Free New Brunswick Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
New Brunswick's firearms are hunting tools first, and the province's bilingual reality means a bill of sale should be readable by both parties in the language they actually use. The legal core, though, is federal and non-negotiable: since May 18, 2022, transferring a non-restricted firearm requires the seller to contact the RCMP Registrar, verify the buyer's licence is valid, and obtain a REFERENCE NUMBER before the firearm changes hands. There is no provincial registry; the Chief Firearms Officer handles licence conditions and Authorizations to Transport.
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New Brunswick Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Tax Details
GST/HST may apply on firearms sales if the seller is a GST registrant. Private individual-to-individual sales are typically exempt from sales tax.
Exemption: Transfers between immediate family members (spouse, child, parent, sibling) may qualify for an HST exemption with a sworn statutory declaration. Confirm current eligibility with Service NB.
Inspection Requirements
No safety inspection is required for private firearm sales, but both parties must comply with the Firearms Act (Canada).
New Brunswick Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Write the bill of sale in the language both parties genuinely read — or bilingually.
- Confirm the buyer's PAL is valid for the class of firearm being sold (RPAL for restricted).
- Contact the RCMP Registrar to verify the licence and obtain the reference number — mandatory since May 18, 2022.
- Record the reference number, both licence numbers, the price and date on the document.
- Identify the firearm: make, model, action, calibre or gauge, barrel length, serial number.
- Restricted firearm? RCMP registration to the new owner plus an ATT from New Brunswick's Chief Firearms Officer.
- Both parties sign and keep copies of a document they can each read.
Common Pitfalls
- Handing a unilingual document to a party who reads the other official language — comprehension is a contract issue in New Brunswick.
- Skipping the Registrar verification because the buyer is known locally: the requirement applies to every non-restricted transfer.
- Forgetting the reference number on the bill of sale.
- Confusing the provincial CFO's role (licence conditions, ATTs) with the federal Registrar's (transfer verification).
Pro Tip
New Brunswick asks two things of a firearm sale: the federal reference number, and a document both parties can actually read. Neither is optional in practice.