Need help - contact cfo

[RadHimself]

Went to canadian tire to buy a new .22

the clerk ran my PAL and came up with “contact cfo of your province for validity of this licence”

now i keep to myself, i work out of town and havnt bought a firearm inawhile

this is news to me, no phone call, no letter nothin

i submitted my renewal form about a month ago


anyone got the # for cfo or dealt with this before? I have NO idea whats going on

[wideopenthrottle]

did you let it expire? was it pal or rpal?

[dbergen69]

I think this is the number 1-800-731-4000

And the website https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/contact-the-canadian-firearms-program

[RadHimself]

Not expired till mid november

thats why i did the renewal end of august

[caddisguy]

So I found this out a few years back...

What happens, is the moment your new license has been issued and from that time until you receive it in the mail, your old license (even if not expired) is "invalidated"

Technically, every time you renew, there is a period of time you are in possession of firearms without a valid license.

The CFO stance is "You shouldn't run into any issues as long as you keep them in storage until you receive your new license"

Anyway, that is the CFO stance and interpretations of the law. I am sure if / how the grace period laws apply (ie: if they are specific to expiration or if that includes the period the old license is invalidated when the new one has been issued before you have it) It was particularly inconvenient for me, because in one case, they issued my new license (making the one I possessed invalid) but it took several weeks to receive it in the mail because one of their license printers was broken, causing a huge backlog. Was told I am technically in possession of firearms without a license, so do not use or transport them. Keep them in storage and I "should" be okay, that I would be in trouble if I encountered a police officer. When I asked "well what if I needed to call the police to my home. Could I be charged for possessing firearms without a license" and the answer was "technically yes".

I am frustrated with how all these laws were written, the lack of foresight and the subsequent interpretations that appear to opportunistic and intentionally cause inconvenience and threat of punishment.

Another one is with ordering tags online now. The Wildlife Act states that you must have all tags that have been issued to you in your possession while hunting any species. Last year I found out that the second you order a tag online, it has been "Issued" to you and you are not allowed to hunt ANY species until you have that tag. The ministry confirmed that is their stance, that if I order a cougar tag in October for a winter pred hunt in January, I cannot hunt deer or grouse until I have possession of the cougar tag that I ordered.

I doubt anyone has been charged for any of these scenarios, but one has to be slightly annoyed with a system that forces firearm owners into a legal quagmire as standard procedure with no way around it.

Anyway, rant aside, this is why your gun purchase did not go through. It will once you get that new one in the mail. If you check online it will show that it is issued. Just need to wait for them to print it and get it out to you in the mail.

[Bustercluck]

The thing I don’t understand is why they “ran your pal”. Show them your license, leave with firearm.

I would probably walk out of the sore and leave my purchase there if they were checking my license and calling the cfo to let them know what I was buying. Any time I’ve purchased from cabelas it’s been a pretty easy process. Clerk asked to see my pal before purchase and again one more time as they handed the firearm to me before I walked out the door.

Unless I missed something in the turds new bs gun law crap.

[Pioneerman]

I had not heard this before so went to check online where there is nothing making this written in stone so I called and they told me 100 % true, that since they have not rewritten the laws to accommodate purchasing online, that you can not even grouse hunt without all your tags in your possession, even if it takes a month to get them. She did tell me they are pushing to get these rules changed to meet the new modern way to buy tags and the CO's are pushing for it too, but no idea when they will get around to changing things. She said the best way it to write a email to them complaining about this ruling , that address is fishandwildlife@gov.bc.ca and let them know of our concerns. If they are going to offer an online service, they better step up the ruling also. Let them know and thanks for bringing this to our attention Caddisguy


So I found this out a few years back...

What happens, is the moment your new license has been issued and from that time until you receive it in the mail, your old license (even if not expired) is "invalidated"

Technically, every time you renew, there is a period of time you are in possession of firearms without a valid license.

The CFO stance is "You shouldn't run into any issues as long as you keep them in storage until you receive your new license"

Anyway, that is the CFO stance and interpretations of the law. I am sure if / how the grace period laws apply (ie: if they are specific to expiration or if that includes the period the old license is invalidated when the new one has been issued before you have it) It was particularly inconvenient for me, because in one case, they issued my new license (making the one I possessed invalid) but it took several weeks to receive it in the mail because one of their license printers was broken, causing a huge backlog. Was told I am technically in possession of firearms without a license, so do not use or transport them. Keep them in storage and I "should" be okay, that I would be in trouble if I encountered a police officer. When I asked "well what if I needed to call the police to my home. Could I be charged for possessing firearms without a license" and the answer was "technically yes".

I am frustrated with how all these laws were written, the lack of foresight and the subsequent interpretations that appear to opportunistic and intentionally cause inconvenience and threat of punishment.

Another one is with ordering tags online now. The Wildlife Act states that you must have all tags that have been issued to you in your possession while hunting any species. Last year I found out that the second you order a tag online, it has been "Issued" to you and you are not allowed to hunt ANY species until you have that tag. The ministry confirmed that is their stance, that if I order a cougar tag in October for a winter pred hunt in January, I cannot hunt deer or grouse until I have possession of the cougar tag that I ordered.

I doubt anyone has been charged for any of these scenarios, but one has to be slightly annoyed with a system that forces firearm owners into a legal quagmire as standard procedure with no way around it.

Anyway, rant aside, this is why your gun purchase did not go through. It will once you get that new one in the mail. If you check online it will show that it is issued. Just need to wait for them to print it and get it out to you in the mail.

[RadHimself]

Extremely good info guys

thank you for your input

i got ahold of a clerk and am currently waiting for my file to be viewed for renewal…

in limbo as it were

i can legally possess and hunt with a firearm, i cant buy new right now


and as far as them running my pal

canadian tire is doing it, so is basspro/cabelas

[Bustercluck]

Extremely good info guys

thank you for your input

i got ahold of a clerk and am currently waiting for my file to be viewed for renewal…

in limbo as it were

i can legally possess and hunt with a firearm, i cant buy new right now


and as far as them running my pal

canadian tire is doing it, so is basspro/cabelas

Where do you live? Maybe somebody here can help you out? As far as I know, I only need to see a valid pal to sell you a “used” firearm. The limbo thing shouldn’t apply.

[Bustercluck]

I had not heard this before so went to check online where there is nothing making this written in stone so I called and they told me 100 % true, that since they have not rewritten the laws to accommodate purchasing online, that you can not even grouse hunt without all your tags in your possession, even if it takes a month to get them. She did tell me they are pushing to get these rules changed to meet the new modern way to buy tags and the CO's are pushing for it too, but no idea when they will get around to changing things. She said the best way it to write a email to them complaining about this ruling , that address is fishandwildlife@gov.bc.ca and let them know of our concerns. If they are going to offer an online service, they better step up the ruling also. Let them know and thanks for bringing this to our attention Caddisguy
I haven’t bought tags in bc since the system came out, or at least I would’ve been out of province so it was different for me, but in Alberta you can pick up as many tags as you want from several places, or order them online. When you purchase the specific species license online you just punch in the tag serial number and write the species on your tag. I keep a dozen tags or more in my cupboard.

[willyqbc]

Buster.....the only way for you to know the pal is valid, is to call cfo. If selling a rifle to someone, it is your responsibility to contact the cfo. All you are conveying is card specs and getting a "valid" or "not valid" response. Discussion of what is being purchased or even how many rifles are being purchased is not part of it. But again...you DO have to confirm the card is legit according to the law. Lots of people and places have just been lax on that point, just looking at the expiry date on the card and calling er good!!

[Jagermeister]

To the o/p
1-800-731-4000 and when prompted for extension, enter 9530. No need to do it until Monday as there is no one to talk to on the weekends

[RDJ]

Hi Folks. Here's an update to how things now work. Things changed very recently. ANY time any firearm changes hands (non-restricted or restricted), the seller is OBLIGATED to run the PAL through the CFO and obtain a verification number before the sale can go through. I recently (a week ago) purchased a rifle from a friend and he had to call the CFO before he could give me the rifle. When he called to do so, the CFO told him to have me give them a call. Seems there was something wrong with my PAL. As it turns out, the extension numbers at the end of my PAL number were from a previous version. In effect, it was expired even though the stated expiration date on the PAL showed Sept 2023. I'd bet a deer tag that is the issue.

[caddisguy]

Hi Folks. Here's an update to how things now work. Things changed very recently. ANY time any firearm changes hands (non-restricted or restricted), the seller is OBLIGATED to run the PAL through the CFO and obtain a verification number before the sale can go through. I recently (a week ago) purchased a rifle from a friend and he had to call the CFO before he could give me the rifle. When he called to do so, the CFO told him to have me give them a call. Seems there was something wrong with my PAL. As it turns out, the extension numbers at the end of my PAL number were from a previous version. In effect, it was expired even though the stated expiration date on the PAL showed Sept 2023. I'd bet a deer tag that is the issue.

That is correct. When you renew your license, the moment the new one is approved, the one you have becomes "expired" (or rather invalidated) and you no longer possess a valid PAL until the new one is printed, mailed and received.