Québec statute on stuffing and upholstered and stuffed articles

Upholstered and stuffed articles manufactured and sold in Québec must comply with strict standards governing quality, salubrity and labelling. All manufacturers of upholstered and stuffed articles, including clothing containing thermal insulation or protective materials, must possess a permit and place the label prescribed by the regulation on their products. Manufacturers do not need to possess a permit and label their products if:

• the upholstered and stuffed articles are an integral part of a vehicle, an aircraft or lifesaving equipment (including clothing) approved by the federal Department of Transport;
• the stuffing used in clothing is not thermal insulation or a protective material and is used:
  • as decoration (such as the stuffing of certain costumes and disguises);
  • as trim on coffins;
  • to maintain the shape of certain parts of the product, such as the shoulder pads of certain jackets;
  • to mould certain parts of the product, such as the trimming on certain bras;
• the upholstered and stuffed articles are accessories for pets;
• the upholstered and stuffed articles are shoes.

Québec merchants who sell upholstered and stuffed articles can only sell such articles manufactured by a company that possesses a manufacturer’s permit, unless the articles were manufactured in Manitoba prior to January 1, 2020 or in Ontario prior to July 1, 2019 by permit holders in these provinces. Québec and Manitoba have adopted legislative and regulatory provisions respecting stuffing and upholstered and stuffed articles, under an interprovincial agreement. Consequently, local manufacturers in Manitoba may use the stuffing permits issued by the Québec government and the labels prescribed by the Québec regulation.

To obtain additional information, please consult the Act respecting stuffing and upholstered and stuffed articles (CQLR, chapter M-5).

Manufacturer’s permit

• The permit must be requested using the form below, accompanied by the requisite duties, i.e. CA$361.
• The permit expires one year after its date of issue and must be renewed each year.

Request for and management of stuffing permits

To better serve applicants, the MEI allows them to request and manage stuffing permits online.

By accessing this service, applicants can:

• create their own file;
• apply for a new permit;
• renew an existing permit;
• consult and manage their file.

PDF form (2020)

• Applying for a manufacturer's permit
  

Note: To complete this form, you must use Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not possess the software, you can download it before you access the form.

Labels

The regulation prescribes label models.

Permit holders must print their own labels.

The labels must:

• be solidly affixed such that they are perfectly visible;
• indicate the nature of the main forms of stuffing by weight in the upholstered and stuffed article;
• be made of:
  • muslin;
  • imitation vellum;
  • laminated thermoplastic fabric (except for use on clothing) that does not fray by wear, or tear easily.

Labels made of another type of material must also conform to the models prescribed by the regulation and be approved by the chief inspector.

Labels for upholstered furniture must be attached solidly:

• to the front of the frame so as to be easily seen when the cushions are removed;
• or to the front of the bottom in such a manner as to hang down and be easily seen when the piece of furniture is in its normal position.

Where the seat of a chair is manufactured and installed as a separate unit and where the under side is a hard surface, the label may be printed there in indelible black ink with a rubber stamp so as to be clearly legible.

Offences and penalties

Anyone who infringes on a provision in the Act respecting stuffing and upholstered and stuffed articles or its regulations, or refuses to comply with an order issued pursuant to the Act or its regulations, is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not more than:

• $500 in the case of an individual;
• $2 000 in the case of a corporation.

The sale of the products of a manufacturer that does not comply with the Act may be prohibited.