PAL Photo Requirements in Canada

Oct 24, 2026

Information & Education

By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.

Last updated: 24 October 2026

Your PAL photo must be 45 mm wide by 57 mm high, with your head at least 30 mm high, on a plain white or light-coloured background, and taken no more than 12 months before you submit your application. For a first PAL, a photo guarantor who has known you for at least one year writes their full name and signs the back of the photo. Renewals need no guarantor signature.

What size does the photo have to be?

The RCMP sets these dimensions on its photo requirements page:

Photo size: 45 mm wide by 57 mm high (1 3/4 by 2 1/4 inches).
Head height: at least 30 mm (1 3/16 inches).
Orientation: portrait (vertical).
Colour: colour or black and white.
Age: taken no more than 12 months before you submit the application.

The paper first-PAL form, RCMP 5592 (edition 2026-01), words the size rule as "must not be larger than 45 mm x 57 mm" and tells you to cut the photo to fit. The RCMP recommends a digital passport-type photo and asks you to submit the digital file if you have had passport photos taken.

What does the photo have to look like?

From the RCMP photo requirements page and the photo instructions on form RCMP 5592:

Plain white or light-coloured background.
Face and shoulders centred and squared to the camera, not tilted.
Neutral expression: eyes open and clearly visible, looking straight at the camera, mouth closed, not smiling or frowning.
Clear, sharp and in focus, with uniform lighting and no shadows, glare or flash reflections. The form tells you to stand in natural sunlight 0.5 metres from the background to avoid shadows.
Natural skin tone, and an original photo not altered in any way.
You alone in the frame.
Not a photo of another photograph or of a piece of government ID.
Digitally produced photos printed on photo-quality paper.

Can I wear glasses or a head covering?

Glasses are accepted if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare on the lenses. Sunglasses and tinted glasses are rejected, including prescription lenses, even when your eyes are visible. Red-eye and red-eye alterations are rejected.

The RCMP web page accepts hats and head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons, if your full face is clearly visible and the covering casts no shadow on your face. Other hats are rejected. Headwear or a nasal cannula worn for medical reasons may appear if your eyes remain clearly visible. If you are photographed in a wheelchair, use a plain white background, and place a plain white covering over any headrest (RCMP photo requirements). The paper form 5592 says "Do not wear a hat or sunglasses" and lists no exceptions. The religious and medical exception appears on the RCMP web page.

What goes on the back of a first PAL photo?

The photo instructions on form RCMP 5592 set out the label steps:

Cut the photo to fit the size requirements.
Print your name and your guarantor's name on the sticker.
Have your guarantor sign the sticker and complete the Photo Guarantor section of your application.
Attach the sticker to the back of your photo.
Enclose the photograph with your application.

Your photo guarantor must have known you for at least one year and must be at least 18 years old. Your conjugal partner or one of your references may be your photo guarantor. The guarantor declares on the form that their name and signature on the back of the photograph confirm that it accurately identifies you.

What changes for a renewal?

The RCMP states that a photo guarantor signature is not required when you submit your photo with a licence renewal application (RCMP photo requirements).

What are the rules for a digital photo?

The RCMP photo requirements page sets these rules for a digital photo file:

File type: JPG or JPEG.
File size: no smaller than 200 KB and no larger than 6 MB.
Dimensions: 45 mm by 57 mm, with your head at least 30 mm high.

What happens if my photo is rejected?

The RCMP states it will reject a photo that does not meet its requirements. A rejected photo means a new submission, which delays processing of your application. Check every point above before you send it.

Mail your photo with your paper application to: RCMP Canadian Firearms Program, PO Box 1200, Miramichi NB E1N 5Z3.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a PAL photo in Canada?

The RCMP requires a photo 45 mm wide by 57 mm high, with your head at least 30 mm high, in portrait orientation.

How old can my PAL photo be?

The photo must be taken no more than 12 months before you submit your application.

Does my PAL renewal photo need a guarantor signature?

No. The RCMP states a photo guarantor signature is not required when the photo is submitted with a licence renewal application.

Who can be my PAL photo guarantor?

Someone at least 18 years old who has known you for at least one year. Your conjugal partner or one of your references may be your photo guarantor.

What file format does the RCMP accept for a digital PAL photo?

A JPG or JPEG file no smaller than 200 KB and no larger than 6 MB, sized 45 mm by 57 mm with your head at least 30 mm high.

The Silvercore Path

Still need the course? A first PAL application needs proof you passed the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC). Silvercore's PAL course covers the CFSC and the restricted PAL course (CRFSC) for $270 plus tax, all exams included.