Canada · firearms licensing

How to Get a PAL in Canada

By Hunters Guide. Checked against RCMP Canadian Firearms Program sources on September 18, 2026, and updated September 30, 2026.

A Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) is the federal licence that lets you own, buy, and borrow firearms anywhere in Canada. You get one by passing the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and then applying to the RCMP. It costs $70.38 for non-restricted, lasts five years, and it is separate from any hunting licence. When it runs out, see how to renew your PAL. If you hold an old POL, see PAL vs POL.

The steps to get a PAL

The process runs in a fixed order, and each step gates the next.

1. Pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course. The CFSC covers non-restricted firearms. If you also want restricted firearms, handguns in practice, you take the CRFSC as well. Both end in a written and a practical test, graded separately.
2. Gather your documents. Two pieces of government-issued ID, a digital licence photo, and a credit or debit card.
3. Line up your people. Two references and a photo guarantor, each with a working email address. The RCMP contacts them directly.
4. Declare conjugal partners. Current and former partners are part of the application, which surprises people. It is a screening requirement, not an administrative afterthought.
5. Apply. Online through the RCMP, or by mail.

The references and the guarantor are the step that stalls applications. They depend on other people checking their email. Tell them it is coming before you file, not after.

Is a PAL the same as a hunting licence?

A PAL and a hunting licence are two different documents from two different levels of government, and hunting with a firearm needs both. The PAL is federal and governs the firearm. Your hunting licence is provincial and governs the animal.

Ontario makes the overlap explicit. Hunter education alone qualifies you to bow hunt, and hunting with a firearm there also requires the CFSC. So for most hunters the two tracks are not alternatives. You need both, and each has its own waiting, so they are worth starting at the same time.

What the CFSC actually involves

The Canadian Firearms Safety Course is a federally standardised course. Every provider in the country teaches it to the same curriculum and examines it the same way. That is why a course taken in Nova Scotia qualifies you in British Columbia.

The RCMP states that after the classroom instruction "you will do both a written and a practical test." It does not publish the number of questions or a pass mark on its course page. So any figure you see for those comes from a course provider, not the RCMP. The same page says nothing about retaking a failed test, so ask your instructor how they handle a rewrite before you book.

Nine topic areas are covered: the evolution of firearms and their major parts and actions, basic safety practices, ammunition, operating actions, safe handling and carry procedures, firing techniques, care of firearms, the responsibilities of the owner and user, and safe storage, display and transportation. You can work through our CFSC practice test, which is written to those topics.

What a PAL costs

A non-restricted PAL costs $70.38 and a restricted PAL costs $93.84. The RCMP has published the next adjustment already. From March 31, 2027 those become $72.35 and $96.47 respectively, indexed to the Consumer Price Index.

Those are the licence fees only. The course is charged separately by whichever instructor you book with. That price is set by the instructor rather than by the RCMP, so it varies by province and provider.

How old you have to be

The RCMP requires an applicant to "be at least 12 years of age", but age changes what you get. Applicants aged 12 to 17 receive a minor's licence, which the RCMP describes as a licence "to borrow and use non-restricted firearms". It does not let you acquire one. The full PAL, the one that lets you buy a firearm and ammunition, starts at 18. Children under 12 can sit the course for educational purposes only, without writing the tests.

Newcomers may have one more document to send. The RCMP's application page says that if you do not currently live in Canada, or have not lived here for at least 5 years, you may also be required to provide a letter of good conduct.

How long it takes

A first PAL takes at least 28 days, the RCMP's minimum wait for anyone without a valid licence, and the RCMP publishes no end date. Our guide to how long a PAL takes sets out every stage it does publish, and where to check your status.

One thing you control: tell your two references and your photo guarantor before you file. The online application asks for a valid email address for each of them, and the RCMP contacts references about your application.

Do you need a PAL to buy ammunition?

Yes. A licence is needed to buy ammunition in Canada, not only firearms. Public Safety Canada describes "the current requirement to have a valid firearms licence to acquire cartridge magazines and ammunition", and since September 1, 2024 a valid licence is also needed to import ammunition.

Do you need a PAL to hunt with a bow?

Not for an ordinary bow. The RCMP states that under the Firearms Act "you do not need a licence or registration certificate to have other types of bows", which includes crossbows longer than 500 mm that need two hands. Crossbows you can aim and fire with one hand, or that are 500 mm or shorter, are prohibited. Your province's hunting licence rules still apply to bowhunting. Our bowhunting basics guide covers the rest.

What if you live in Quebec?

Quebec adds a step, but only for restricted or prohibited firearms. Live in Quebec and want a PAL to acquire those? The RCMP says to "include a completed SQ-3007, In-person filing form available from the Sûreté du Québec website." A non-restricted PAL doesn't need it. Everything else in the federal process is the same.

Questions about getting a PAL

Do you need a PAL to hunt in Canada?

Not to hunt, but effectively yes to hunt with a firearm. Hunting is authorised by your provincial hunting licence and hunter education credential. A PAL is the federal licence that lets you acquire a firearm and buy ammunition, so without one you have nothing legal to hunt with.

What is the difference between a PAL and a CFSC?

The CFSC is the course, the PAL is the licence. You pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course first, then apply to the RCMP for a Possession and Acquisition Licence. Passing the course does not licence you on its own.

How much does a PAL cost?

A non-restricted PAL is $70.38 and a restricted PAL is $93.84 until March 30, 2027. From March 31, 2027 those rise to $72.35 and $96.47. The course itself is charged separately by the instructor.

How long is a PAL valid?

Five years. You renew rather than reapply, which is a shorter process. The RCMP accepts a renewal within six months of expiry, online or by mail. Past that, it points to the first-time form, RCMP 5592. Our renewal page has the exact wording.

Can you get a PAL at 17?

Not a full PAL. The RCMP states an applicant must be at least 12 years of age, and applicants aged 12 to 17 receive a minor’s licence, which allows borrowing a non-restricted firearm but not acquiring one. The full PAL starts at 18.