For years, getting your firearms licence in the eastern Fraser Valley meant a long drive. If you live in Agassiz, Harrison, Chilliwack or Hope, the nearest certified courses were usually in Surrey, Langley or Abbotsford — an hour or more each way, twice over a weekend course. That's a lot of highway for a two-day class.

That's changed. Canadian Firearms Academy now runs firearms safety courses in Agassiz, serving the whole eastern valley.

What you need, and in what order

Two different licences get confused constantly, so here's the short version:

  • PAL (Non-Restricted) — from the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC). This is what you need for rifles and shotguns, and it's what most hunters and sport shooters start with.
  • RPAL (Restricted) — from the CRFSC. Adds handguns and restricted firearms. You need the Non-Restricted course first, or take both together.
  • Combined — both courses over one weekend. If you think you'll eventually want handguns, doing both in one trip saves you a second weekend.

For the full breakdown see PAL vs RPAL.

How the Agassiz weekend runs

The Fraser Valley weekend is scheduled a little differently from our Surrey classes. Saturday runs 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM for everyone. Non-Restricted students then return Sunday morning, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM, to finish — so if you're taking the PAL in Agassiz, keep that Sunday morning free. The Restricted course runs Sunday afternoon from 12:30 PM, and Combined students are there for both days.

What's included

Your registration covers the electronic course manual, all training firearms and course materials, pens and paper, and both the written and practical tests. Bring government-issued photo ID and arrive about 15 minutes early. You do not need to own a firearm — you won't be using your own.

What happens after you pass

Passing the course doesn't make you licensed — it makes you eligible to apply. You then submit your application to the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program, usually through their online firearms licence service. Processing commonly takes around 90 days, so apply as soon as you've passed rather than waiting for hunting season to creep up. Our step-by-step PAL guide walks through the whole application.

Hunting in the valley? You'll need CORE too

A firearms licence lets you own and buy firearms. To hunt in BC you also need CORE (Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education) and a BC hunting licence — they're separate things. Our self-paced Online Hunting Course lets you prepare for the CORE exam from home anywhere in the valley, which saves another drive. See the CORE hunting licence in BC for how the two fit together.

Booking a Fraser Valley course

Dates, availability and online registration are on our Fraser Valley courses page. Each date on the booking calendar is labelled with its town, so you can see at a glance which classes are in Agassiz and which are in Surrey. Seats are limited — these classes are small on purpose, so people get real hands-on time.

Questions? Call 604-562-7546. For official regulations, contact the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000.