Frequently asked questions.

  • We welcome all students to our classroom! You do not need to be a Canadian citizen to take our courses, however you must have valid government ID.

    Minors aged 12-17 years old can take the Canadian Firearm Safety Course (CFSC) and Ontario Hunter Education Program Course (OHEP) with parental consent.

    You must be 18 years or older to take the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) or our Combined CFSC & CRFSC course.

  • If you plan to join a shooting range, we recommend taking both the CFSC & CRFSC (offered as a combined course).

    If you plan to get into Hunting, then you should take the CFSC and OHEP courses.

    If you’re required to get a PAL for work/job opportunities (ie. CBSA, security, law enforcement), then you should take the combined CFSC & CRFSC course.

  • Combined CFSC & CRFSC: $340.00 + tax
    CFSC: $190 + tax
    OHEP: $110.62 + tax
    Stand-alone CRFSC: $190 + tax
    Please visit our courses page for more information.

  • We run both weekend and weekday courses. Visit our booking page to see our full schedule.

    The non-restricted (CFSC) course is 8 hours, typically runs 8:30am - 6:30pm (followed by exam).

    The restricted (CRFSC) course is 4-6 hours (depending on whether it is stand-alone or part of a combined course), and runs either 9:00am - 4:00pm (combined) or 8:30am - 5:00pm (stand-alone).

    The Hunter education course (OHEP) is 7 hours, typically runs 8:30am - 5:00pm.

  • Bookings can be changed or cancelled for no penalty up to 3 days before the date of your course. Change of date requests should be sent to info@bentsafety.ca or by phone at (416) 452-3072.

    If you do not show up or cancel without sufficient notification, your payment will not be refunded.

  • Yes, we offer private courses for groups of 8-14 students. Generally our weekends are already booked for public courses, so private courses would be held during the week, either during the day or over a few weeknights.

    CFSC can be held either in one day (8:30am-6:30pm) or over 3 weeknights (6:30pm-10:00pm each night). CRFSC can be held in one day (9:00am-4:00pm) or over 2 weeknights (6:30pm-10:00pm each night).

    Please send us an e-mail if you’d like to set up a private course.

  • Yes, both Russell Bent and Walter Bent are certified by the Chief Firearms Officer of Ontario (CFO) and the Firearm Safety Education Service of Ontario (FSESO) to teach the CFSC & CRFSC courses.

    Russell and Walter are also certified by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) to teach the Ontario Hunter Education Course.

  • Once you receive your proof of completing the course from the FSESO, you can apply for your firearms licence (PAL) through the RCMP. You can submit application either by mail, or online through the RCMP web portal.

    For more details please visit: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/apply-a-firearms-licence

  • Once you receive your certified of completion (~24 hours after finishing the course), you can visit a participating Service Ontario to get your Outdoors Card and purchase any hunting licences/tags.

    For more details please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-outdoors-card-and-licence-summary

  • If it has been less than a year since you completed your CFSC or CRFSC, then you can contact the FSESO for a replacement. Please see details here: https://fseso.org/courses/#replacement-student-course-report

    If you did not receive your Hunter Education certificate, please e-mail us at russ@bentsafety.ca and we can send a replacement.

  • Yes, all hunters in Ontario must take the Ontario Hunter Education Course and pass the test in order to hunt in Ontario. This applies whether you’re hunting on your own property, any private property, or crown land.

  • The course paperwork does NOT expire, so as long as you do not lose your course paperwork then you do not need to take the course again.

    If you did lose your course paperwork but it has been less than a year since you completed your CFSC or CRFSC, then you can contact the FSESO for a replacement. Please see details here: https://fseso.org/courses/#replacement-student-course-report

  • The RCMP Canadian Firearms Program determines the classification of firearms in Canada. Please visit their website for full details here: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/index-eng.htm

    Generally, a non-restricted firearm is a long gun (ie. ordinary rifle or shotgun) that is not prescribed as being restricted or prohibited.

    Generally, a restricted firearm is a handgun that is not a prohibited firearm, but restricted firearms also include some rifles and shotguns depending on their length or nature.

  • Yes, you can still take the restricted firearms safety course! Handguns are not “banned,” but there is currently a freeze on the registration of handguns as per Bill C-21. However, it is still worthwhile to get your restricted license (R-PAL) for a few reasons:

    - With an R-PAL you can still borrow and use handguns at a range!
    - You can still buy and use many restricted rifles and shotguns!
    - Many shooting ranges require their members to have an R-PAL, even if they do not plan to shoot restricted firearms
    - Having an R-PAL helps “future-proof” yourself in the event one of your non-restricted rifles/shotguns gets reclassified
    - Cost-Savings – You save money on both the CRFSC course price and the PAL application if you do both courses together and apply once, rather than doing the courses separately and doing two separate applications