Department of Justice (Firearm) Possession & Acquisition Licence

Department of Justice

(Firearm) Possession & Acquisition Licence

Who Needs This Licence?
  Anyone in Nova Scotia who wants to own or acquire (by purchase, as a gift, inheritance or in trade) any type of firearm.
Issuing Department / Agency:
  Justice Canada (Approved by N.S. Department of Justice, Provincial Firearms Office)
Where can you get this Licence and / or further information?
  Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Canadian Firearms Program
  or
 

Contact:

Nova Scotia Provincial Firearms Office
Public Safety and Security Division
N.S. Department of Justice
 

Phone:

902-424-6689 / 1-800-731-4000 extension 6505

 

E-mail:

nscfo@novascotia.ca

 

Write:

PO Box 7
Halifax, NS  B3J 2L6
 

Fax:

902-424-4308

Application Forms & Process:
  No one under 18 can get this licence because it is illegal in Canada for minors to own or acquire firearms. [But see also the Minor's Possession Only Licence .]

You have to have a Canadian Firearms Safety Course Test Certificate (and/or Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course Test Certificate) in order to apply for this licence.

An application form can be obtained from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Canadian Firearms Program

The completed application form is mailed using the addressed envelope which comes with the forms, along with the appropriate fee [see Price, below].

Note: the application fee is non-refundable, whether your application is approved or not.

If all requirements are met and the application is approved, the licence will be sent to the applicant by mail.

Waiting Period:
  There is a mandatory 28 day waiting period for this licence once it has been approved.
Expiry & Renewal:
  This certificate is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued, and can be renewed. A notice will be sent to you reminding you to renew.
Price & Payment:  (No tax is charged)
  Initial Application (non-refundable):  
$60 [non-restricted firearms (including most long guns)] 
$80 [restricted firearms (including handguns)]
 

Renewal: same as above

 

Send a money order, or a cheque made out to the Receiver General of Canada.

Related Requirements:
  Canadian Firearms Safety Course Test Certificate (and/or Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course Test Certificate).
Additional Information:
 
  1. In Canada, firearms are classified as (a) "non-restricted" [such as rifles and shotguns]; (b) "restricted" [primarily handguns]; or (c) "prohibited" [automatic and converted automatic firearms, etc.] To determine which class your firearms falls into, please call this toll-free number: 1-800-731-4000.
      
  2. Your firearm licence will identify which class or classes of firearms you are permitted to have.
      
  3. The final deadline for complying with the requirement to have this licence is January 1, 2001. At that time, all firearms owners and users in Canada had to have a firearm licence.
      
  4. For information on the Canadian Firearms Act and its Regulations, visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - Canadian Firearms Program website.
      
  5. The application fee for this licence is non-refundable, even if the application is refused.
Legislative Authority:
 

Criminal Code of Canada

The federal Firearms Act & Regulations.

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