Based on more than 30,000 applications tracked by TrackMyApp (data updated July 2026), these are typical waiting times:
- Competency certificate: about 30 to 90 days.
- New firearm license: about 130 to 180 days.
- From your first training day to license in hand: about 6 to 9 months.
The biggest causes of delays
- The national licensing section's backlog
- Missing or incorrect documents
- Background checks
- Bottlenecks at provincial offices
- System outages
How to avoid adding to the wait
- Use the document checklists in LicenseWatch before you go to the station.
- Make sure every serial number and detail matches the firearm exactly.
- Get your reference number. If you didn't get an SMS, ask your DFO.
- After 90 working days with no movement, ask your association to follow up. LicenseWatch counts the days for you.