How to Use the RCMP Firearms Reference Table (FRT)

By Travis Bader, Silvercore Outdoors

Last updated: 13 November 2026

The Firearms Reference Table (FRT) is an administrative document maintained by the RCMP that identifies firearms and records how the Canadian Firearms Program has assessed their classification. The public cannot use the online version. Anyone can download a PDF copy from the RCMP Firearms Reference Table page and search it for a firearm.

What is the Firearms Reference Table and who maintains it?

The FRT is the RCMP's reference tool for identifying and describing firearms. The 2025 Commissioner of Firearms Report calls it a "single-source reference tool that helps identify and describe firearms." The same report says the table holds more than 211,000 individual records, that 3,382 records were added and 1,491 were updated in 2025, and that domestic and international law enforcement agencies use it.

The Government of Canada described the table in the Canada Gazette, Part II (SOR/2024-276) as an administrative database, maintained by the RCMP, in which the Canadian Firearms Program's classification assessments of firearms are recorded.

The same notice says records are amended when the law or the regulations change. Silvercore Club members get regulatory updates by email, and the Silvercore Club is open to anyone, with or without a PAL.

Can the public access the FRT?

Yes, as a PDF download. The RCMP page states: "Access to the online Firearms Reference Table is only for users authorized by the RCMP." The online table is for law enforcement, public agents and approved firearm verifiers.

For everyone else, the RCMP page says members of the public can download the Firearms Reference Table. On 13 November 2026 that page offered:

• the Firearms Reference Table as a PDF, 233 MB, marked "Last updated: 2026-11-02"
• the May 2020 prohibited firearms list (SOR/2020-96)
• the December 2024 prohibited firearms list (SOR/2024-248)
• the March 2025 prohibited firearms list (SOR/2025-0086)

The RCMP page tells policing agencies, public agents and firearm verifiers to use the online table and not the PDF "to ensure you are accessing the most up-to-date information." A licence holder reading the PDF should check the "Last updated" date beside the download.

How do I look up a firearm in the FRT?

Download the PDF from the RCMP page and search it for your firearm. Step by step:

1. Open the RCMP Firearms Reference Table page and go to "Access to the Firearms Reference Table for the public".
2. Read "Legal disclaimer for public use" on the same page.
3. Download the Firearms Reference Table PDF. The file is large, so allow time for it.
4. Open the file in Adobe Reader. The RCMP page says: "For best results, download and open this document in Adobe Reader."
5. Use the search function in Adobe Reader to find the manufacturer and model names marked on your firearm.
6. Read the record you find, and write down the "Last updated" date shown beside the download on the RCMP page.
7. If the record does not match your firearm, or you have a question about it, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000.

What is an FRT number?

An FRT number is the Firearms Reference Table number for a firearm, and RCMP registration paperwork asks for it. The information sheet for RCMP form 5624, Application to Register Firearms (for Individuals), states: "The approved verifier must provide the Firearms Reference Table (FRT) number." It adds: "To obtain an FRT number, contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1 800 731-4000." The same sheet refers to "parent" and "child" records in the table.

Is the FRT the law?

No. The RCMP page states: "The Firearms Reference Table is not a legal instrument." It describes the table as "an administrative document created by the RCMP's firearms experts", who conducted technical assessments of firearms based on three sources:

• the definitions set out in the Criminal Code
• the firearms prescribed in the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted (SOR/98-462)
• the Firearms Act

The RCMP page says the Act and Regulations are "the prevailing legal authority with respect to firearm classification."

Subsection 84(1) of the Criminal Code defines the three classes. A non-restricted firearm is "a firearm that is neither a prohibited firearm nor a restricted firearm." The definitions of prohibited firearm and restricted firearm each include a paragraph (d) covering firearms "prescribed" to be in that class, and SOR/98-462 is the regulation that prescribes them. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Our pages on the difference between non-restricted and restricted firearms and which firearms are restricted in Canada explain the classes.

What the Silvercore Club gives an owner who follows classification

FRT records are amended when the law or the regulations change. Silvercore Club members get regulatory updates by email, and membership provides direct access to the Silvercore team to help answer any questions. Every member in good standing also carries $5 million in individual third-party liability coverage for lawful firearms use. Membership is $59 a year, billed annually, and anyone can join, with or without a PAL. Join the Silvercore Club.

What if a record's classification has changed?

Contact the Canadian Firearms Program. The Canada Gazette notice states that the program may amend its assessment and update the corresponding FRT record in accordance with the Criminal Code and its regulations. It says records are amended or updated "in response to legislative or regulatory change, or when new technical information is received."

The RCMP contact page lists the national contact centre:

• 1-800-731-4000 within Canada and the United States
• 1-506-624-6626 from outside Canada and the United States
• Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm

The Firearms Reference Table page lists the email address [email protected] under "Contact us". It also shows extension 1082, which the RCMP contact page labels as the support line for law enforcement access to the table, so a member of the public calls the national contact centre. Have the make, the model and the "Last updated" date of your PDF ready when you call.

What if my firearm is not listed?

Contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000. The public PDF carries a "Last updated" date, and the Commissioner of Firearms Report counts 3,382 records added in 2025. Form 5624 directs applicants to the same number to obtain an FRT number.

Where are the lists of prohibited firearms?

The RCMP page offers the May 2020, December 2024 and March 2025 prohibited firearms lists as separate PDF downloads beside the table. Silvercore covers them on two pages: Canada's 2020, 2024 and 2025 regulations compared and the complete list of newly prohibited firearms.

Frequently asked questions

What does FRT stand for in Canada?

FRT stands for Firearms Reference Table. The RCMP maintains it, and the Commissioner of Firearms Report describes it as a reference tool that helps identify and describe firearms. It records the Canadian Firearms Program's assessments of whether a firearm is non-restricted, restricted or prohibited under the Criminal Code and its regulations.

Can the public search the FRT online?

No. The RCMP states that access to the online Firearms Reference Table is only for users authorized by the RCMP. Members of the public can download a PDF copy of the table from the RCMP Firearms Reference Table page and search that file on their own computer. The RCMP recommends opening it in Adobe Reader.

Is the FRT a legal document?

No. The RCMP states that the Firearms Reference Table is not a legal instrument. It is an administrative document. Classification comes from the definitions in subsection 84(1) of the Criminal Code and the firearms prescribed in regulation SOR/98-462. The RCMP names the Act and Regulations as the prevailing legal authority on firearm classification.

What is an FRT number?

An FRT number is the Firearms Reference Table number for a firearm. RCMP form 5624, the application to register firearms for individuals, has a box for it and says an approved verifier must provide it. The form says to contact the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 to obtain an FRT number.

Who do I call about a firearm's classification?

Call the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 from Canada or the United States, or 1-506-624-6626 from outside both countries. The contact centre is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. The RCMP Firearms Reference Table page also lists the email address [email protected].

The Silvercore Path

• Join the Silvercore Club
• Non-Restricted vs Restricted vs Prohibited Firearms in Canada
• Which Firearms Are Restricted in Canada?
• What Guns Are Legal in Canada?
• Canada's 2020, 2024 and 2025 Regulations Compared
• The Complete List of Newly Prohibited Firearms in Canada