Youth Charges and Acquiring PAL

[u/Gastons_Glock]

Burner account for privacy purposes.

Hello,

When I was 17 I was very immature and did some very stupid things. I was charged with, and pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possessing a firearm, as well as some other charges.

Now I’m 20 and I’ve completely turned my life around. I’ve completed my sentence, am in university, and am looking to get my PAL & RPAL before they start banning more guns. I don’t have a firearms prohibition order (thankfully), but I’m worried that since my access period is still open (until 2031), when I check yes under the “have you been charged in the last 5 years” section, they will look at my charges and probably deny the application.

The main reason for this post is I’m not sure how the access period and sealed records actually work for PAL applications and I can’t find any information for this that is pertinent to youth charges.

Will they always be able to see my charges since it’s the RCMP and a firearm related application? If so, then what difference would it make if I apply now vs after the record is sealed, I would rather get denied now than waste 5 years anticipating and get denied then. Conversely, if they are unable to see my charges after the access period ends, I’m scared that if I apply now, the denial and reason for denial will permanently be recorded in the RCMP database, potentially affecting future applications.

I hope that my mistakes in the past won’t permanently bar me from the privilege of owning firearms, and I hope to become one of you guys soon.

Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Edit: A guy actually reported me to a CFO 💀. What a tool. It’s a good thing it would be a criminal offence to try and identify me

[u/Phimosiswizard]

Speak to a lawyer