Legal responsibilities: licences, transfers and Criminal Code offences

Who administers the law

• The Canadian Firearms Program (CFP), run by the RCMP, administers licensing and registration.
• Each province or territory has a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) who issues licences, approves transfers of restricted firearms, issues authorizations to transport and designates course instructors.
• The Registrar of Firearms keeps records of restricted and prohibited firearms and issues reference numbers for non-restricted transfers.

Licences

Licence	Who	Notes
Minor's licence	Ages 12-17	Borrow non-restricted firearms for approved purposes (e.g. hunting, target shooting); cannot acquire firearms
PAL - non-restricted	18+	Possess and acquire non-restricted firearms; buy ammunition
PAL with restricted privileges ("RPAL")	18+	Requires both the CFSC and the CRFSC tests

Eligibility basics (Firearms Act s.5, s.7): pass the course tests (no challenge test for new applicants since 2015), no prohibition order, and no history that suggests a risk to public safety. Applicants list references; current and recent former spouses or partners are notified when they do not sign the application.

Key fact: First-time applicants wait at least 28 days before a licence can be issued (SOR/98-199 s.5). A licence is valid for 5 years (Firearms Act s.64).

Fees (RCMP, valid until 30 March 2027): non-restricted PAL $70.38; restricted/prohibited $93.84. Fees are indexed every year - check the RCMP fees page.

Licence conditions: report a change of name or address to a CFO within 30 days (SOR/98-199 s.15). Renew before expiry; an expired licence means possession becomes unauthorized.