PAL Wait Time

I sent an email to the CFO of ontario the other day and was told that my application is yet to be assigned to a chief of firearms and applications are taking 4-6 months to be processed.

It seems to me that if you're an Ontario applicant, you're likely to wait longer than applicants from most (if not all) other provinces.

I guess Santa will not bring me a gun this Christmas.
 
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Used this forum to get useful information so ill post my times to help others.

Alberta RPAL Application
RPAL/PAL courses taken - Sept 2013 (yes 2013 lol)
Sent in papers - November 15th~ 2019 (give or take a few days)
Online received - November 28th 2019
Application Processed and pending roughly a week after the 28th (I didnt check everyday so no sure when it changed to pending)
Sent money order with it so I have no clue when that was cashed
licence has been issued - December 27th 2019 (Checked several times throughout the day, status changed around 5pm alberta time)

Never called in to check status
No references called (Main reference was RPAL holder, second reference has nothing)
No boxes checked
Zero record/never been involved with any police

Total time to get RPAL
6 Years :D :D :D

Hope this helps people that have seen really crazy wait times for alberta Pal/Rpal.

Do I just call the number shown on the online status to ask for my # and expiry to make online orders? Or is it a different number I should call for alberta?
 
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My process was similar to yours. I got my Firearm courses completed in the summer of 2013 and didn't get around to actually getting my RPAL til August 2019.

Call your CFO or the main contact number in Miramichi and they should be able to give you your licence number and expiry to do online orders.
 
guywithoutagun said:
Unfortunately I was refused my firearms licence just the other day, waited 9 months... I'm 20 years old, have not been charged but I have had a "violent incident" that involved the police a few months back. here are the details. My brother, a friend and I were at a club, my brother and my friend got into a fight over a girl at the bar, my brother told my friend not to come back to my house that night but he did anyways because he was staying at my place at the time, I went to go talk to him and he was sitting there with a golf club and I got defensive for my brother and yelled wtf are you going to do with that golf club? you think you are going to hit my brother with that thing?gtfo! so my friend leaves, my dad was awoken by my yelling comes down stairs and sees me stabbing the wall with a knife and calls the police...(btw this wall was covered in holes from previous knife throwing competition so damage wasn't the issue) the issue was I was belligerent and stabbing the wall (I know how this sounds) Anyways I wasn't arrested but the police gave me a slap on the wrist and my dad told me to leave for the night. Now the firearms officer says I should wait 5 years without any incident with the police before re applying. The moral of the story is I'm 20 years old, that is a quarter of my life I have to wait now because of one stupid outburst....... some advice take it or leave it, think before you act, always respond in the most rational way possible (even if you think the police won't be involved) and never get into physical altercations, use your words unless you have to use force.... fyi my friend said he didn't intend on using the golf club he just wanted it for protection and we had a few beers and got over it because we have been friends since we were little punks around the age 11 or 12.
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Quite honestly if I was a firearm officer I'd ban you for at least five years, and THEN even get a psychiatric report on you before proceeding again. Getting drunk and stabbing a wall would tell me you'd be a candidate for grabbing your gun or even touching it while drunk in play or anger.
 
Sent Application by Can Post express two days, they got it in the mailroom at Miramichi detachment on December 4th, saw my application online about the 15th, got a letter today saying they couldn't process my CCARD! Then I noticed that they don't accept bank cards with the ccard logo.

Was at the post office today, the letter was dated December 20th. Made a money order for 60.00, sent the order by express post again and will wait a week or so and see if they update the Status on it. Right now it says 'you have been or will be contacted' which I just got.

The last thing one wants to do is call in and rush it. My instructor warned me about that. There was one dude I guess did that, he called every day, guess when he got it? Six months later.

I think if they believe you are hasty and non-patient, then you need to be scrutinized more diligently.

Makes sense yes?

I will update when I see a new status.

It's only been 24 days? Hmmm...not bad. I cant go backroads this time of year anyway. The old logging roads are...MUUUDDDYYY! If not snow-covered.
 
Pal sent dec 3 registered mail
RCMP received dec 6.
Showed up as initial processing completed dec. 27
Completed and being issued as of today, January 3, 2020.

Just waiting on it to come through the mail. I phoned them on the 2nd to see if they needed any info. Apparently it was pretty much done and she scanned my picture to finish it while we were on the phone. Doubtful my references were contacted.

I actually had one years ago and let it lapse as I didn’t own any firearms and had limited opportunity to hunt at the time. Getting back in to it now with my teenager who wants to hunt. I am also looking at a tikka 3x stainless (30-06). Left handed.
 
Does anyone have a rough estimate on RPAL approval for Saskatchewan? Just as a reference my application showed online a week ago,it now says in progress, and the lady at CFP said the picture will be scanned right away and should be at the Sask CFO office. I just haven't seen much for Saskatchewan times. Thanks in advance.
 
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Don’t know about rpal but my pal took me exactly 4 weeks from when they received it to be approved. I would suggest calling after about 3 weeks after you sent it if you can’t see any progress on their website. Once it says initial processing completed, call about a week later and ask if there is any info they still need. I also have no issues with law enforcement or mental health issues which will slow down your application. Just waiting for mine to come by mail. So impatient lol

Ps. I am from Saskatchewan.
 
Great thank you for the reply. I'll give them a call later this next week to see if they need anything. I'm fairly patient and I understand they're busy but I just couldn't find any Saskatchewan information about timelines in the thread so thought I'd get an idea haha thanks again for the reply sniper.
 
No worries. I am just glad I have lots of time before hunting season. Albeit I would have preferred to have it before Wednesday when cabelas stops it’s extended boxing week sale ��
 
Update

s13skyline said:
Looks like the trend of quick turn around times might be a thing for now. (knock on wood)

CFSC CRFSC completed Nov. 9/10
Papers Came in about 5 days - Had application sent on the 15th
Received Nov - 18

initial process completed on the 9th of December (monies withdrawn)
Monday the 16th will mark 28 days

Ontario application
No boxes checked
RPAL application
Click to expand...




A colleague of mine and I did the courses at the same time and she mailed her application the week after me.
She has been issued her licence and has her physical card.
We both checked no boxes. I guess some licences do get approved without going to the CFO?
Both Ontario residents.
 
I am becoming rather frustrated with this process, I answered no to all the questions and have a clean record, I was told by the RCMP that 97 percent of applications are approved in 45 days, not sure if that's true anymore. I don't know, maybe I called them too many times and got red-flagged or something. (I can't help but get excited about going out with my other PAL buddies). While I am not too bothered by my current wait time, I have seen too many posts from people whos applications took 1-2 years and I worry that that is what will happen to me due to a number of domestic dispute 911 calls from when I lived with my parents and siblings (none were regarding me, I was a bystander in those situations). There was 1 call to the police about me because the girl I was seeing thought I was going to hurt myself, but it was all cleared up as a misunderstanding when the police arrived. Mind you I was only 15 at the time, now 23 so I don't know how much bearing that has on my application. Maybe I am being overly worried but it just sounds like the BC CFO is slow as hell. What follows is the current timeline of my application.

2019-11-16/17: 2-day CFSC/CRFSC course completed.
2019-11-18: sent by express post.
2019-11-22: application received.
2019-12-15: Application status appeared online, there was a mistake with the credit card that was fixed that day.
2019-12-16: Credit card charged.
2019-12-16: Your application has completed initial processing. It is now in progress. Please check the status again at a later date.
2019-12-30: Contacted BC CFO through extension, was told that she looked at my application and sent it on to the CFO
2020-01-07: Contacted BC CFO through extension, and was told that my application had been sent for further review and to contact them in 3 months.
 
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Spoke to the Ontario CFO office today.
Apparently they have 6000 applications in queue.
They received my application mid November and said don’t expect an answer until end of March!
 
Application status changed today."Your application has been processed and your licence has been issued. If you have not received your licence within 2 weeks please contact the Canadian Firearms Program Toll Free number. (1-800 731-4000) "
Application sent on:2019-11-19 (by regular mail from Mississauga, Ontario)
Application Received on: 2019-11-25 (as per online Licence Application Status Results)
Credit card charged on:2019-12-17
Spouse and references contacted on: 2020-01-10
Number of days from application received to license issued:49
 
s13skyline said:
Spoke to the Ontario CFO office today.
Apparently they have 6000 applications in queue.
They received my application mid November and said don’t expect an answer until end of March!
Click to expand...

DAMN! I hope they were just BSing ya... I've been lurking so hard, and this actually made me make an account just to air out my grievances... :)

Here's my timeline so far:

Nov 25-26 2019 - CFSC/CRFSC course completed.
Dec 12 2019 - Application Received by RCMP
Jan 03 - 2020 - Application posted online as recevied, stated they have / will contact me
Jan 03 - 2020 - Called in, credit card details were "wrong"
Jan 03 - 2020 - Status flipped into Your application has completed initial processing. It is now in progress. Please check the status again at a later date.
Jan 13 - 2020 - Picture was scanned, and application flipped over to CFO

Debating to call CFO office :)
 
Merrick2252 said:
I am becoming rather frustrated with this process, I answered no to all the questions and have a clean record, I was told by the RCMP that 97 percent of applications are approved in 45 days, not sure if that's true anymore. I don't know, maybe I called them too many times and got red-flagged or something. (I can't help but get excited about going out with my other PAL buddies). While I am not too bothered by my current wait time, I have seen too many posts from people whos applications took 1-2 years and I worry that that is what will happen to me due to a number of domestic dispute 911 calls from when I lived with my parents and siblings (none were regarding me, I was a bystander in those situations). There was 1 call to the police about me because the girl I was seeing thought I was going to hurt myself, but it was all cleared up as a misunderstanding when the police arrived. Mind you I was only 15 at the time, now 23 so I don't know how much bearing that has on my application. Maybe I am being overly worried but it just sounds like the BC CFO is slow as hell. What follows is the current timeline of my application.

2019-11-16/17: 2-day CFSC/CRFSC course completed.
2019-11-18: sent by express post.
2019-11-22: application received.
2019-12-15: Application status appeared online, there was a mistake with the credit card that was fixed that day.
2019-12-16: Credit card charged.
2019-12-16: Your application has completed initial processing. It is now in progress. Please check the status again at a later date.
2019-12-30: Contacted BC CFO through extension, was told that she looked at my application and sent it on to the CFO
2020-01-07: Contacted BC CFO through extension, and was told that my application had been sent for further review and to contact them in 3 months.
Click to expand...



Unfortunately that incident that happened when you were 15 is coming back to bite you. The 5 year background check is a joke, they been going back to when you were born.
 
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