Free Quebec Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
Quebec is the only province that layers a provincial firearms registry on top of the federal rules, and a private sale must satisfy both. Federally, since May 18, 2022, the seller of a non-restricted firearm must contact the RCMP Registrar to verify the buyer's licence and obtain a REFERENCE NUMBER before the transfer is legal. Provincially, the Firearms Registration Act requires non-restricted firearms in Quebec to be registered with the Québec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF) — so after the sale, the new owner's registration has to move too. The bill of sale is the record that ties both obligations together.
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Quebec 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: Gifts between related individuals (spouses, and people related by blood, marriage or adoption) are exempt from QST when both sign Revenu Québec form VD-80.1-V. Vehicles passed on from an estate are also exempt.
Inspection Requirements
No safety inspection is required for private firearm sales, but both parties must comply with the Firearms Act (Canada).
Quebec Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Seller: verify the buyer holds a valid firearms licence (PAL/RPAL) for the class of firearm being sold.
- Seller: contact the RCMP Registrar to verify the licence and obtain the REFERENCE NUMBER — mandatory for non-restricted transfers since May 18, 2022. Record it on the bill of sale.
- Record the firearm precisely: make, model, type, calibre/gauge, barrel length, and serial number.
- Register the change with the Québec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF) — Quebec's Firearms Registration Act requires non-restricted firearms in the province to be registered.
- Restricted firearm? The transfer also requires RCMP registration in the buyer's name, and transport is governed by an Authorization to Transport from the provincial Chief Firearms Officer.
- Both parties sign the bill of sale and keep copies with the reference number recorded.
- Note: firearms in Quebec for 45 days or less are exempt from SIAF registration — a detail that matters for visiting hunters, not resident buyers.
Common Pitfalls
- Skipping the federal reference number: since May 2022 a non-restricted transfer without the Registrar's verification is not a legal transfer, no matter how good the bill of sale is.
- Forgetting SIAF entirely: Quebec is the one province with its own registry, and the obligation follows the firearm to its new owner.
- Assuming a pre-2018 firearm is exempt: the SIAF obligation applies even to firearms owned before the registry existed.
- Handing over a firearm to someone whose licence you have not verified — the seller carries that legal exposure.
Pro Tip
A Quebec firearm sale answers to two registries: the RCMP's reference number before the transfer, and SIAF's registration after it. Record both on the bill of sale and the deal is clean at every level.