WHO CAN APPLY

What age can you get a firearms licence in Canada?

Last reviewed July 15, 2026

The minimum age for a Canadian firearms licence (PAL) is 18. Below that, the Firearms Act provides a Minor’s Licence for ages 12 to 17, which allows borrowing and using non-restricted firearms under conditions - never owning or buying them. Children under 12 can qualify for a Minor’s Licence only in exceptional cases, mainly families in remote areas who hunt for subsistence.

Here’s what each age can and can’t do, and how to plan the timing if you (or your kid) want to be licensed the day that matters.

Age 18 and up: the full PAL

At 18 you can apply for a Possession and Acquisition Licence - the standard licence that lets you own and buy non-restricted firearms and ammunition, and (with the CRFSC) add restricted privileges. The whole process is covered in How to get a PAL, step by step.

There is no upper age limit, and no “adult supervision” phase - an 18-year-old’s PAL is identical to a 40-year-old’s.

Ages 12–17: the Minor’s Licence

A Minor’s Licence lets a young person borrow and use non-restricted firearms - typically for hunting, target practice, or instruction - under the conditions the Chief Firearms Officer sets on the licence. The key facts:

• Passing the CFSC is required, same course and tests as adults: 50 written questions and a practical, 80% each.
• A parent or guardian must consent to the application.
• It never allows acquisition. A minor cannot buy or own a firearm, or buy ammunition in most circumstances - the borrowed firearm’s owner keeps legal ownership.
• Restricted firearms are off the table entirely; a Minor’s Licence covers non-restricted only.
• It’s valid until shortly after the holder’s 18th birthday at the latest, at which point the normal PAL application takes over.

Minors under 12 can be licensed only where the CFO is satisfied the child needs to hunt or trap to sustain their family - a genuinely narrow exception, mostly relevant in remote and northern communities.

Taking the CFSC young - a timing tip

You can sit the CFSC before you’re old enough for the licence you want, and the course report never expires. Two practical consequences:

1. A 17-year-old planning to apply for a PAL at 18 can take the course now and mail the application the week of their birthday.
2. A 13-year-old who passes the CFSC for a Minor’s Licence never repeats it - the same report supports the PAL application years later.

Not every provider accepts young students, and some ask a parent to stay for the day. Ask when booking, and expect the written test to be the harder half for younger kids - it’s a reading-comprehension exercise as much as a safety one.

What supervision allows without any licence

Even unlicensed, a person of any age may use a firearm under the direct and immediate supervision of a licensed adult - this is how most Canadians fire their first shot, at a range’s introduction day or on a family hunt where the licence holder maintains control. Supervision rules have conditions (the supervisor must be able to lawfully possess that firearm, and the use must otherwise be legal), so confirm specifics with the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program or your provincial CFO before relying on them.

Quick reference

Whatever the age, the path starts in the same classroom. Find a CFSC course near you and ask the provider directly whether they take students under 18.