Are building permits available in French in New Brunswick?

Yes, absolutely — building permits and all related government services are available in both English and French throughout New Brunswick. As Canada's only officially bilingual province, New Brunswick is legally required under the Official Languages Act to provide all provincial and municipal services in both languages.

This applies across the board. Whether you're dealing with your local municipal building department, a Regional Service Commission (RSC), or provincial bodies like the Department of Justice and Public Safety's Technical Inspection Services (TIS), you have the right to be served in the official language of your choice. Permit applications, inspection reports, and correspondence are all available in both English and French.

In northern New Brunswick — communities like Edmundston, Campbellton, Bathurst, the Acadian Peninsula (Caraquet, Shippagan), and the Madawaska region — French is the dominant language, and you'll find that most contractors, inspectors, and municipal staff operate primarily in French as a matter of course. Roughly a third of the province's population is Francophone, and the construction industry reflects that reality.

For practical purposes, if you're submitting a permit application in a predominantly Francophone area, forms and supporting documents are typically available in French from the issuing authority — whether that's the City of Edmundston's urban planning department, RSC 1 (Northwest), or RSC 2 (Restigouche) near Campbellton. Don't hesitate to request French-language service anywhere in the province — it's your right, not a special request.

If you're looking for a contractor who works in French, that's also something to keep in mind when browsing the New Brunswick Construction Network directory — many listed contractors indicate the languages they work in, which can make the whole process smoother from the first conversation through to the final inspection.