Applying for firearm registration as a citizen

You must apply to register your firearm as soon as you take possession of it.

You can apply for registration as follows: 

Online
Open an account or a session  via our online service. 

By mail

Print and complete the Application to register one or more non−restricted firearms present in Québec − Individual form (PDF 57 Kb). 

It is not possible to send your application by email or to do it by phone.  

If you are a new resident of Québec, you have 45 days following your arrival to apply for registration of your firearm. 

To register a firearm, you must provide the following information. The information provided must match exactly the information on your PAL. 

• name and surname;
• postal address; 
• telephone number;
• date of birth ;
• Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) number, issued by the Chief Firearms Officer.

In addition to providing this information, you must describe the firearm by providing the following information:

• brand;
• model;
• mechanism;
• type;
• calibre;
• serial number;
• the main place where the firearm is kept;
• if the weapon has already been registered, its unique firearm number (UFAN).

If the firearm does not have a serial number, you must provide any other number that appears on the firearm, such as the number provided by the federal government at the time of the Canadian Firearms Registry, if it is still on the firearm. 

If the primary location where the firearm is kept does not have a specific street address, you must enter the geolocation coordinates and the name of the nearest municipality. 

If you do not have your Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) number, you can provide one of the following documents:  

• your  registration number at the Civil Registry (known in Québec by the French acronym NIREC)
• a photocopy or scanned copy of one of the following valid documents:
  • driver's licence or learner's permit from Québec, another Canadian province or territory, or a U.S. state,
  • photo health insurance card issued by a Canadian province,
  • Canadian or foreign passport,
  • Canadian citizenship card (issued between 2002 and 2012),
  • Canadian permanent resident card,
  • permanent resident card in the United States (green card),
  • immigration document issued by the Government of Canada (IMM 1442),
  • official identification for military, police, or diplomats posted in Canada,
  • Certificate of Indian Status,
  • identity card issued by a Canadian province or territory.

If you have applied for your firearm registration using our online service, you will receive a confirmation of your registration by email. If you applied by post, you will receive confirmation of your registration by post.

This confirmation includes the firearm registration number (FARN) and the unique firearm number (UFAN) of each registered firearm. 

Unique firearm number 

The unique firearm number (UFAN) is a permanent number assigned to the firearm. It must appear on the firearm, regardless of ownership. The UFAN allows the firearm to be uniquely identified in the Québec Firearms Registry (referred to by the French acronym FIAF). 

It is your responsibility to record the UFAN on your weapon no later than 90 days after taking possession. If the UFAN is identical to the number already on the weapon, no action is required on your part. 

You must inscribe or affix the UFAN on the firearm :

• indelibly (does not fade).
• legibly(can be read easily). 
• in a visible place on the carcass or breechblock.

If your weapon is a rare firearm of exceptional value and no visible location is suitable, the UFAN may be indelibly and legibly inscribed or affixed in a place that requires disassembly of the firearm, if this is the manufacturer's practice.   

Chiselling is not compulsory, but it is one of the possible ways to identify the UFAN. No identification tag is provided by the SIAF. 

Firearm Registration Number (FARN) 

The SIAF associates the firearm with its owner and confirms that the firearm has been registered to the current owner. This number does not need to be on the firearm. When ownership is transferred, a new FARN is assigned to the same firearm to associate it with the new owner.