Regulations
The Canada Firearms Declaration Form (RCMP 5589), Step by Step
One form, twenty-five dollars, sixty days of temporary licence. Here is how to fill it and how the border actually goes.
If you are a non-resident bringing a hunting rifle into Canada, one piece of paper does the whole job: the RCMP 5589 Non-Resident Firearm Declaration. Filled out correctly and witnessed by a border officer, it acts as a temporary firearms licence and a temporary registration, it costs a flat CAN$25 no matter how many long guns you bring, it is valid for 60 days, and it lets you buy ammunition while you are here. The rules it lives inside are simple to remember: non-restricted long guns only for hunting, no handguns (leave them home), and a magazine limited to 5 rounds for a semi-automatic centre-fire long gun. If you are bringing three or more firearms, you add form RCMP 5590 as a continuation sheet. This is the single most common firearm question we get from hunters flying in, so here is the form walked through end to end, including exactly how arrival day goes. This complements our broader bringing firearms into Canada guide, which covers the wider trip.
What the 5589 is and what it does
The RCMP 5589 is a Non-Resident Firearm Declaration. It is the mechanism that lets a visiting hunter legally bring a firearm into Canada without holding a Canadian firearms licence. Once it is completed and confirmed by a Canada Border Services Agency officer at your point of entry, it does double duty: it works as a temporary firearms licence for you and as a temporary registration for the firearms you listed, and it authorizes you to purchase ammunition in Canada during your stay.
It is valid for 60 days from the date it is confirmed, which comfortably covers any single hunting trip. If your circumstances need a longer window it can be extended by a chief firearms officer, but for a normal hunt the 60 days is plenty. The RCMP publishes the details on its non-resident firearms page, and the Canada Border Services Agency covers the import side on its importing firearms page.
The 5589 in one line
A completed, officer-witnessed RCMP 5589 is a flat CAN$25, valid 60 days, and acts as your temporary firearms licence and registration. Non-restricted long guns only, no handguns, 5-round magazine cap on semi-auto centre-fire long guns.
What you can and cannot bring
The 5589 covers non-restricted firearms, which for a hunter means ordinary long guns: your bolt-action, lever-action, pump or break-action hunting rifles and shotguns. It does not open the door to handguns, and it does not cover restricted or prohibited firearms. The plain rule for a hunter is: bring the hunting long gun, leave the handgun at home. Trying to bring a handgun on a hunting trip is the fastest way to turn a smooth border crossing into a very bad day.
| Item | Allowed on the 5589? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-restricted long guns | Yes | Bolt, lever, pump, break-action rifles and shotguns |
| Handguns | No | Leave them home; not for the hunting declaration |
| Restricted / prohibited firearms | No | Not covered by this process |
| Magazine, semi-auto centre-fire long gun | 5-round maximum | Legal magazine capacity limit |
| Three or more firearms | Yes, add RCMP 5590 | Continuation sheet for the extra guns |
Fill it out before you travel (but do not sign it)
The single biggest time-saver is to download the 5589 and complete it before you get to the border, with one critical exception: do not sign it in advance. The declaration has to be signed in front of the border officer, who witnesses your signature, so a form signed at your kitchen table is not valid. Fill in everything else ahead of time: your details and the make, model, type and serial number of each firearm you are bringing. If you are bringing three or more firearms, complete an RCMP 5590 continuation sheet for the additional guns and keep it with the 5589.
Print the form and bring it on paper. Double-check that every serial number on the form exactly matches the firearm, because the officer will. Getting all of this done before you fly means the border interaction is a quick confirmation and a signature, not a scramble to fill out paperwork with a line building behind you.
Arrival day, step by step
Here is how the border itself goes when you have the form ready:
- Declare your firearms to the Canada Border Services Agency officer. Always declare. An undeclared firearm can be seized and the trip ends at the border.
- Present your completed but unsigned RCMP 5589 (plus the 5590 continuation sheet if you have three or more firearms).
- Sign the declaration in front of the officer, who witnesses your signature. This is the step that makes the form valid.
- Pay the flat CAN$25 fee. It is $25 total regardless of how many long guns you declared.
- Have the firearms available for the officer to confirm the make, model and serial numbers against the form.
- Keep the confirmed declaration on you for the whole trip. It is your temporary licence and registration and it lets you buy ammunition here.
After you clear the border
Once the officer confirms the declaration, you are set for 60 days. Keep the confirmed 5589 with you, in your gear or your kit, for the entire hunt, because it is the document that proves you are legally carrying the firearm and it is what a store needs to see to sell you ammunition in Canada. If you did not bring ammunition across the border, this is what lets you buy it once you are here.
The rest of the trip is just hunting. When you head home, you keep your firearms with you as you leave, and the declaration simply lapses at the end of its term. On our hunts the firearm paperwork is a normal part of getting a flying hunter into camp, and we are glad to point you to the right forms and answer questions before you travel. For the wider firearm and travel picture, including transport and storage, see our bringing firearms into Canada guide, and if you are weighing a bow or crossbow instead, our crossbow hunting in Canada note explains why those skip this form entirely.
Common questions
Q. What is the RCMP 5589 form?
It is the Non-Resident Firearm Declaration. Completed and witnessed by a border officer, it acts as a temporary firearms licence and registration for a visiting hunter, lets you buy ammunition in Canada, and is valid for 60 days. It is the standard way a non-resident brings a hunting rifle into the country.
Q. How much does the non-resident firearm declaration cost?
A flat CAN$25, regardless of how many long guns you declare. Whether you bring one rifle or several, the fee is the same $25, paid at the border when the officer confirms your declaration.
Q. Can I bring a handgun to Canada for hunting?
No. The declaration covers non-restricted long guns only, the ordinary bolt, lever, pump and break-action hunting rifles and shotguns. Handguns are not part of the hunting firearm declaration. The plain rule is to leave the handgun at home.
Q. Should I sign the 5589 before I get to the border?
No. Fill in everything else in advance to save time, but the declaration must be signed in front of the border officer, who witnesses your signature. A form signed ahead of time is not valid. Bring it printed on paper, unsigned, with accurate serial numbers.
Q. How long is the firearm declaration valid?
Sixty days from the date the border officer confirms it, which covers any normal hunting trip. It can be extended by a chief firearms officer if you need longer, but for a single hunt the 60 days is plenty.
Q. What do I do at the border with my rifle?
Declare it to the border officer, present your completed but unsigned 5589 (plus a 5590 continuation sheet for three or more firearms), sign in front of the officer, pay the $25 fee, and have the firearms available so serial numbers can be confirmed. Then keep the confirmed form with you for the trip.
Q. Is there a magazine capacity limit?
Yes. A semi-automatic centre-fire long gun is limited to a 5-round magazine in Canada. Make sure any magazine you bring complies before you travel, since that is checked as part of the firearm rules.
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