Short answer

You buy a BC hunting licence in one of three places: online through the BC Hunting service (WILD), over the counter at a Service BC or FrontCounter BC office, or at a participating licence vendor, which in practice means many sporting goods and outdoor stores. All three routes need the same two things first: a Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) and a hunting credential on that FWID profile. For a first-time BC hunter the credential comes from passing CORE.

Where to buy is the easy part. What holds most new hunters up is the order of operations, so that is what this page lays out.

The order that actually works

1. Pass CORE. BC's hunter education course, administered by the BC Wildlife Federation. Two days, a 90-question written exam and a practical firearms handling exam. Silvercore runs it with BCWF-certified instructors and examiners in Delta, Langley, Victoria, Nanaimo, Parksville and the Comox Valley, $210 plus tax with both exams included. This is the credential the province checks before it will sell you a licence.
2. Create your FWID. Free, online through WILD with a Basic BCeID or a BC Services Card Account, or in person at Service BC or FrontCounter BC. If you had an old Hunter Number, link it rather than starting a new profile. Full walkthrough: How to get your FWID in BC.
3. Get the hunting credential onto your profile. Submitting the proof is your job, not your examiner's. You upload your CORE certificate in WILD, or bring it to a FrontCounter BC or Service BC counter. Applications made online take up to three business days to review; made in person they are active immediately if approved. Until the credential shows, the Buy Licences link will not appear.
4. Buy the basic resident hunting licence. This is the annual licence every BC hunter holds, and it is required before you can buy any species licence. The resident fee is $25 plus a $7 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation surcharge, so $32 before GST. Hunters 65 and over and youth under 18 pay $6 plus a $1 surcharge.
5. Add species licences. Big game in BC is hunted on species licences (deer, moose, elk, black bear and so on) purchased on top of the basic licence. Species licences are issued on waterproof, tearproof paper and cannot be printed at home, so if you are heading out in the next few days, buy them in person rather than online. You must carry every current-year species licence while hunting.
6. Apply for Limited Entry Hunting if the hunt needs it. LEH draws run through the same WILD profile. Deadlines are fixed and missing one means waiting a year.

Online, office or store: which one

Online is the fastest for the basic licence and for LEH applications, and you can do it at midnight the day before season. The catch is species licences, which are physical paper you cannot print yourself, so buying online the week before a hunt is a mistake I have watched people make.

Service BC and FrontCounter BC offices issue everything on the spot, including species licences, and can create your FWID if you have not done it yet. Bring government photo ID.

Vendors are the traditional route and still the most convenient if the store is on your way to the truck. Not every store that sells hunting gear is a licence vendor, so call first.

What a hunting licence does not cover

The hunting licence is provincial. It says nothing about the firearm in your hands. To possess a rifle or shotgun in Canada you need a federal PAL, earned by passing the Canadian Firearms Safety Course. A new hunter in BC needs both, and the two courses are taken separately. Silvercore teaches both, at the same locations, and most first-time hunters do CORE and the CFSC within a few weeks of each other.

Also separate: the federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit for ducks and geese, which comes from Environment and Climate Change Canada, not from WILD. It is $17 plus applicable taxes, a figure that includes the $8.50 Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp, and you buy it as an e-permit online, at a select Canada Post outlet, or from an independent vendor. The permit runs from 1 August to 30 June.

Non-residents

Non-resident and non-resident alien hunters buy their licences through the same WILD system but need a valid guide outfitter licence number or a permit to accompany a BC resident for the hunt. That is a different page and a different set of rules; the short version is that a non-resident big game hunt in BC runs through a licensed guide outfitter or a resident holding a permit to accompany.

Continue on the Silvercore Path

• Get the credential: CORE Hunter Education Course.
• Set up the account: How to get your FWID in BC.
• Get the firearms licence: How to Get Your PAL in Canada.
• Carry cover in the field: the Silvercore Club is $59 a year and includes $5 million in individual third party liability coverage for lawful hunting, fishing and firearms use across Canada and the United States, plus free access to every Silvercore online course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a BC hunting licence online?

Yes, through the BC Hunting online service with a Basic BCeID or BC Services Card Account, a verified FWID and a hunting credential on your profile. Species licences are physical paper and cannot be printed at home.

Where can I buy a hunting licence in person?

Service BC offices, FrontCounter BC offices and participating licence vendors. Offices and vendors issue species licences over the counter.

Do I need CORE to buy a hunting licence in BC?

For a standard BC resident hunting licence, yes. The province will not sell you one without a hunting credential on your FWID profile, and CORE is how a first-time BC hunter earns that credential. Hunter education completed elsewhere can also count: WILD accepts a document issued by another Canadian province or territory, or by an international jurisdiction, showing successful completion of hunter safety training. A document not in English or French needs a notarized translation submitted with it.

Is a hunting licence the same as a PAL?

No. The hunting licence is provincial and covers the act of hunting. The PAL is federal and covers possession of the firearm. In BC you need both to hunt with a firearm.

How much is a BC resident hunting licence?

The basic resident licence is $25 plus a $7 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation surcharge, so $32 before GST. Hunters 65 and over and youth under 18 pay $6 plus a $1 surcharge. Species licences are on top of that and vary by animal: black bear $16 plus $4, mule deer and white-tailed deer $12 plus $3, moose and elk $20 plus $5, cougar $24 plus $6, mountain goat $32 plus $8. The province publishes the full schedule on its hunting licences page.

Travis Bader Silvercore Outdoors