All licence applicants must pass a public-safety check. A computer link between the Canadian Firearms Information System (CFIS) and the national police database helps to speed up the process and allows for continuous checks of licence holders. As part of the background check, spouses and common-law partners with whom a PAL applicant has lived within the previous two years may be notified of the application to find out if they have any concerns about their own or someone else's safety.