I finally got my PAL in my hands today, so I thought I would tell my story getting my licence
First of, it should be said that when your application gets approved is dependent on when the application that is sent is received (If its during a busy time like hunting season, the wait might be a bit longer), how much info or lack of info is on your application as well as your Provence (Ontario seems to be faster that Quebec or Alberta). Secondly you should know that when an application gets approved is at times completely random.
There are some people that have gotten there application approved on the 28th day, there are some people that have gotten there approval in a couple of months, like I did, and there are the unfortunate people who have to wait 9 months plus for approval and that's if you have a perfect record and no boxes checked. So what i'm saying is that you must prepare to call the RCMP/CFO if you want things to keep on moving, remember, you are dealing with the Federal government after all.
To speed up the process a bit, there are some things that should be done in order to get approved in a timely manner:
1. Make sure that you application is filled up properly and be sure that everything on the application is legible. If there is a messed up signature or improperly written credit card number it could delay your application until it's rectified and trust me, it can take weeks before you even know about the info that is missing on your application.
2. Send your application with tracking on it so you have a reference date to tell the RCMP when you call them
3. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO CALL THE RCMP OR CFO TO GET INFO OR TO SEE HOW YOUR APPLICATION IS GOING!!! The reason why I say that is because you might feel bullied when you encounter a rude phone agent or an agent that doesn't seem to want to give you the information you seek. Remember, its YOUR APPLICATION! You are responsible to get info and to see if there is anything that is need on your application, if you are not proactive you risk having your application being delayed due to stupid things like not having a payment method.
4. Be polite and patient (Even if they drive you up a wall). Like the bible says "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.", your applications won't get processed any faster if you behave like an A-hole on the phone, even if the person on the phone is rude first. It's better just to be as polite as you can while also having a back bone.
Now here are some quick notes:
- In provinces where your CFSC Report has to get stamped by the CFO to be valid (i.e. Ontario) its probably a good idea to send in your application without it with a note saying that it will come as soon as you get the report simply because it can be between 3-6 weeks till you get the report mailed to you. By sending your application without the CFSC Report it will begin the mandatory 28 day waiting period and by the time you get your report back, the majority of the time would have elapsed (Just keep in mind, info faxed to the CFP can take up to 16 days for them to add your info to your file, and even when they receive it, it would be prudent of you to call in and follow up to see if everything is on the up-and-up.)
- Remember, you can directly call the CFO of your Provence, just ask the RCMP to transfer you, or get the extension number
In my case, my application was received by the RCMP by Oct 29th, got approved on Dec 18th, 2018 and received my card on the 27th of December, and I got approved only because I was proactive and called my CFO in Ontario. I was able to give them the info which I was told was received by them (They didn't have my CFSC Report, so I emailed them it)
I know this was long winding, but I thought I would give back a bit by being as detailed as I can regarding the process, I hope this information helps.
Happy Holidays and Safe Shooting
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Originally Posted by Sspikey
