By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors. Personally teaching CFSC and CRFSC since 1994.

The RPAL is not a separate licence. It is your Possession and Acquisition Licence with restricted privileges added, and those privileges are what let you legally acquire and possess handguns and other restricted firearms. After teaching these courses since 1994, I can tell you the students who struggle are the ones who try to do the steps out of order. Here is the sequence, start to finish.

The short answer

To get your RPAL in BC, you complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC), take the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC), pass the written and practical tests for both with at least 80%, and apply to the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program. The application fee is $93.84 for a new PAL with restricted privileges, or $46.92 to add restricted privileges to a PAL you already hold, effective March 31, 2026. Most of our students take the combined course over one weekend for $270 plus tax and get both requirements done at once.

Continue on the Silvercore Path

Each piece below answers one of the questions new restricted shooters ask us most:

• Book the combined CFSC and CRFSC course
• PAL vs RPAL: what is the difference
• How to apply for a firearms licence (PAL) in BC
• Pro tips to pass your CFSC and CRFSC
• What can you do with a PAL? (Restrictions, Storage, Transport)
• CFSC and CRFSC in BC: the complete guide

What an RPAL actually is

RPAL is shorthand for a restricted PAL: a Possession and Acquisition Licence that carries restricted privileges on top of the non-restricted ones. It is one licence, one card, one application. The restricted privileges are what allow you to acquire and possess restricted firearms, which are primarily handguns. If you are still deciding whether you need restricted privileges at all, our PAL vs RPAL comparison, linked above, covers that question properly. This page covers the how.

Step 1: Complete the CFSC, or hold non-restricted certification

The restricted course builds on the non-restricted one, and there is no restricted-only path. Most of our students take the combined CFSC and CRFSC course over two consecutive days, $270 plus tax with both sets of exams included, and finish everything in one weekend. If you already hold your CFSC or a non-restricted PAL, the standalone CRFSC is $135 plus tax.

• Book the combined CFSC and CRFSC course ($270 plus tax)
• Book the standalone CRFSC course ($135 plus tax)

Step 2: Take the CRFSC

The Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course covers what is specific to restricted firearms: how they are classified, the additional storage and transport rules that apply to them, and the handling tests for semi-automatic restricted firearms and revolvers. The RCMP standard sets a minimum of six hours of classroom instruction, dropping to a minimum of four hours when the CRFSC is delivered within seven days of the same provider's CFSC. The two courses cannot be taught on the same day, which is why a combined program runs across at least two days. The minimum age is 18.

Like the CFSC, the CRFSC is a non-firing classroom course. There is no range component and no live ammunition in the room. Everything is taught with disabled training firearms and dummy ammunition. Live fire comes after your licence, not during it.

Step 3: Pass both exams

Each course has a written test and a practical handling test, and you need at least 80% on each. If you do not pass on the first attempt, you can retake the failed exam after a minimum of one day; if more than seven days pass before the retest, you take the entire course again. The preparation that matters is covered in our pro tips post, linked above, and our online study course walks you through every concept on the written test before you set foot in the classroom.

• Prepare with the online firearms safety study course

Step 4: Apply to the RCMP

With your course reports in the system, you apply to the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program. The fees, effective March 31, 2026, are $93.84 for a new PAL with restricted privileges, or $46.92 to add restricted privileges to a non-restricted PAL you already hold. These fees adjust annually under the Service Fees Act.

First-time licence applicants sit through a mandatory 28-day waiting period written into the Firearms Act. The RCMP estimates 45 days to process a complete application, and in practice most of our students see 3 to 6 months from booking the course to holding the card. The full application walk-through, forms, photos, references, and where each course runs, is laid out in our BC apply guide, linked above.

The step after the licence

This is where a lot of new restricted owners hit a wall. They finish the course, receive the licence, buy the handgun, and then realize they have no straightforward way to get it to a range. A restricted firearm is only useful if you can legally move it, and moving it to an approved range requires an Authorization to Transport, which in BC typically comes through membership in an approved club.

The Silvercore Club is an RCMP-approved club for ATT purposes, serving members across Canada. Membership is $59 a year and includes $5 million in liability coverage through Lloyd's of London while you are engaged in lawful firearms activities, our online firearms safety course, and the PAL Exam Mastery practice bank. Many of our students join before their licence arrives so the ATT is one less moving piece when they are ready to shoot. The Club keeps you sharp and has your back.

Join the Silvercore Club.

Travis Bader Silvercore Outdoors

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the CRFSC without the CFSC? No. Non-restricted certification comes first or alongside. The combined weekend course exists for exactly this reason.

Do I fire a handgun on the CRFSC? No. It is a non-firing classroom course. Live handgun training happens after you are licensed, on the range, and Club membership is where that side of your shooting life starts.

Can I challenge the exam without taking the course? No. The challenge option was removed in 2015 and applies to everyone, including experienced shooters. Everyone takes the full course.

How much does the RPAL cost? The CRFSC course is $135 plus tax on its own, or $270 plus tax combined with the CFSC. The RCMP application fee is $93.84 for a new restricted PAL, or $46.92 to upgrade an existing non-restricted PAL, effective March 31, 2026.

How long does the RCMP take to issue the licence? The mandatory 28-day waiting period applies to first-time licence applicants, and the RCMP estimates 45 days to process a complete application. In practice, plan on 3 to 6 months from course booking to card in hand.

I have my RPAL. Now what? Now you meet the part nobody warns you about: an Authorization to Transport tied to membership in an approved club is what lets you move your restricted firearm to the range. The Silvercore Club is RCMP-approved for exactly this, at $59 a year.