Applying for a Canadian Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) and need the firearms licence photo? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) asks for a 45×57 mm photo — that is 1 3/4 × 2 1/4 inches (4.5×5.7 cm) — with your head at least 30 mm tall on a plain white or light-coloured background. Upload a recent portrait and IDPhotoBy sizes and crops it to that spec. It is free — no payment required.
One honest note: this is a print specification for the paper application. IDPhotoBy makes a print-ready 45×57 mm file — download it, print one photo, write your name on the back, and (for a new application) have your guarantor sign the back before you mail it to the RCMP.
The RCMP's firearms licence photo requirements are set by the Canadian Firearms Program. The RCMP will reject a photo that doesn't meet them, so check yours against this list before you print:
- Size 45×57 mm — 1 3/4 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches high (4.5×5.7 cm), in portrait (vertical) orientation.
- Head at least 30 mm high — a minimum (about 1 3/16 inches); the RCMP sets no maximum head height.
- Plain white or light-coloured background — with no texture or objects behind you.
- Neutral expression — you are not smiling or frowning, your mouth is closed, and your eyes are open and clearly visible.
- Face and shoulders centred and squared to the camera — not tilted in any direction.
- Taken within the last 12 months — it must reflect how you look now.
- Colour or black and white — the RCMP accepts either.
- Glasses — if you wear them, there must be no glare on the lenses and your eyes must stay clearly visible.
- You only — no group photos.
The firearms photo size is 45×57 mm — that is 4.5×5.7 cm, or 1 3/4 × 2 1/4 inches. The RCMP recommends a passport-type photo and states the size as a maximum (not larger than 45×57 mm), so a photo made to exactly 45×57 mm fits. IDPhotoBy outputs a 1063×1346 px file at 600 dpi, which prints at exactly 45×57 mm.
- Take or choose a recent, well-lit portrait against a plain white or light-coloured wall — the Canadian firearms licence document is already selected on this page.
- Upload it and IDPhotoBy sizes and crops it to 45×57 mm, with your head at least 30 mm tall and your shoulders centred.
- Preview the result — check the head size, the plain background, and that your eyes are clearly visible with no glare on any glasses.
- Download the finished photo free and print it for your application.
The free PAL photo maker also works as a size checker and resizer for a photo you already have — no app to download.
A firearms licence photo needs a guarantor's signature on the back. On a new application, you write your name on the back of the printed photo and your guarantor signs the back. If you are submitting the photo with a licence renewal, a photo guarantor signature is not required. IDPhotoBy prepares the photo itself — the name and signature are steps you complete on the printed copy.
The 45×57 mm photo is for the paper firearms licence application, which you mail to the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program. Print the finished photo, add your name and the guarantor signature on the back where required, and include it with your application. (Applying online instead? The RCMP uses a digital photo file for that channel — a separate specification from this printed one.)
IDPhotoBy sizes and crops the photo you upload to the 45×57 mm firearms-licence standard. It does not retouch, beautify or edit your face — the RCMP requires an original photo that is not altered in any way, so use a straight, unedited portrait taken against a plain, light background.
We make no acceptance promise — no tool can. The photo is prepared to the RCMP's published requirements, and the Canadian Firearms Program decides.
Requirements can change — check the RCMP's official firearms-licence photo requirements before you submit your application; they are the final authority.
