FAQ

No. Anyone may take the CFSC and CRFSC courses, even if you are not ordinarily resident in Canada, for example you are in Canada as a visitor, on a work permit or study permit, or you made a claim for refugee protection and it has not yet been adjudicated.

This type of course is not considered an education program for which a study permit would be required, as it is too short in length and it does not lead to any type of vocational or occupational certification.

In addition, visitors to Canada who wish to bring a firearm can opt to obtain a firearm licence, or PAL, instead of importing firearms using the temporary importation method (Confirmed Non-Resident Firearm Declaration). This is true whether you are coming to Canada to hunt, or participate in other shooting sports.

No. We only provide the required safety courses that you need to prove you have completed in order to apply for a licence (PAL). Only the RCMP may issue a firearm licence in Canada.

Although there is currently a freeze on handgun transfers, and most individuals may no longer acquire or import handguns, there are still many reasons for taking the CRFSC and obtaining a Restricted PAL:

• Employment purposes – many employers require a Restricted PAL to apply for armed positions, such as Brinks/Garda, Bank of Canada, CBSA, etc.
• Business licencing requirements – Your business or employment may have a Business Firearm Licence that specified employees must have a Restricted PAL, such as movie industry firearm prop companies, firearm and related importers, some museums, firearm retailers, etc.
• The handgun transfer restrictions may change at any time – legislation and policy of the government can be changed by current or subsequent governments, and handgun transfers may return in the future
• Restricted rifle acquisition – Many models of sporting rifles available for sale are also classed as “restricted firearms” and to purchase them you will need a Restricted PAL

The CFSC course is a minimum of 8 hours long not including the examinations. The length of the examinations depend on how many students are in the class, as practical testing is administered individually. It is typical for the CFSC to take as long as 10 hours from start to finish.

The CRFSC course is a minimum of 4 hours not including examinations, when delivered in conjunction with the CFSC. A stand-along CRFSC course is at least 6 hours long, again not including examinations.

We operate our courses at various venues around Ontario, and will always have at least one location that is accessible to those who use a wheelchair or other mobility assistance device. If the available dates are not suitable, we can refer you to the Firearm Safety Education Service of Ontario who can provide a list of other instructors with accessible venues and alternative dates.

If you lost your stamped course report forms, you may still be able to apply for a firearm licence. Contact the Chief Firearms Officer at 1-800-731-4000 and initiate an inquiry there. They may have a record that you completed it in their computer system.

If they have difficulty verifying your attendance, they will reach out to our instructors directly for instructor records. We are generally unable to provide any information directly to the student because we do not retain copies of individual course reports, only the aggregate class list with scores and attendance – this information contains the private information of other individuals that we can only divulge to the FSESO or CFO.

For all online bookings through our website, for groups of up to 5 students, we only accept a major credit card or Canadian debit card through our secure Stripe payment processing portal.

For larger group bookings, or private courses, or on special request, you can contact us and we can arrange an alternative payment method such as Square or Stripe email invoicing, cash/cheque/money order, or e-transfer. Use the Contact Form in these cases.

Email us at training@onfirearmsafety.ca to let us know!

We have one of the most flexible rebooking/refund policies among Ontario firearms safety course providers. Our Policy states that within 48 hours of a course, we will not refund the fees, but we often do anyway if the given a valid reason (such as illness, family emergency, etc). We do reserve the right to charge an administrative fee for late cancellations or rebooking requests.

If you fail to attend and you have not notified us, then you may forfeit your entire course fee. However, contact us anyway and we may apply discretion in this regard as well. We understand that after 3 years of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, there are more important things than attending a firearms safety course and we are normally willing to work with you in resolving your booking and attendance issues.

You only require a pen and some paper, to take notes during the class. You may wish to bring snacks and a lunch, as well.