FREE CHECKLIST
The PAL application checklist
Everything worth lining up before you submit a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) application - so a missing reference or an unnotified partner doesn't send your file back to the start of the queue.
Independent information This is a preparation checklist, not the application itself and not legal advice. Apply through the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program, and confirm current forms, fees, and requirements there.
Get this checklist by email
Leave your email and we'll send this page as a reference you can pull up later - useful if you're gathering references and documents over a few weeks rather than all at once.
Documents and information to gather
- Government-issued photo ID showing your legal name exactly as you'll enter it on the application.
- Your CFSC course report number (and your CRFSC report number too, if you're applying for restricted privileges). Course reports never expire, but you'll need the number in hand.
- Five years of personal history ready to answer honestly: address history, relationship changes, job loss, mental-health treatment, substance use, and any police contact. If you have a record, read applying with a criminal record first.
People you'll need to line up
- Two references - adults who've known you at least three years, ideally not living at your address, and who will actually pick up an unfamiliar phone number. An unreachable reference is one of the most common reasons a file stalls.
- A guarantor for your photo - someone who's known you at least two years and isn't one of your two references. The guarantor signs the back of your passport-style photo.
- A passport-style photo signed by that guarantor. Photo specifications can vary slightly by province or CFO, so confirm the current spec before you get one taken.
Notifications you can't skip
- Current spouse or common-law partner must be notified of your application. They don't need to approve it, but the application collects their information, and the RCMP will contact them directly if they weren't notified.
- Any former spouse or partner from the last two years must also be notified, for the same reason.
Money and paperwork logistics
- Decide online portal vs. paper form RCMP 5614. Requirements are identical either way; the online portal validates fields as you type and skips mail time.
- A way to pay the licence fee. We don't list an amount here because it changes - confirm the current fee on the RCMP fees page before you apply.
Once everything above is ready, the full walkthrough is here: Applying for your PAL after the CFSC, step by step. Haven't taken the course yet? Find a CFSC course in your province.