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Licence requirements
A business, museum or organization needs a firearms business licence to possess, manufacture, or sell:
- ammunition
- firearms
- restricted weapons
- prohibited weapons
- prohibited devices
The licence is only valid for the activities specified on it. Each location where the business operates needs a separate business licence.
A business may have prohibited items only for one of the specified purposes in Section 22 of the Firearms Licences Regulations.
Please contact the Chief Firearms Officer of the business jurisdiction to request an application form.
To be eligible for a firearms business licence, a business must meet the following requirements:
- All employees who handle firearms must have a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence:
- If the business has only non-restricted firearms, employees must have a licence to acquire non-restricted firearms;
- If the business has restricted or prohibited firearms, employees must be licensed to acquire restricted firearms.
- Employees do not need a firearms licence if the business has restricted or prohibited weapons, prohibited devices, or prohibited ammunition but does not have any firearms. However, employees need to be eligible for a firearms licence. This means they do not have to submit a licence application, but they must be able to pass a background check and there can be no court orders prohibiting them from possessing firearms or other regulated items.
- Certain people connected to the business will also need to be eligible for a licence:
- owners and partners;
- directors and officers of the corporation, if the business is a corporation;
- anyone in a relationship to any of the above with a direct influence on the business or who could have access to firearms held by the business.
The Canadian Firearms Program service standard to process a properly completed business licence application is 55 days.
Upon approval of the business licence application, the Chief Firearms Officer may add conditions at his or her discretion.
Ammunition businesses
The Firearms Act requires a business or organization to be licensed to have, sell, or manufacture ammunition. Ammunition may be acquired by:
- a business or individual with a valid firearms licence
- a public agency (for example, a police force or a government department) with a valid Public Agency Identification Number
There may also be licence and storage requirements under the Explosives Act, as administered by Natural Resources Canada. Fees for selling or manufacturing ammunition are waived under the Firearms Act if already paid under the Explosives Act.
Employees of the business do not need a firearms licence to sell ammunition on behalf of the business, but they do need to be eligible for a licence, as described above.
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