record, farm record, or other reliable document may help establish the source of the pelt.

What If the Skin Was Already Tanned?

Ontario's statutory definition of a pelt is limited to an untanned skin.  If the offence specifically refers to buying or selling a pelt, evidence that the skin had already been tanned may affect whether the item meets that definition.

That does not automatically mean every transaction involving a tanned wildlife product is lawful.  Other wildlife, hide, import, export, or commercial product rules may apply depending on the actual item and offence charged.

What Law Applies?

The principal law is section 48 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 together with Ontario Regulation 666/98, Possession, Buying and Selling of Wildlife.  Section 48 establishes the general restriction on buying or selling game wildlife or specially protected wildlife, including pelts, except under lawful authority and in accordance with the regulations.

Ontario Regulation 666/98 contains the more detailed rules concerning who may buy or sell pelts, transactions by hunters, trappers and farmers, fur dealers, closed season pelts, farmed animal pelts, purchases for personal use, fur auction houses, and required records.  Only the provisions relevant to the exact charge and transaction need to be applied to your case.

What Must Be Proven?

The prosecutor, meaning the lawyer or representative presenting the government's case, must prove every required part of the particular offence beyond a reasonable doubt.  Beyond a reasonable doubt is the high legal standard required before the court can find you guilty.

Because this page covers several possible pelt offences, the exact elements depend on the provision written on the ticket or summons.  Depending on the charge, the prosecutor may need to establish that:

• You were the person responsible for the transaction or conduct described in the charge;
• The item involved was a pelt or other item covered by the particular provision;
• Your conduct amounted to buying, selling, offering, bartering, trading, or another activity included in Ontario's legal definition;
• The pelt came from the species, source, or season relevant to the offence;
• The buyer, seller, licence, number of pelts, possession requirement, or other regulatory condition identified by the charge applied; and
• The transaction or other conduct occurred in the circumstances stated in the charge.

The prosecutor must prove the offence actually charged rather than merely showing that a pelt changed hands.  Whether a licence, exemption, lawful source, or other legal authority applied may depend on separate legal and evidentiary rules.

What Common Situations Lead to These Charges?

A Pelt Was Advertised Online

An online marketplace listing, social media post, text message, or other advertisement may be relied upon because Ontario's definition includes an offer to sell.  The evidence must still establish who created or controlled the listing and what was being offered.

The Buyer Obtained the Pelt From the Wrong Source

A fur dealer or person purchasing a pelt for their own use may be charged where the prosecution says the pelt was not bought from a fur dealer or another person who could lawfully sell it.

The Seller Did Not Produce the Required Licence

The pelt may have come from a lawful hunt or trap, but the charge may concern failing to produce the Small Game Licence, trapping licence, farmer's licence, or other required proof at the time of sale.

A Closed Season Pelt Was Sold

The investigation may focus on when the furbearing mammal was killed and whether the seller held the possession authority required for the closed season exception.  Harvest and possession records may therefore be important.

The Buyer or Seller Used the Wrong Authority

A person may have held a wildlife related licence but still face a charge because it did not authorize the particular transaction, number of pelts, source, buyer, seller, or activity involved.

A Fur Dealer or Auction Transaction Was Questioned

The charge may concern the permitted buyer or seller, delivery of an auction pelt in Ontario, resale outside the fur auction house, registration restrictions, or required dealer records.

What Is the Fine?

The set fine depends on the precise buying or selling offence written on the ticket.  A set fine is the preset fine used when an offence is dealt with by ticket.

The current Ontario set fines under subsection 48(1) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 are:

• Unlawfully buy pelts: $250; and
• Unlawfully sell pelts: $250.

Several more specific pelt offences under Ontario Regulation 666/98 currently carry a $150 set fine.  Examples include:

• Selling pelts to an unauthorized buyer or a fur dealer unlawfully selling pelts;
• Failing to produce required seller licence authority at the time of sale;
• A trapper or farmer unlawfully selling more pelts than authorized;
• Unlawfully selling pelts of furbearing mammals killed during the closed season;
• Unlawfully buying a pelt;
• Contravening specified fur auction buying, delivery, resale, or registration rules; and
• Contravening specified fur dealer recordkeeping requirements.

The set fine is not necessarily the total payable amount because a victim fine surcharge and applicable court costs may also be added.  The exact offence wording and section number determine which set fine applies.

A conviction under section 48 has a higher statutory maximum than many ordinary Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act offences.  Section 102(3) provides a maximum fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both for an individual convicted of an offence under section 48.  These are statutory maximums, not the automatic or usual result of an ordinary pelt transaction ticket.

If the charge is instead a regulatory offence and is not an offence under section 48, the general maximum for an individual is ordinarily a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, unless the higher commercial purpose penalty in section 102(3) applies.  A court may also make a discretionary order affecting a licence or authorization related to the offence, and an existing licence or authorization of the kind covered by that order may be cancelled.

What Evidence May Be Used?

These cases often depend on the pelt's identity and source, the parties to the transaction, the legal authority relied upon, and records showing what was offered or exchanged.

Pelt and Source Evidence

The pelt itself, species identification, its condition, evidence showing whether the skin was untanned, harvest records, farm records, possession records, invoices, and shipping documents may help establish what the item was and where it came from.

Licence and Dealer Records

Small Game, trapping, farmer, fur dealer, and pelt possession records, Ministry information, notice of possession confirmations, auction records, and dealer records may show what authority existed and whether applicable conditions were followed.

Transaction and Electronic Evidence

Advertisements, marketplace listings, emails, text messages, photographs, social media, receipts, invoices, bank or electronic payment records, and evidence of a proposed barter or trade may be used to establish the transaction or offer.

Officer and Seizure Evidence

Conservation Officer observations, notes, photographs, recordings, statements, inspection records, search records, and property inventories may also be relevant.  Disclosure is the evidence and information the prosecutor intends to rely upon, and it should be reviewed against the precise offence charged.

What Possible Defences and Legal Issues May Apply?

Possible defences depend on the precise charge, the pelt, the buyer and seller, the legal authority relied upon, and the available evidence.  No particular issue guarantees that a charge will be dismissed.

The Transaction Was Lawfully Authorized

A valid fur dealer, Small Game, trapping, farmer, pelt possession, or other applicable authority may show that the transaction was permitted.  The licence conditions, timing, species, quantity, and required production of documents must still be checked.

The Buyer or Seller Was Lawfully Entitled to Participate

The evidence may show that the pelt was bought from or sold to a person permitted by the regulation.  Dealer records, licences, receipts, Ministry records, and evidence showing that the buyer purchased for their own use may be important.

The Conduct Was Not Buying or Selling

The evidence may not establish an offer, purchase, sale, barter, trade for consideration, or possession for the purpose of a transaction.  A genuine gift with no consideration may raise a different legal issue from a sale.

The Farmed Animal Exception Applied

Documents may establish that the pelt came from a qualifying farmed animal and that the circumstances fell within the regulatory exception.  The exception should be assessed against the person's complete buying or selling activity rather than the pelt in isolation.

The Item Was Not Legally a Pelt

If the charge specifically concerns a pelt, evidence that the skin was already tanned may be relevant because the statutory definition is limited to an untanned skin.  The exact offence must still be reviewed because another wildlife transaction rule may apply to a treated wildlife product.

The Evidence Does Not Reliably Connect You to the Transaction

An online account, advertisement, payment, pelt, vehicle, business record, or shared device does not automatically establish who made the offer or completed the transaction.  Identification, authorship, possession, and the reliability of electronic and witness evidence may need to be examined.

A Statutory Defence Applied

Section 101 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 provides a defence where a person establishes that they exercised all due diligence to prevent the offence or honestly and reasonably believed facts that, if true, would have made the conduct innocent.  Due diligence means taking all reasonable care in the circumstances.

If you rely on having held a required licence, section 107 places the burden on you to prove that the required licence was held.  Other authorizations or exceptions can also involve particular evidentiary burdens, so documents supporting the authority relied upon should be preserved.

Could Pelts or Other Property Be Seized or Forfeited?

Yes, where the legal requirements for seizure are met.  Section 92 of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 permits a Conservation Officer who is lawfully in a place to seize a thing the officer believes on reasonable grounds was obtained through or used in an offence, will provide evidence of an offence, or is intermixed with property connected with an offence.

Depending on the investigation, this may include pelts, wildlife records, licences, transaction documents, money or payment records, electronic devices, containers, or other property connected with the charge.  Seizure means official custody and does not itself establish guilt.

Forfeiture means permanent loss of ownership.  Wildlife seized in connection with an offence is forfeited to the Crown following conviction under the Act, while a court may order forfeiture of other seized property connected with the offence.  Keep every seizure notice, inventory, receipt, and other document describing what was taken.

What Happens Next?

What happens next depends on whether you received a ticket or summons, how you respond, and whether property was seized or additional charges were laid.  If you dispute the charge, request and review disclosure before deciding how to proceed.

The evidence should be compared with the exact offence wording, the pelt's identity and source, the buyer and seller, the transaction, the licence or other authority relied upon, and any applicable regulatory condition.  Where several people or businesses were involved, each person's conduct and legal authority should be considered separately.

If the case proceeds to trial, the prosecutor must prove every required part of the particular charge beyond a reasonable doubt, subject to any legal burden that applies to a licence, defence, authorization, or exception relied upon by the person charged.  If there is a conviction, the court determines the penalty and any legally available order concerning licences, authorizations, or seized property.

How Can DefendCharges.ca™ Help?

DefendCharges.ca™ can review the wording on your ticket, summons, seizure notice, or other documents and compare it with the wildlife, records, and activity involved.  This can help identify the exact charge, the legal requirements that apply, and the factual issues that may be important to your case.

If the matter proceeds through court, DefendCharges.ca™ can explain the court process, review the available evidence and legal issues, discuss possible penalties or other consequences, and help you understand your options for responding to the charge.

Have Questions About Hunting Charges?

Whether you have been charged with one hunting offence or several, understanding your legal options is important.  DefendCharges.ca™ can review your case, explain the charges you are facing, and help you understand your legal options and the best course of action.  Contact us today to discuss your situation.

Key Takeaways

• Ontario regulates both buying and selling pelts, and the legal definition includes more than a completed cash transaction;
• A pelt is the untanned skin of a furbearing mammal, whether or not it remains on the carcass;
• Hunters, trappers, farmers, fur dealers, personal use buyers, and fur auction participants can be subject to different rules;
• The current section 48 set fine is $250 for unlawfully buying pelts and $250 for unlawfully selling pelts, while several specific regulatory offences carry $150 set fines;
• A section 48 conviction carries a statutory maximum of a $100,000 fine, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, although those are not the automatic or usual results of an ordinary ticket;
• The pelt's source, licence authority, buyer and seller status, transaction records, and any applicable exception may be central to the case; and
• Possible defences and legal issues depend on the exact offence wording and the evidence rather than simply on whether a pelt changed hands.

Conclusion

Being charged with illegally buying or selling pelts does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  Ontario permits some pelt transactions, but the rules differ depending on the pelt's source, who bought or sold it, the authority held by each person, and the particular transaction involved.

Start with the exact offence wording and section number on your ticket or summons and preserve the pelt, licences, Ministry confirmations, transaction records, advertisements, messages, receipts, and seizure documents that may help establish what happened.  Understanding the precise charge and the evidence can help you make an informed decision about how to respond.