Auctioneers

Overview

We regulate auctioneers under the Auctioneers Licence Act. All auctions in the province, with some exceptions, must be run by a licensed auctioneer. Exempt categories include:

• Crown sales – Auctions of movable or immovable property of the Crown (i.e. federal or provincial government selling surplus assets).
• Municipal or court-ordered sales – Auctions of real property sold under the authority of a local government or a court.
• Agricultural association sales – Auctions of agricultural products conducted under the auspices of an agricultural association (e.g. produce or livestock auctions at a fair).
• Charitable or religious auctions – Auctions where goods are sold for charitable or religious purposes (such as a charity fundraiser auction).

Consumer Protection

We ensure auctioneers are licensed and comply with the law. To check if an auctioneer is licensed, contact the Commission directly at consumer.licensing@fcnb.ca.

What we can do:

• license and regulate auctioneers
• investigate complaints related to auctioneers
• take enforcement action

What we cannot do:

• manage auction transactions
• intervene in private disputes between buyers and sellers