To get a firearms licence in Canada, you pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, submit Form RCMP 5592 to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a passport-style photo, two references, and spousal contact information, pay the fee, and wait about 45 days while the RCMP runs background checks. The licence itself is called a Possession and Acquisition Licence, or PAL, and it’s issued under the federal Firearms Act. A standard PAL covers non-restricted rifles and shotguns; if you want handguns or certain semi-automatic rifles, you need restricted privileges added, which requires a second safety course.
Who Can Apply
You must be at least 18 to hold a standard PAL. Applicants aged 12 to 17 can apply for a Minor’s Licence, which only allows borrowing non-restricted rifles and shotguns for hunting, target practice, or organized competition, and a parent or guardian must consent in writing.1Justice Laws Website. Firearms Act
Eligibility is not just a criminal record check. Under section 5 of the Firearms Act, a Chief Firearms Officer weighs whether granting you a licence would pose a safety risk to you or anyone else. Factors considered include:
- Convictions or discharges for violent offences, criminal harassment, firearms offences, or drug or cannabis trafficking offences
- Treatment for a mental illness associated with violence or threatened violence
- A history of violent, threatening, or intimidating behaviour toward anyone, including online threats
- Current or past court orders prohibiting you from contacting a specific person or being near a specific place
- Any prior firearms prohibition order related to domestic violence2Justice Laws Website. Firearms Act – Section 5
Relationship history is part of the screening. You must provide contact information for your current spouse or common-law partner and any former conjugal partners from the past two years. These individuals are notified of your application and given a chance to raise concerns. This step catches domestic risk factors that wouldn’t appear in a database search, and there’s no way around it.3Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Application for a Possession and Acquisition Licence Under the Firearms Act
If you’ve lived in Canada for fewer than five years, you’ll also need a letter of good conduct from police in your previous country of residence.
Step 1: Pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course
The safety course is a legal prerequisite. The Firearms Act does not allow a PAL to be issued to anyone who has not successfully completed the course and its tests, administered by an instructor designated by a Chief Firearms Officer.4Justice Laws Website. Firearms Act – Section 7
Anyone 12 or older can take the standard Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC), which covers non-restricted firearms. For restricted privileges on your licence, you also need to complete the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC).5Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Safety Courses
Both courses combine classroom instruction with a two-part evaluation: a written test and a practical handling test where you demonstrate safe manipulation of different firearm types. The material covers safe handling, storage and transportation rules, and the legal responsibilities that come with ownership. The instructor issues a course report to each successful student, and that report is what you attach to your PAL application as proof. Cost and scheduling vary by province, so you’ll book through a provincially approved instructor or training organization.
Step 2: Fill Out the Application
The application is Form RCMP GRC 5592, downloadable from the RCMP website. It asks for identification details, your safety course information, the class of firearms you intend to acquire, and screening questions covering criminal history, mental health treatment, relationship breakdowns, job loss, and bankruptcy within the past two years.3Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Application for a Possession and Acquisition Licence Under the Firearms Act
Photo
Include a passport-style photo measuring 45 mm wide by 57 mm high, with your head measuring at least 30 mm from chin to crown.6Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Photo Requirements for a Firearms Licence A guarantor who has known you for at least one year and is at least 18 signs the back to verify your identity. Photos that don’t meet the specifications get returned, which can add weeks to the process.
References
You need two personal references who have known you for at least three years and are 18 or older. Neither reference can be your current or former spouse or common-law partner, because those relationships are handled separately through spousal notification. Firearms officers may contact your references to discuss your character and temperament, so it’s worth giving them a heads-up.3Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Application for a Possession and Acquisition Licence Under the Firearms Act
Step 3: Submit, Pay, and Wait
You can submit the completed package by mail to the Central Processing Site in Miramichi, New Brunswick, or digitally through the RCMP’s online portal. As of March 31, 2026, the fee is $70.38 for a non-restricted PAL and $93.84 for restricted privileges.7Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Changes to Service Fees Online submissions accept credit card; mailed applications require a certified cheque or money order.
New applicants who don’t already hold a valid firearms licence face a mandatory 28-day waiting period before a licence can be issued. In practice, total processing runs closer to 45 days, because the RCMP needs time to run background checks and contact references and partners. You can check application status through the Canadian Firearms Program’s Individual Web Services portal.8Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Individual Web Services
Once approved, the physical PAL card is mailed to your registered address. The licence is valid for five years.
What Your PAL Actually Lets You Buy Right Now
A standard PAL covers non-restricted firearms, which is where most ordinary rifles and shotguns sit. Restricted privileges cover most handguns (barrels longer than 105 mm, not chambered in .25 or .32 calibre) and certain semi-automatic rifles. Prohibited firearms, which include fully automatic firearms, most short-barrelled handguns, sawed-off long guns, and certain other categories, can only be legally possessed by individuals “grandfathered” under specific Firearms Act provisions, and no new prohibited firearms can be registered to anyone.9Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Classes of Firearms in Canada
Two current restrictions are worth flagging before you invest in the licensing process expecting to buy a particular firearm:
Handgun freeze. Since October 2022, individuals cannot buy, sell, or transfer handguns within Canada. If you already own a registered handgun, you can keep it and use it for target shooting, but you cannot acquire a new one. Narrow exceptions apply to holders of an Authorization to Carry and to athletes training or competing in handgun disciplines on the Olympic or Paralympic program.10Public Safety Canada. Former Bill C-21: Keeping Canadians Safe From Gun Crime A restricted PAL still has value for range use of a handgun you already own, but it does not let you buy a new one.
Assault-style firearms. Over 1,800 models were prohibited starting in May 2020, with more added in December 2024 and March 2025. Since December 2023, newly designed semi-automatic centre-fire firearms originally manufactured with detachable magazines holding six or more rounds are also prohibited.9Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Classes of Firearms in Canada Owners of these firearms must surrender them through the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program or have them permanently deactivated before the amnesty period ends on October 30, 2026.11Government of Canada. Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program
Since September 2024, a valid firearms licence is also required to purchase ammunition, cartridge magazines, firearm barrels, and handgun slides.10Public Safety Canada. Former Bill C-21: Keeping Canadians Safe From Gun Crime
After You’re Licensed
The Canadian Firearms Program runs continuous eligibility screening on all licence holders over the full five-year term. If concerning information surfaces, such as a criminal charge, a protection order, or a domestic complaint, your file can be flagged for review and your licence revoked.
You must notify the Chief Firearms Officer of your province or territory within 30 days of any change to your name or address. That’s a licence condition, and it can be handled through Individual Web Services.8Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Individual Web Services
The Canadian Firearms Program sends a renewal notice roughly three months before your PAL expires. You can renew online through Individual Web Services or by mailing Form RCMP 5614. Renewal requires updated spousal information, a new photo, and the fee. If your licence has already expired, you cannot renew online and will need to go through a more involved process. A six-month grace period after expiry treats the lapse as a paperwork issue rather than a criminal matter, but once that window closes you are legally in the same position as someone who never held a licence.12Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Licence Renewal for Individuals
One practical note if you’re pursuing restricted privileges: a restricted firearm can only be used at an approved shooting range, and using one requires membership in an approved shooting club, being the guest of a member, or being a non-resident member of a recognized shooting organization.13Department of Justice Canada. Shooting Clubs and Shooting Ranges Regulations Maintaining a range membership is effectively part of owning a restricted firearm.