For picking mushrooms for your own use the law does not require a permit, but anyone picking mushrooms to sell needs a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency and an entry in the Central Register of Business Entities for buying and trading wild species. The new Nature Protection Law has applied since 15 August 2026 and sets a fine of 250 to 4,000 euros for an individual who picks commercially without a permit. The April 2026 rulebook lists 17 above-ground species of mushrooms and truffles that may be collected for sale, among them porcini, chanterelle, black trumpet and morels. Protected species may not be picked or sold.
This guide brings together the picking rules, the species list and the fines in one place.
Do you need a permit to pick mushrooms?
| Situation | What applies |
| picking for your own use | the law does not require an Agency permit; the bans on protected species apply to everyone |
| picking to sell | an Agency permit and an entry in the CRPS for buying and trading wild species |
| picking for a company that holds a permit | a contract with the permit holder and a copy of the permit on you |
| picking on someone else's land to sell | prior consent of the landowner |
| protected area, for example a national park | collecting and selling forest fruits and mushrooms are activities for which a fee is paid to the park manager |
- The permit application contains details of the applicant, the species and quantity, the picking location and the period, and a company also attaches the list of pickers.
- The Agency issues a permit only if the trade will not harm the favourable conservation status of the species' population.
Which mushrooms may be collected for sale?
The list from the Rulebook on the use of wild species (Official Gazette 50/2026):
| Mushroom | Latin name |
| porcini (penny bun) | Boletus edulis |
| pine bolete | Boletus pinophilus |
| summer bolete | Boletus reticulatus |
| chanterelle | Cantharellus cibarius |
| black trumpet | Craterellus cornucopioides |
| hedgehog mushrooms | Hydnum repandum, Hydnum rufescens |
| saffron milk cap and other milk caps | Lactarius deliciosus, L. deterrimus, L. salmonicolor, L. sanguifluus, L. semisanguifluus |
| honey fungus | Armillaria mellea, Armillaria ostoyae |
| fairy ring mushroom | Marasmius oreades |
| conical and common morel | Morchella conica, Morchella esculenta |
| white and black truffles | Tuber spp. |
- The maximum quantities per species are set by an expert basis that the Agency prepares for three years and publishes on its website.
- Collectors keep records of picked and sold quantities and submit them to the Agency by 31 March for the previous year.
What does the new Nature Protection Law change?
- The law in Official Gazette 117/2026 has applied since 15 August 2026 and replaced the 2016 law.
- The permit for commercial picking is still issued by the Agency (Article 93).
- The April 2026 rulebook applies until new implementing regulations are adopted, for which the law sets a one-year deadline, as long as it does not conflict with the new law (Article 128).
- Protected wild species of plants and mushrooms may not be picked, collected, kept, bought, sold or offered for sale (Article 85).
How high are the fines for picking to sell without a permit?
| Who | Fine |
| individual | 250 to 4,000 euros |
| sole trader | 1,000 to 24,000 euros |
| company | 2,000 to 80,000 euros |
| responsible person in a company | 500 to 8,000 euros |
- The fines are set by Article 127 for picking, collecting and using wild species for sale without a prior permit.
Before heading to Durmitor or Biogradska Gora, see the guide to national park entrance fees and to hiking trails. Where local produce is sold in Podgorica is covered in the guide to markets, and how to register a farm in the guide to the farm register.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit to pick mushrooms in Montenegro? To pick mushrooms for sale you need a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. For your own use the law does not require a permit, but protected species may not be picked.
Can I sell porcini I picked myself? Only if you hold an Agency permit and a CRPS entry for buying and trading wild species, or pick for a company with a permit, with a contract and a copy of the permit.
What is the fine for selling mushrooms without a permit? 250 to 4,000 euros for an individual, 1,000 to 24,000 euros for a sole trader and 2,000 to 80,000 euros for a company.
Which mushrooms are on the list for commercial picking? Seventeen above-ground species, including porcini, pine and summer bolete, chanterelle, black trumpet, milk caps and morels, plus truffles.
Can I pick mushrooms in a national park? Collecting and selling forest fruits and mushrooms in a protected area are activities for which a fee is paid to the park manager, so check the conditions with the park administration.
Does the old 2010 collection rulebook still apply? No. The 2026 rulebook repealed the 2010 one, and it continues to apply under the new law until new regulations are adopted.
Sources
The permit, bans and fines are set by the Nature Protection Law (Official Gazette 117/2026), Articles 71, 85, 93, 127 and 128. The species list and collectors' obligations are set by the Rulebook on the use and collection of wild species (Official Gazette 50/2026). Information checked on 29 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.