PAL Processing Time

[bangbangkhan]

Hi all,

I applied for my renewal back in Feb 2020, the website said it finished initial processing on 02-22-2020.

I have called numerous times but they just keep telling me the file is with the officer and they don't know when they will be done.

Hunting season is almost here and my license expires mid- August, do i have any other options to expedite or find out whats going on?

My friend applied for his renewal on July 11 and he already got his yesterday...

Any one else in the same boat?

Cheers!

[DesiMunda]

Hello, my son is in the same boat....he followed up on Wednesday and was told he should have his card in two weeks..fingers crossed.

Msg he received:


Re: Application Status

Your application was approved on July 13, 2020. Currently there are delays in the production of the physical licence cards due to unforseen limitations necessitated by COVID-19, however the card should arrive within the next 2 weeks.

Thank you for your patience.


Mak

[tim.l]

I sent my application in on july 22 and received my pal in the mail on Aug 4. Hopefully yours comes real fast.

[bangbangkhan]

I feel like having restricted class is adding delay...

[elkhunterette]

Put mine in the mail June 4th and received it mid July!

[operator jon]

Mine was 51 days in the mail from New Brunswick.

[Baconator]

Mine came today. Issued June 19,2020. Looks like mine was in the mail 2 days less than operator jon's! Will new in the winter next time, sled dogs got to be faster than pony express.

[Haydenmk]

I renewed in March, waited until June to call. They said I should of had it by then. So I asked them to reprint it and mail it. It came in 2 weeks after I requested that.

[VLD43]

Hi all,

I applied for my renewal back in Feb 2020, the website said it finished initial processing on 02-22-2020.

I have called numerous times but they just keep telling me the file is with the officer and they don't know when they will be done.

Hunting season is almost here and my license expires mid- August, do i have any other options to expedite or find out whats going on?

My friend applied for his renewal on July 11 and he already got his yesterday...

Any one else in the same boat?

Cheers!

You should try to contact the Regional Firearms Officer. Sometimes if they find something of concern, it goes to the bottom of the pile. Had this happen to me many years ago. There had been a murder with a firearm within 5 miles of where I lived. The police drew a 5 mile wide circle on a map from the murder scene and put everyone they knew owned firearms on it as suspects. The murder was eventually solved, but the list remained. I only know this because I used to hunt with a police officer. He inquired on my behalf, and quickly there after my PAL was issued and my name was removed from the list. Any number of things can hold up the process. I would inquire nicely and be persistant.

[bangbangkhan]

You should try to contact the Regional Firearms Officer. Sometimes if they find something of concern, it goes to the bottom of the pile. Had this happen to me many years ago. There had been a murder with a firearm within 5 miles of where I lived. The police drew a 5 mile wide circle on a map from the murder scene and put everyone they knew owned firearms on it as suspects. The murder was eventually solved, but the list remained. I only know this because I used to hunt with a police officer. He inquired on my behalf, and quickly there after my PAL was issued and my name was removed from the list. Any number of things can hold up the process. I would inquire nicely and be persistant.

Thanks! Gonna call the BC office Monday.

[DesiMunda]

Still waiting for my sons physical card.....what to do...what to do....All set for the Sept. 1st youth hunt....Any ideas?

Mak

[markm7]

No worries boys , they say on the rcmp website pal is good for 6 months after it expires due to long processing times

[Mauser98]

Regarding the grace period

http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2017/2017-11-15/html/si-tr70-eng.html

Implications(from the CFC site)

During the grace period, a firearm owner will not be allowed to use his or her firearm or acquire firearms or ammunition until the licence is renewed.

[SBvias]

I had a long application time. If you voluntarily mention something that raises a red flag, guaranteed it will take months.

[geo guy]

I had to wait 10 months for my PAL renewal. The RCMP out in Miramichi approved it within a week and they were very upfront about where in the process my application was, it took the CFO that long. I had to call over a dozen times to get an answer from the CFO's office and I got the assistant who said hes been "busy" after mentioning missing hunting season she told me it would be approved the next day, which thankfully it was. BC's CFO is incompetent.

[bangbangkhan]

Yeah, I call the CFO here at BC and they keep telling me the same thing. Wait and they can’t tell me what the hold up is or how long it’s gonna take.

[Ron.C]

I had a long application time. If you voluntarily mention something that raises a red flag, guaranteed it will take months.

is that a bad thing? I mean if simple renewals are taking a long time (shitty I get it) I would expect something requiring additional investigation to address so called "red flags" should be expected

[SBvias]

I don't have any kind of problem with additional investigation for safety. A few thoughts on this.

I waited almost a year. If I was a person who would do something that would give a firearm owners a bad rep, an expired PAL wasn't going to stop me from harming others or myself. I already had firearms, ammo and time.

The issue was a member of my household has mental health issues, not me. I would have thought an officer would have contacted me to confirm safe storage in the home or something along those lines. No one did. No one called. No one inspected. I don't know how they make their additional investigations or determinations but I don't think adding extra time (9 months longer on average than others I know) would have secured public safety.

You are left in the dark during the process or at least I was. I heard permutations of the following:
-"there is no turnaround time we can confirm"
-"it will take the time it needs to, however long"
-"its on the desk"
I recognize that Covid played a part for 6-8 weeks in the delay and I don't blame them for that.

Another thought after I got my PAL and how I answered honestly: the people who shouldn't have firearms in the first place or should have their firearms confiscated are probably not going to self report themselves. I would venture to guess that none of the persons involved in the 3-4 high profile shootings in the last 10 years mentioned anything in their application to their intentions during initial application or renewal(s).

It seems that honest applications are scrutinized while false applications may be approved in a few weeks.

[john-brennan]

Hi all,

I applied for my renewal back in Feb 2020, the website said it finished initial processing on 02-22-2020.

I have called numerous times but they just keep telling me the file is with the officer and they don't know when they will be done.

Hunting season is almost here and my license expires mid- August, do i have any other options to expedite or find out whats going on?

My friend applied for his renewal on July 11 and he already got his yesterday...

Any one else in the same boat?

Cheers!


Renewed mine at the start of June and received it 3 weeks ago took 8-9 weeks for me

[boilerroom]

DesiMunda, when they were taking too long with mine last year I called the RCMP and made my way to the Chief Firearms Officer. I explained to them that I had "paid for a hunt" and that got the ball rolling. They have a backlog and you have to be persistent, but they will move the process forward for you if you give them a good reason. Good luck!


Still waiting for my sons physical card.....what to do...what to do....All set for the Sept. 1st youth hunt....Any ideas?

Mak

[slowjo]

i submitted my online renewal application on aug 2 and received a new PAL in the mail on aug 17. now that is good service!

[bangbangkhan]

i submitted my online renewal application on aug 2 and received a new PAL in the mail on aug 17. now that is good service!

Do you have only unrestricted or do you have both?

[slowjo]

Do you have only unrestricted or do you have both?

i have both

[Wassinroo]

I submitted my renewal online Aug 19 and received it in the mail Sept 3.

[Treed]

How long before the expiration date are people renewing? I figured 4 months was enough and haven’t had an issue in the past... but some of these stories are messed up.