Status
of Your Application?
45
days, including the 28-day legislated waiting period
What if I only want a Restricted License?
To obtain a license for a restricted firearm,
an individual must first successfully complete the Canadian Firearm Safety Course
for Non-Restricted Firearms.
Who Can Be A Photo Guarantor?
A person who confirms that the
photograph you supply accurately identifies you. Your photo guarantor must have known you for a minimum of one year
and is at least 18 years of age. Your conjugal partner or one of your references may be your photo guarantor.
What
is the minimum age requirement to take the Canadian Firearm Safety Course?
There is no minimum age requirement to take the Course however, to obtain a minor's licence
to borrow/use a non-restricted firearm, an individual must be between 12 and 17 years of age.How do I renew my firearms licence?
If you have a Possession-Only Licence (POL) or a Possession and Acquisition Licence
(PAL), a partially completed renewal application (form CAFC 979) will be sent to you at least 90 days before your licence expires. If you currently
have a valid Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC), the form you receive will be an application for a new Possession and
Acquisition Licence. (form CAFC 921).
Please complete and return your application as quickly as possible to enable it to
be processed before your current licence expires. If
your licence or FAC is about to expire and you have not received a form to renew or replace it, please call 1 800 731-4000
to confirm that we have your correct address on file. At the same time, you may request a form or you may download the form
from our Website. If you download the form from our website, please make sure you download the correct form. Use form CAFC 979 to renew a POL or PAL that has not yet expired. Use form 921 if your licence has already
expired. If you had a POL but it expired before it was renewed, please
note that you are only eligible for a PAL and must meet the safety-training requirements. How do I replace a lost, stolen or destroyed licence?
You have a legal obligation to report the loss of a firearms licence to your local police and to the Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) of your province or territory.
What is the difference between licensing and registration?
Licensing and registration under the Firearms Act can be compared to a driver’s licence and the registration
of a vehicle. A firearms licence shows that the licence holder has met certain public-safety criteria and is allowed to possess
and use firearms. A registration certificate identifies a firearm and links the firearm to its owner to provide a means of
tracking the firearm.
What
are the different classes of firearms?
There are three classes
of firearms: non-restricted, restricted and prohibited.
Non-restricted
firearms are ordinary rifles and shotguns, other than those referred to below.
Restricted firearms include:
- handguns that are not prohibited;
- semi-automatic,
centre-fire rifles and shotguns with a barrel shorter than 470 mm (about 18.5 inches);
- rifles and shotguns that can be fired when their overall length has been reduced by folding, telescoping or other
means to less than 660 mm (about 26 inches); and
- firearms restricted
by Criminal Code Regulations.
Prohibited firearms
include:
- handguns with a
barrel length of 105 mm (about 4.14 inches) or less and handguns that discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition, except for
a few specific ones used in International Shooting Union competitions;
- rifles
and shotguns that have been altered by sawing or other means so that their barrel length is less than 457
mm (about 18 inches) or their overall length is less than 660 mm (about 26 inches);
- full automatics;
- converted automatics, namely full automatics
that have been altered so that they fire only one projectile when the trigger is squeezed; and
- firearms prohibited by Criminal Code Regulations.
What
is considered to be a firearm for purposes of the Firearms Act and for offences related to the Firearms Act in
the Criminal Code?
As set out in the Firearms
Act, "firearm" means:
- a barrelled
weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury
or death to a person, and includes
- any frame or receiver of such a barreled
weapon, as well as
- anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm.
Following are some weapons and devices that meet
the definition of a firearm but that are deemed not to be firearms for purposes of the Firearms Act and related
offences in the Criminal Code. Some of these items are exempted from the definition only if they were designed
exclusively for a specific purpose and are intended to be used exclusively for that purpose by the person who possesses it.
However, all of the items listed below are considered to be firearms if used in a criminal or negligent manner.
- Antique firearms;
- Devices designed exclusively
for signalling, for notifying of distress, for firing blank cartridges or for firing stud cartridges, explosive-driven rivets
or other industrial projectiles;
- Shooting devices designed exclusively
for slaughtering domestic animals, tranquilizing animals, or discharging projectiles with lines attached to them;
- Air guns and other barreled weapons designed to have:
- A muzzle velocity of 152.4 meters (500 feet) per second or less and/or
- A muzzle energy of 5.7 joules (4.2 foot pounds) or less.
Do the licensing and registration requirements apply to bows?
Crossbows that can be aimed and fired with one hand and crossbows with an overall length of
500 mm (about 19.68 inches) or less are prohibited. You cannot lawfully possess or acquire a prohibited crossbow.
You do not need a valid licence or registration certificate to possess any
other type of bow, including a crossbow that is longer than 500 mm and that requires the use of both hands. Criminal Code
provisions making it an offence to acquire a crossbow without a valid licence were never brought into force.
If you plan to use a bow to hunt, please check provincial hunting regulations
for information on hunting licence requirements and restrictions that may apply to the use of bows. For example, some provinces
do not allow crossbows for hunting.
I
own firearms but I do not have a licence and I have not registered them. Can I still apply, and if so, will there be any penalties?
Yes, you may still apply. We are making every effort to help firearm owners comply
with the law. If you need assistance, call 1 800 731-4000. An amnesty protects you from penalties under the Criminal Code
until May 16, 2008 if you only possess non-restricted firearms and you had a licence but it expired. You will need to comply
with the licensing requirement or dispose of your firearms before the amnesty ends.
In all other cases, you risk penalties if a peace officer finds you in possession of a firearm without a valid licence
and/or registration certificate. To minimize that risk, we urge you to apply as quickly as possible.
You need a valid firearms licence to be able to register your firearms. The Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) (CAFC 921) is the only licence currently available to new applicants. If you have
a licence, you can apply to register your firearms online for free through our Website or by submitting a paper application
(CAFC 998).
Firearms being registered
for the first time in Canada need to be verified by an approved verifier. Call 1 800 731-4000 for help to verify your firearms.
If you have prohibited firearms, please call 1 800 731-4000 to find out your options.
What is the maximum number of cartridges that
a firearm magazine can legally hold?
As set out in Criminal Code Regulations, some large-capacity magazines are prohibited regardless of the class of firearm to which the magazines are attached.
As a general rule, the maximum magazine capacity is:
- 5
cartridges for most magazines designed for a semi-automatic centre-fire long gun; or
- 10 cartridges for most handgun magazines
A
large-capacity magazine is not prohibited if it has been permanently altered so that it cannot hold more than the number of
cartridges allowed by law. Acceptable ways to alter a magazine are set out in the regulations.
There is no limit to the magazine capacity for semi-automatic rim-fire long guns, or for other
long guns that are not semi-automatics.
I recently received a cheque from you. Why did you send it to me? Does it affect the status of my firearms licence
or registration certificate?
Our most common reason for issuing
a cheque to someone is to reimburse the fee for renewing or upgrading a firearms licence. The fee to renew or modify a licence
issued under the Firearms Act is waived until May 16, 2010.
It
is also possible that the cheque was sent to reimburse you for an overpayment for something you applied for under the Firearms
Act.
This payment does not affect the status of
your licence or registration certificate. The privileges shown on the back of your licence will remain valid until your licence
expires or is revoked. Your registration certificates remain valid unless your licence expires or is revoked, you alter the
firearm in a way that will change its description (for example if you alter the calibre or gauge), or you sell or give the
firearm to someone else.
