Hunting Licence Revocations in Ontario:

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Last Updated: September 21 2026

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Question:Facing a hunting charge in Ontario, does a conviction automatically cancel my hunting licence?

Answer:If you’re charged in Ontario, your hunting licence is not automatically cancelled just because of the charge; the key issue is whether you’re convicted and what exact offence the court is dealing with under Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.  For the careless firearm offence under subsection 16(1), cancellation is mandatory after conviction and the court can also prohibit you from hunting and from possessing, applying for, or obtaining hunting licences for a stated period plus require education before you can hunt again.  For many other hunting convictions, the court has a choice to restrict only licences or authorizations connected to the offence, so the written order controls what happens next.  For guidance tailored to your situation, DefendCharges.ca™ can help review likely licence consequences and next steps by phone at (647) 559-3377.

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Hunting Licence Revocations in Ontario

Facing a hunting charge in Ontario, you may be concerned that a conviction could cause you to lose your hunting licence.  Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 generally uses the word cancelled rather than revoked.  Once a licence is cancelled, that licence ends, and the court can also prevent you from hunting or obtaining another hunting licence for a period of time.

Note: Please contact DefendCharges.ca™ by phone at: (647) 559-3377 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Do not panic.  Being charged does not by itself trigger the main licence cancellation rules.  Whether your hunting licence is at risk depends on the exact offence, whether you are convicted, whether the law requires cancellation or gives the court a choice, and what the final court order says.

This page explains what hunting licence revocation or cancellation means, when cancellation is mandatory, when the court has a choice, how cancellation differs from suspension, what happens to your existing licence, how long related hunting restrictions can last, what happens during an appeal, and what you should do if your hunting privileges are at risk.  Hunting Licence Revocations is part of the Penalties & Court category.

I Have Been Charged.  Has My Hunting Licence Already Been Revoked?

Not simply because you were charged.  The main court ordered cancellation rules discussed on this page apply after a conviction, meaning a finding of guilt.

If you have received a ticket or summons but the case has not yet been resolved, check whether an earlier suspension, cancellation, court order, or other restriction already affects your hunting privileges.  Do not assume that the new charge itself has cancelled your licence.

If you are considering paying a ticket or pleading guilty, review the possible licence consequence first because a guilty plea normally results in a conviction.

What Is a Hunting Licence Revocation?

People often call this a licence revocation, but Ontario hunting law generally calls it a cancellation.  A cancelled licence ends and cannot simply be used again later.

The court can also make a separate order preventing you from hunting or from possessing, applying for, or obtaining another hunting licence for a period of time.

This means there can be two related consequences: your existing licence can be cancelled, and you can also be prohibited from hunting or obtaining another licence for the period stated by the court.

Why Does This Matter to Your Case?

Losing your hunting licence can be an important consequence separate from the fine for the charge.  The amount printed on a ticket may not show what a conviction could mean for your ability to hunt afterward.

The exact offence matters because Ontario does not automatically cancel a hunting licence after every hunting conviction.  One particular careless firearm conviction requires the court to cancel hunting licences, while for many other convictions the court has a choice about whether to restrict a licence connected with the offence.

If continuing to hunt is important to you, review the possible licence consequence before the charge is resolved.

Is Revocation the Same as Suspension?

No.  Cancellation and suspension are different.  Cancellation ends the existing licence.  Suspension temporarily prevents a licence from being used while the suspension remains in effect.

Ontario hunting law can, for example, suspend a related licence because a qualifying fine remains unpaid.  That is different from a court cancelling an existing licence after a conviction.

The practical result may look similar because both can prevent someone from hunting, but what caused the restriction and what must happen before the person can hunt again are different.

When Must the Court Cancel Your Hunting Licence?

Cancellation is mandatory after a conviction for the careless firearm offence under subsection 16(1) of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 when the firearm was possessed for the purpose of hunting or trapping.

In that situation, the court must:

• Cancel any licence authorizing you to hunt, including a trapping licence;
• Prohibit you from possessing, applying for, or obtaining a hunting licence for a period stated in the court order;
• Prohibit you from hunting during that period; and
• Require you to complete the education requirements stated in the order before you hunt or apply for a hunting licence again.

Ontario's definition of firearm for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 is broader than ordinary speech and includes an air gun, pellet gun, bow, and crossbow.  The exact charge and facts should therefore be checked rather than assuming this consequence concerns only conventional guns.

The education requirements are specified by the court.  They can include hunter education requirements and, where the offence involved a gun, the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and its tests.

Does Every Hunting Conviction Cancel Your Licence?

No.  For many other hunting convictions, the court has a choice.  It can decide whether to restrict a licence or authorization that is connected with the offence.

This power can apply after a conviction under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 and after certain convictions under the federal Fisheries Act or Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.

If the court makes an order affecting a licence or authorization you already hold, that licence or authorization must be cancelled.

The important distinction is simple: for these other convictions, the court first decides whether to make the licence restriction.  If it does and you already hold the licence covered by the order, that licence is cancelled.

Does the Licence Have to Be Related to the Offence?

Yes, where cancellation is not automatic and the court is deciding whether to make a licence order.  The licence or authorization covered by the order must be connected with the offence.

This matters if you hold several different hunting, trapping, fishing, guiding, or wildlife authorizations.  A conviction should not simply be assumed to cancel every licence you hold.

The written court order tells you exactly which licence or authorization is affected.

What Happens to Your Existing Licence if It Is Cancelled?

The cancelled licence no longer gives you legal authority to hunt.  When a separate prohibition period ends, your old cancelled licence does not automatically become valid again.

If you later become eligible to hunt again, you must have whatever current licence authority Ontario law requires at that time.  You should not rely on the old cancelled licence.

This is one of the main differences between cancellation and a temporary suspension.

How Long Can the Hunting Restriction Last?

There is no single prohibition period that applies to every licence cancellation case.  The court sets the period in its order.

For the mandatory careless firearm order, waiting until the period ends may not be enough by itself.  You must also successfully complete the education requirements stated by the court before hunting or applying for another hunting licence.

Keep the written order rather than relying on memory about when you can hunt again.  Check both the end date and any additional requirements that must be completed.

Can You Get Another Hunting Licence After a Cancellation?

Potentially, yes.  A licence cancellation does not automatically mean that you can never hunt again.

Whether you can obtain a hunting licence later depends on the court order, whether the prohibition period has ended, whether required education has been completed, and the licensing requirements in force when you apply again.

Before returning to hunting, confirm that all restrictions have ended and that you have valid current hunting authority.

What If You Are Considering Paying a Ticket or Pleading Guilty?

Find out whether a conviction could affect your hunting licence before entering a guilty plea.  Do not make the decision based only on the amount printed on the ticket.

If the charge is the careless firearm offence that triggers mandatory cancellation, losing your hunting licence is an important part of understanding what the conviction can mean.

For another hunting charge, find out whether the prosecutor may ask the court for an order affecting your hunting licence and what licence, activity, and period could be covered.

Does an Appeal Pause the Licence Cancellation?

No.  Filing an appeal does not by itself stop a licence order made under section 104.  The Act specifically provides that an appeal of the conviction does not automatically pause the effect of the order.

If your licence has been cancelled or you have been prohibited from hunting, you must continue to follow that order while the appeal is underway unless a court later makes an order that changes what you must do.

Do You Have to Surrender a Cancelled Licence?

Yes.  If your licence or authorization is cancelled under section 104, you must promptly surrender it to the Minister.

If you also hold an Outdoors Card, Ontario Regulation 665/98 requires you to return the card immediately if the Ministry asks for it after your licence has been cancelled or suspended by a court order under section 104 or 105.

An Outdoors Card identifies you in Ontario's licensing system but is not by itself the hunting licence that authorizes a particular hunt.

Can You Hunt While the Court Order Is Still in Effect?

No, if the order prohibits you from hunting.  You must follow the hunting and licence restrictions stated in the court order.

Buying another hunting product, receiving a new Licence Summary, using another person's documents, or continuing to hold an Outdoors Card does not allow you to avoid the court order.

If you are unsure whether the order has ended or whether you can legally obtain a new licence, confirm your status before hunting.

Is There a Set Fine for a Hunting Licence Revocation?

No.  There is no separate set fine for a hunting licence cancellation order because cancellation is a consequence of another offence rather than a separate ticket offence.

The underlying hunting charge may have its own set fine or another sentencing range.  A set fine is the preset amount used when a particular offence is dealt with by ticket.

The fine for the underlying charge and the licence consequence should be considered separately.  A relatively modest ticket amount does not by itself mean that no licence restriction can follow.

What Records Should You Keep?

Keep the documents that show what you were charged with and exactly what happened to your hunting privileges.  Important records can include:

• The ticket, summons, and exact offence section;
• The written court decision and licence order;
• Your Licence Summary and Ministry licensing records;
• Your Outdoors Card and any request to return it;
• Records showing which licences or authorizations were cancelled;
• Hunter education or firearms course records required by the order; and
• Any appeal decision or later court order affecting the restriction.

These records can help you confirm what was cancelled, how long the restriction lasts, what conditions still have to be completed, and whether you are legally eligible to hunt again.

Can a Federal Migratory Bird Conviction Affect an Ontario Licence?

Yes, but an Ontario licence restriction is not automatic after every federal migratory bird conviction.  Section 104 allows the court, after a conviction covered by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, to make an order affecting a licence or authorization connected with the offence.

If the court makes that order and you already hold the licence or authorization it covers, that licence or authorization must be cancelled.  Federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit consequences are separate from the Ontario licence cancellation discussed on this page.

What Law Applies?

Section 104 of Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 contains the main rules for cancelling a hunting licence after a conviction.  If a section 16(1) careless firearm conviction involved possession of a firearm for the purpose of hunting or trapping, section 104 requires cancellation of licences authorizing the person to hunt, a court ordered period during which the person cannot hunt or obtain a hunting licence, and completion of the education requirements specified in the order before returning to hunting or applying again.

For other convictions covered by section 104, the court can decide whether to restrict a licence or authorization related to the offence.  If the person already holds the licence or authorization covered by that order, it must be cancelled.  Section 104 also requires a cancelled licence or authorization to be surrendered and provides that an appeal does not automatically stop the order.

Section 8 of Ontario Regulation 665/98 separately requires an Outdoors Card to be returned immediately if the Ministry asks for it after a licence has been cancelled or suspended by a court order under section 104 or 105.

What Should You Do Next?

If you have been charged and are concerned about losing your hunting licence, start with the exact offence section on your ticket or summons.  Find out whether a conviction would automatically require cancellation or whether the court would have a choice about making an order affecting your licence.

If a court order has already been made, get a copy and check exactly what licence or authorization was cancelled, how long you are prohibited from hunting or obtaining another licence, and whether any education or other requirements remain outstanding.

Before returning to hunting, confirm that every restriction has legally ended and that you have valid current hunting authority.  If the charge, court order, or your future eligibility is unclear, legal advice can help you understand what applies to your case.

How Can DefendCharges.ca™ Help?

DefendCharges.ca™ can review the wording on your ticket, summons, seizure notice, or other documents and compare it with the wildlife, records, and activity involved.  This can help identify the exact charge, the legal requirements that apply, and the factual issues that may be important to your case.

If the matter proceeds through court, DefendCharges.ca™ can explain the court process, review the available evidence and legal issues, discuss possible penalties or other consequences, and help you understand your options for responding to the charge.

Have Questions About Hunting Charges?

Whether you have been charged with one hunting offence or several, understanding your legal options is important.  DefendCharges.ca™ can review your case, explain the charges you are facing, and help you understand your legal options and the best course of action.  Contact us today to discuss your situation.

Key Takeaways

• Ontario hunting law generally uses the word cancellation rather than revocation;
• Being charged does not by itself trigger the main hunting licence cancellation rules;
• A section 16(1) careless firearm conviction involving possession of a firearm for hunting or trapping requires the court to cancel licences authorizing the person to hunt and impose additional hunting restrictions;
• For many other convictions covered by section 104, the court can decide whether to restrict a licence or authorization connected with the offence;
• A cancelled licence does not automatically become valid again when a separate prohibition period ends;
• Filing an appeal does not by itself stop a section 104 licence order; and
• The exact charge, written court order, prohibition period, licensing record, and any required education should be checked before returning to hunting.

Conclusion

If you have been charged with a hunting offence in Ontario, losing your hunting licence is not an automatic consequence of every charge or conviction.  The result depends on the offence, whether cancellation is mandatory or something the court can decide, the licence involved, and the exact wording of the court order.

Before paying a ticket, pleading guilty, or returning to hunting after a cancellation, review the charge, court order, licensing records, prohibition period, and any education requirements that apply.  Legal representation can help you understand whether your existing licence is at risk, what restrictions could follow a conviction, and what must happen before you can legally hunt again.