Possession and acquisition licence
Primary firearms licence under Canadian firearms laws / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The possession and acquisition licence (PAL; French: permis de possession et d'acquisition) is the primary firearms licence under Canadian firearms laws. The PAL is the only licence issued to new adult firearms licence applicants in Canada; it is both required and the only permissible document for a person to acquire or permanently import a firearm. Applicants for a PAL must be 18 years of age or older.
Possession and acquisition licence | |
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Type | Firearms licence |
Issued by | Royal Canadian Mounted Police |
First issued | 1995 |
Valid in | Canada |
Expiration | 5 years |
There is no requirement of citizenship or residency (although different forms, and slightly different requirements apply). A non-resident firearms declaration form that has been confirmed by a Canada Border Services Agency officer serves as a temporary firearms licence for non-residents that are visiting Canada for fewer than 60 days.[1] Unlike a PAL, however, the non-resident firearms declaration is only considered a valid temporary licence for the specific firearms declared and does not permit the holder to borrow any firearms.
There is a separate licensing system to transport restricted firearms (authorization to transport). In other words, while a PAL (with appropriate endorsements) may permit a person to purchase a restricted firearm, it does not in itself permit that person to transport it from the store to their home. (This particular case can become an endorsement on a PAL.) For non-restricted firearms, separate authorization to transport is not required.