Short answer: In the downtown Ville-Marie borough, which includes Old Montreal, musicians and entertainers need a street performer permit and must show proof of professional assessment.
Do you need a permit to busk in Montreal?
| Permit needed? | It depends on where and how you play |
| Permit | Street performer permit (permis d'artiste de rue), Ville-Marie borough |
| Cost | CA$183 per calendar year plus a CA$68 processing fee on a first application |
| How to apply | Bring the required documents to the Accès Montréal office at 800 Boulevard De Maisonneuve Est, fill in the form and pay there. |
| Regulated by | Ville de Montréal, Ville-Marie borough; Société de transport de Montréal (STM) for the metro |
| Official page | montreal.ca |
The rules in Montreal
- Performing is allowed in the borough from 9am to 11pm.
- A performance may last no more than one hour before you must move on.
- Amplified sound or backing tracks must not be audible more than 25 metres away, and percussion and brass may not be amplified.
- You may only sell goods or services directly related to your performance.
- The permit runs from the date of issue to 31 December and must be renewed each year.
- Applicants need proof of professional assessment, such as membership of a recognised performers' association, plus proof of address less than three months old.
Where buskers play in Montreal
- Old Montreal. Performers must use the designated spots and register online; amplifiers are banned at certain Rue Saint-Paul Est locations.
- Old Port, Quartier des Spectacles, Île Sainte-Hélène, Île Notre-Dame and La Ronde. Street performing is not permitted under the borough permit.
- Metro stations (lyre signs). Managed by the STM, with spots booked in advance on the STM website.
Stations and public transport
In the metro, musicians play at authorised spots marked by a lyre sign, booked through the STM website in two-hour blocks, and the Étoiles du métro programme gives auditioned musicians reserved spots at some stations.
Good to know
Metro players must be 14 or older and keep proof of their booking with them. The Ville-Marie permit is aimed at assessed professional performers, so it is hard to obtain for a short visit.
Taking card tips on a Montreal pitch
Whatever the permit position, the audience in Montreal has the same problem as everywhere else: they liked it, and they have no coins. A QR code on a sign beside your case lets them tip in Canadian dollars by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Visitors can pay with a card from home, and nobody needs an app.
- Print it large. A phone reads a code from about ten times its width, so a 10 cm code works from a metre and an A3 sign from about three.
- Stand it upright at knee to waist height, with your name and one line saying what it is for.
- Check the rules above on signs and selling. A tip sign is not a sale, but some cities restrict signs, and most treat CDs and merchandise separately.
- Playing as a group? One code can split every tip between the members automatically.
The full set-up, with sign sizes and pitch advice, is in how to set up a digital tip jar for busking.
Sources
Checked in October 2026. Rules and fees change, and enforcement varies from street to street, so confirm with Ville de Montréal, Ville-Marie borough; Société de transport de Montréal (STM) for the metro before you play. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Common questions
Do you need a permit to busk in Montreal?
In the downtown Ville-Marie borough, which includes Old Montreal, musicians and entertainers need a street performer permit and must show proof of professional assessment.
How much does it cost to busk in Montreal?
CA$183 per calendar year plus a CA$68 processing fee on a first application.
Can you use an amplifier when busking in Montreal?
Amplified sound or backing tracks must not be audible more than 25 metres away, and percussion and brass may not be amplified.
Can buskers in Montreal take card payments?
Yes. A printed QR code lets listeners tip in Canadian dollars by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay from their own phone, with no card reader to carry or charge.