As of January 2023, possession and acquisition licenses (PAL) will have a new look. Current licenses will still be valid, and PAL holders will receive the new version upon renewal.

Three versions of the valid PAL cards will be in circulation over the next five years as the Canadian Firearms Program transitions to the new PAL card:

(1) standard cards issued from December 1998 to May 2022;

(2) interim cards issued between May and December 2022 that do not contain a magnetic strip on the back of the card; and

(3) new cards issued starting in January 2023.

The previously issued PAL cards will remain valid until they expire. All three PAL cards contain the required identification and licensing information. By December 2027, the previously issued PAL cards should all be expired, and only the new cards will be in circulation.

CSAAA was advices of these changes by Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba & Nunavut Chief Firearm Officers. For more information, please contact the Central Processing Site at 1-800-731-4000.

Jenn Gadbois
Managing Director
Canadian Sporting Arms & Ammunition Association
Canada’s hunting and firearm industry organization