Canada · firearms licensing

How to Get a PAL in Canada

By Hunters Guide. Checked against RCMP Canadian Firearms Program sources on September 18, 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.

That last point is where most people get tangled, so it is worth settling before anything else.

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 they are worth starting at the same time because each has its own waiting.

What are 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 are written and practical, graded separately, 80% to pass each.
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, because they depend on other people checking their email. Tell them it is coming before you file, not after.

What does the CFSC actually involve?

The Canadian Firearms Safety Course is a federally standardised course, taught to the same curriculum and examined the same way by every provider in the country. That is why a course taken in Nova Scotia qualifies you in British Columbia.

The written examination is 50 questions with an 80% pass mark. The practical handling test is scored separately and also needs 80%. Passing one does not carry you if you fail the other.

Eight topic areas are covered: the evolution of firearms and their major parts and actions, basic safety practices, ammunition, operating actions, firing techniques, care of firearms, the responsibilities of the owner and user, and safe storage, display and transportation. You can work throughour CFSC practice test, which is written to those same eight areas.

What does a PAL cost?

A non-restricted PAL costs $70.38 and a restricted PAL costs $93.84. TheRCMP 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, and that price is set by the instructor rather than by the RCMP, so it varies by province and provider.

How old do 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 allows borrowing a non-restricted firearm under supervision. It does not let you acquire one. The full PAL, the one that lets you buy a firearm and ammunition, starts at 18.

How long does it take?

The RCMP does not publish a processing time on its application page, and the honest answer is that it varies with volume and with how quickly your references respond. Treat it as months rather than weeks, and do not book a hunt around an application you have not received yet.

Two things you control. Book the course early, because examiner availability tightens from late summer onward as people prepare for fall. And warn your references and guarantor before you file, because an unanswered email is the most common reason a complete application sits still.

What if you live in Quebec?

Quebec adds a step. Applicants residing in Quebec must also submit form SQ-3007 from the Sûreté du Québec, filed in person. Everything else in the federal process is the same, but skipping the provincial form will hold up an otherwise complete application.

Frequently asked questions

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, and letting it lapse means going through the full first-time application again.

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.