Free Prince Edward Island Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
Prince Edward Island has the smallest firearms community in the country and the same federal law as everywhere else — a combination that catches people out, because "everyone knows everyone" is not a legal substitute for verification. The rule that changed on May 18, 2022 is blunt: a non-restricted firearm cannot lawfully pass to the buyer until the RCMP Registrar has been asked to check that buyer's licence and has issued its reference number for the deal. No registry exists on the Island — licence conditions and transport authorizations are the Chief Firearms Officer's file.
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Prince Edward Island 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 may qualify for an HST exemption with a sworn statutory declaration. Confirm eligibility with PEI Access.
Inspection Requirements
No safety inspection is required for private firearm sales, but both parties must comply with the Firearms Act (Canada).
Prince Edward Island Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Check the class first: the buyer's PAL has to match what is being sold (an RPAL where the firearm is restricted).
- Ask the Registrar for the licence check and wait for the reference number — the transfer is not lawful without it.
- Write the reference number and both licence numbers on the document, next to the price and the date.
- Describe the gun the way the Registrar would: make and model, action, calibre or gauge, barrel length, serial.
- Small-community reality: a written record protects the relationship precisely because everyone will remember the deal.
- Selling something restricted? That adds RCMP registration in the buyer's name plus a transport authorization from the Island's CFO.
- Two signatures, two copies, one each.
Common Pitfalls
- Letting familiarity replace verification: the reference-number requirement applies on PEI exactly as in Toronto.
- Assuming the smallest province has lighter obligations — the Firearms Act is federal.
- Omitting the serial number or the reference number from the document.
- Skipping the written condition note on an older inherited gun.
Pro Tip
On PEI the buyer is probably a neighbour, and the law still wants the Registrar's reference number. Get it, write it down, and the smallest firearms market in Canada stays the simplest.