How to Fill Out the Non-Resident Firearm Declaration (Form RCMP 5589)

To fill out RCMP Form 5589, the Non-Resident Firearm Declaration, download it from the RCMP website, complete Sections A through C at home, and leave the signature line in Section D blank until you are standing in front of a Canada Border Services Agency officer at the port of entry. The officer inspects your firearms against what you wrote, watches you sign, collects a $25 CAD fee, and stamps the form. That stamped copy is your temporary firearms license and registration certificate for up to 60 days.¹

Check First Whether You Even Need the Form

You must be at least 18 to import or use a firearm in Canada.² If you already hold a valid Canadian Possession and Acquisition Licence, along with registration certificates for any restricted firearms, skip Form 5589 and make an oral declaration at the border at no charge.¹ Everyone else uses the written declaration.

Only non-restricted and restricted firearms are eligible. Prohibited firearms — fully automatic weapons, converted automatics, and other items on Canada’s prohibited list — cannot be imported by visitors and will be seized at the border.² If you are not sure where your firearm falls, check the federal Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons before you travel. Restricted firearms (most handguns, certain semi-automatic rifles) can come in, but they need an Authorization to Transport in addition to Form 5589. More on that below.

Section A: Personal Information

Enter your last name, first name, middle name, date of birth in year-month-day format, and gender.

Box 4 asks why you are bringing firearms into Canada. Check one: hunting, competition, in transit, protection against wildlife, or “other” with a written explanation.

Box 5 asks for your address. If you will be in Canada fewer than 60 days, use your home address outside Canada. For stays longer than 60 days, use your address in Canada.

Box 6 records one piece of photo identification. Write the type (passport, driver’s license, and so on), the province, state, or country that issued it, and the ID number. Bring that same ID with you — the officer will match it against the form.

Section B: Firearm Details

Enter the total number of firearms you are importing, then complete the following for each one:³

Type: shotgun, rifle, combination gun, handgun, or “other” with a description.
Make: the manufacturer, such as Remington or Browning.
Serial number, exactly as stamped on the firearm.
Gauge or calibre.
Barrel length in millimetres or inches.
Action: break open, bolt, semi-automatic, pump, lever, or “other.”

The main form has space for two firearms. If you are bringing more, attach a completed Continuation Sheet, RCMP Form 5590, which is only valid when stapled to the main declaration.⁴ Additional continuation sheets are available by calling the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 from Canada or the U.S., or 1-506-624-6626 from elsewhere.⁵

Two extra boxes appear for restricted firearms: the Authorization to Transport number and its expiration date. Leave those blank if you are only bringing non-restricted firearms.

Section C: Ammunition, Magazines, and Parts

Check the boxes that apply if you are importing ammunition (other than prohibited ammunition), cartridge magazines (other than prohibited devices), or firearm parts. Skipping this section when you are actually carrying ammunition creates a mismatch between your paperwork and what the officer finds when they inspect your vehicle.

Quantity matters here too. With a confirmed declaration, non-residents can bring up to 200 rounds duty-free for hunting, or up to 1,500 rounds duty-free for a recognized shooting competition. The ammunition must be for personal use, must stay with you, and cannot include tracer, incendiary, or armour-piercing projectiles.²

Section D: Do Not Sign Yet

The signature line and date in Section D stay empty until you are in front of a CBSA officer. The declaration becomes a legal document only when signed in the officer’s presence. Signing it early invalidates the form, and you will start over at the border.¹

What Happens at the Border

Declare your firearms to the first CBSA officer you meet. Hand over the unsigned Form 5589, your photo ID, and produce the firearms themselves. The officer will physically inspect each one, matching serial number, make, gauge, and barrel length against your declaration.² Firearms must be unloaded and stored properly for transport.

Once the officer is satisfied, you sign the declaration in their presence and pay the $25 CAD fee. Accepted payment methods include cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, traveller’s cheques, debit card, and personal cheques.³ The officer stamps and signs the form and returns your copy. Keep it on you whenever you are with your firearms; law enforcement or wildlife officers can ask to see it at any point during your stay.

If You Are Bringing a Restricted Firearm

A restricted firearm — most commonly a handgun for a shooting competition — needs an Authorization to Transport in addition to Form 5589. Contact the Chief Firearms Officer of the province where you plan to enter Canada well before your trip.⁶ The RCMP does not publish a guaranteed processing time, so build in several weeks. The Canadian Firearms Program line (1-800-731-4000) can start the process or route you to the right provincial office.⁵

Once you have the ATT, put its number and expiration date in the restricted-firearm boxes on Form 5589. The officer will verify the ATT before confirming your declaration. Restricted firearms also require the ATT on you throughout transit inside Canada, along with a locked, opaque container and a secure locking device such as a trigger or cable lock.⁷

How Long the Form Lasts, and How to Renew It

A confirmed declaration is valid for 60 days from the date the officer signs it.² That window covers most hunting seasons and multi-day competitions.

If you need more time, renew the declaration for free before it expires by contacting the Chief Firearms Officer of the province or territory where you are staying.¹ Renewal must happen before day 60. Once the declaration lapses, possessing the firearm without a current license or declaration exposes you to potential criminal charges under the Firearms Act.

Before You Leave the United States

Form 5589 handles the Canadian side. U.S. residents have separate obligations on the American side. Temporary export of a personal firearm in checked baggage for legitimate recreational use may qualify for an exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, but you still submit an Electronic Export Information declaration through the Automated Export System at least eight hours before your scheduled departure.⁸

To avoid problems on the way home, register your firearms with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Form 4457, the Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad, before you leave. Present each firearm to a CBP officer, who signs the form and returns it to you. When you re-enter the United States, show the signed Form 4457 to prove the firearms originated in the U.S.⁹ Form 4457 does nothing at the Canadian border; Form 5589 is still required there.

1
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Non-residents
2
Canada Border Services Agency. Firearms and weapons: Canadian border requirements
3
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. RCMP Form 5589 Non-Resident Firearm Declaration
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Non-Resident Firearm Declaration Continuation Sheet
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Contact the Canadian Firearms Program
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authorization to transport
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Department of Justice Canada. Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Permanently exporting a firearm, gun, handgun, rifle, shotgun, pistol, etc.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Temporarily taking a firearm or ammunition outside the United States