Restricted-firearms questions based on the RCMP handbook, the Firearms Act and its regulations, with a source for every answer
Practice on the go and jump straight back to where you left off.
About the course
The Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course is the course you take to be eligible for a licence that authorizes restricted firearms, such as handguns. This free practice test follows the course content: classes, storage and display, transport and authorizations to transport, handgun handling, range rules, ammunition and care, and licence and legal duties. Some basics, such as PROVE, ammunition and range rules, overlap with the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, which has its own page: CFSC practice test.
Many people take the course because they hunt or shoot. If you are also preparing for hunting licences, our Ontario hunter education practice test and BC CORE hunter education practice test cover firearm-handling and safety basics that overlap with this course, though neither replaces it.
It has 195 original questions written from the RCMP student handbook (5th edition, 2014), the Firearms Act and its regulations and the Criminal Code, with a source named in every explanation. The 50-question, 60-minute, 80% settings are ExamHub practice settings: the RCMP does not publish the written-test format, so this is not the real test. The course also has a practical handling test, which this site does not cover.
What's covered
ATT means authorization to transport. RPAL means restricted firearms licence, the licence that lets you possess restricted firearms.
Minimum age: under section 8 of the Firearms Act, an individual under 18 is not eligible for a licence to possess restricted firearms, so an RPAL needs you to be 18 or older. Licences for ages 12 to 17 cover non-restricted firearms only (Justice Laws, Firearms Act, s. 8).
Try a few
Sample questions from the bank. Use the interactive module above for the timed practice test.
Why: A handgun is restricted unless it falls in the prohibited class. A 160 mm barrel and .22 calibre keep this pistol out of the prohibited class.
Why: The regulation requires a device that can be opened only by a key or by setting a combination and that, when applied, prevents the firearm from being discharged.
Why: On renewal, the holder of a restricted licence must be authorized to transport a restricted firearm within the province of residence to and from all approved shooting clubs and ranges, except firearms acquired for a collection.
Why: The Handbook says not to handle a firearm unless you can PROVE it safe, and to do so every time you handle a firearm for any reason.
Why: On cease-fire all firing stops at once, firearms are unloaded with actions opened and laid down with muzzles pointed down range, and the shooter steps back.
FAQ
The Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) is the course an individual must complete to be eligible for a licence that authorizes restricted firearms. Section 7(2) of the Firearms Act says the course must be approved by the federal Minister and given by an instructor designated by a chief firearms officer, with any tests that form part of it. Source: Firearms Act, s. 7(2), read 7 Nov 2026.
A licence needs the CFSC under section 7(1) of the Firearms Act, and a licence that authorizes restricted firearms also needs the restricted course under section 7(2). This page covers only the restricted-firearms material; the CFSC has its own practice test on ExamHub (see the CFSC page). Source: Firearms Act, s. 7(1) and 7(2), read 7 Nov 2026.
The RCMP says the CRFSC includes a written test and a practical test, and candidates must pass both. The RCMP handbook and the RCMP pages we read do not publish the number of questions, the pass mark or a time limit. Course providers such as SAMS Training describe a written test of about 50 true/false and multiple-choice questions, and providers such as SAMS Training and the College of the North Atlantic describe an 80% pass mark on the written test. Details vary by provider, so confirm them with your designated instructor. This practice test uses 50 questions, 60 minutes and an 80% pass mark as ExamHub practice settings; they are ours, not official figures. Sources: RCMP, Firearms safety courses; RCMP CRFSC handbook; SAMS Training FAQ; College of the North Atlantic, Firearms FAQs (course providers, not official), read 10 Nov 2026.
Yes. The RCMP says the CRFSC includes a practical test as well as a written test, and candidates must pass both. This site covers the written knowledge only; the practical handling test is done in person with your instructor, so ask them how it works. Source: RCMP, Firearms safety courses, read 10 Nov 2026.
It has 195 questions in seven areas: classes and definitions (20), storage and display (24), transport and ATTs (26), handgun handling (30), range rules (28), ammunition and care (35) and licence and legal duties (32). It follows the CRFSC course content; some basics (PROVE, ammunition, range rules) overlap with the CFSC. The area mix is our own practice mix, because no official blueprint is published. Sources: ExamHub question bank; RCMP, Firearms safety courses (no blueprint published), read 10 Nov 2026.
Under section 17 of the Firearms Act, a restricted firearm whose registration certificate is held by an individual may be possessed only at the dwelling-house recorded in the Canadian Firearms Registry or at a place authorized by a chief firearms officer, subject to the transport and carry rules in sections 19 and 20. How it must be stored, displayed and transported is set out in the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations (SOR/98-209). Sources: Firearms Act, s. 17; SOR/98-209, read 7 Nov 2026.
An authorization to transport is issued by a chief firearms officer for a good and sufficient reason, such as moving to a new residence, repair, storage, sale or taking a restricted firearm to a gun show. Some trips are authorized automatically, for example to an approved shooting range within the holder's province. The ATT regulations (SOR/98-206) set conditions such as a reasonably direct route. Sources: Firearms Act, s. 19; SOR/98-206; RCMP, Authorization to transport, read 7 Nov 2026.
Section 12.2 of the Firearms Act, as shown on the Justice Laws website on 7 Nov 2026, says a registration certificate for a handgun must not be issued to an individual. This was added in 2023, so in general an individual can no longer register a new handgun, and you cannot count on being able to buy one. The RCMP says individuals can continue to possess and use the registered handguns they currently own, while transfers to individuals are limited to identified exempt groups (RCMP, What you need to know: changes to handgun transfers, modified 13 Jan 2025, read 10 Nov 2026).
Rules in this area change, so confirm the current position with the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program or your chief firearms officer before you buy or transfer a handgun. Source: Firearms Act, s. 12.2, Justice Laws, read 7 Nov 2026.
Many are, and each question names its source and section. The handbook is the 5th edition of 2014, so where it differs from current law, the questions follow current law: the Firearms Act and its regulations and the Criminal Code as shown on the Justice Laws site on 7 Nov 2026. Handbook material that current law has overtaken is not used. Sources: RCMP, Canadian Firearms Safety Course Modules Student Handbook, 5th edition (2014); Firearms Act and Criminal Code, Justice Laws, read 7 Nov 2026.
No. ExamHub is an independent study resource, not affiliated with the RCMP or the Canadian Firearms Program, and the questions are original, not the real test questions. You must take the course from an instructor designated by a chief firearms officer to qualify for a licence. Sources: Firearms Act, s. 7(2), Justice Laws; RCMP, Firearms safety courses, read 10 Nov 2026.
Sources
Checked on 11 Nov 2026. Always confirm current details with the official pages.