r/canadaguns • u/GeneralMastodon9994 • Mar 11 '26
Application / Regulation advice Cons to having a PAL in Canada?
Hey everyone, I am considering getting the PAL license (restricted and non-restricted), and I wanted to ask if there are any cons to being a PAL holder in Canada?
Is it true that the government can pose you as a suspect if anything happens in the area where you live (firearm related) or just in general is it true that the government keeps an eye on you as a PAL holder?
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u/Lumindan Mar 11 '26
The only issue is cost and time, you'll need to have time to take the safey course, you'll need to have the funds to pay for plus equipment down the road (it's not terribly expensive to get into but there's a slippery slope in every sport)
No that’s not how it works in Canada. Having a firearms licence does not automatically make you a suspect if something happens nearby, especially given that plenty of legal firearms are unregistered ( non restricted class) so no one knows you have them unless you flaunt it.
If you have a PAL or RPAL, you’re subject to what’s called continuous eligibility screening run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police through the Canadian Firearms Program. People hear that and assume it means the government is “watching” PAL holders, but it’s not surveillance. It just means if you get charged with something serious, have a domestic violence complaint, protection order, etc., it can flag your licence for review.
That’s it. It’s basically an automated check tied to police databases.
Now technically, Police can see if someone at an address has a licence through their system, but that’s mostly used for officer awareness when responding to calls not because PAL holders are being treated like suspects by default. So unless you're expecting cops at your home frequently it's a non issue and frankly, if you're getting a PAL you're hopefully already a law abiding citizen with nothing to hide.
If you're worried about government surveillance, there's plenty of other cases to be worried (hot new bills being pushed through the house).
Tldr; get your license, hit the range and have fun.