Until now it has been difficult for a nonresident to get a PAL because it involved traveling to Canada to take a Canadian Firearms Safety Course and exam. But now there is a company conducting the course in the United States, making it possible for Americans to get a Canadian PAL with minimal hassle.
I'll tell you more about that company and how you can attend one of its classes in a minute. First it's worth reviewing the other methods of importing a firearm into Canada. As many of you already know, for several years, nonresident hunters have been dealing with that now all-too-familiar Non-Resident Firearm Declaration. This triplicate form must be completed and presented to customs officials. A gunowner must then submit his firearms for inspection. He is likely to be subjected to additional interrogation; and last but not least (assuming he and his firearms are cleared by the inspectors), he has to pay a fee that entitles him to a temporary possession license and a temporary registration certificate for his firearms. This license and registration are good for only 60 days though they may be renewed for a full year at no additional cost.
Three alternatives to the declaration have always existed. The first is simply to borrow from a licensed adult Canadian resident a legally registered firearm (and not all firearms in Canada may be registered -- another entire article could be written about the resistance to, and the failure of, Canada's curious (Firearms Act of 2000). This, however, requires the resident keeping you under his immediate and direct supervision (in the words of the Canadian Firearms Centre web site,) for........(continued)
