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Permit to Accompany Non-Resident or Non-Resident Aliens to Hunt Big Game

Last updated on August 22, 2024

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What is a Permit to Accompany?

A Permit to Accompany (PTA) allows a qualified resident hunter to take up to two people hunting who do not live in B.C (non-residents). PTAs are for recreational purposes only.

To guide non-residents for commercial purposes (i.e. when compensation or fees are paid by an individual to be able to hunt in B.C.), you must have a valid guide outfitter licence.

How to apply

Before you apply

Check the Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis general open season tables to find the species and the management units you wish to apply for.

Regional hunting restrictions

Read the regional hunting restrictions for the region you want to hunt. Decision makers will not approve PTA applications for species where restrictions apply.

Applicant eligibility requirements

To apply for a PTA, the applicant must:

  • Be a B.C. resident
  • Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada
  • Be 19 years of age or older
  • Have, or be able to get, a B.C. resident hunting licence
  • Have held a B.C. resident hunting licence and a big game species licence for 3 of the 5 years immediately preceding application for this permit or passed the B.C. Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) Program, and held a B.C. resident hunting licence and a big game species licence for 2 of the 5 years immediately preceding application for this permit
  • Not have a conviction specified under section 84 (1) (a) of the Wildlife Act, within the 5-year period immediately preceding the application for a permit, or specified under section 84 (1) (b) of the Wildlife Act or the Firearm Act within the 3 year period immediately preceding the application for a permit

Who can be accompanied

The applicant may apply for only one permit per season to take up to two people hunting, that meet definitions of a non-resident or a non-resident alien.

A non-resident – a person who is not a resident of British Columbia but who:

  • Is a Canadian Citizen, a permanent resident of Canada; or,
  • Has their sole or permanent residence in Canada and has resided in Canada for the 12 months immediately before the date of the application

A non-resident alien (a person who is neither a resident nor a non-resident) whose relationship to the applicant is one of the following:

  • Parent
  • Parent's sibling
  • Spouse
  • Spouse's sibling
  • Spouse's parent
  • Sibling
  • Sibling's child
  • Sibling's spouse
  • Child
  • Child's spouse
  • Grandchild
  • Grandparent
  • Cousin is not an accepted relationship

The person(s) being accompanied must also not have a conviction specified under section 84 (1) (a) of the Wildlife Act, within the 5-year period immediately preceding the application for a permit, or specified under section 84 (1) (b) of the Wildlife Act or the Firearm Act within the 3 year period immediately preceding the application for a permit.

Submitting the application

You can submit an application for a PTA:

Applicants need:

  • A Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) with valid B.C. residency and hunting credentials
  • The FWID, last name, first initial and relationship (if accompanying a non-resident alien) of each person being accompanied
  • The dates when you will be hunting (no more then 21 consecutive days)
  • The region and management unit(s) of the hunt (only one region)
  • The species you will be hunting

For help with online applications, see the how-to guide for applying for a Permit to Accompany (PDF, 697KB)

The cost to get a PTA includes a $50.00 Permit Fee and a $5.00 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation surcharge.
Fees are payable at the time of application. Applications will not be processed until the fee has been paid.

Application timelines and permit issuance

The target time frame for issuing a permit is 30 days.

Issuance of permit

Permits are issued online, through your FWID profile. You will find the issued permit under Permit Options.

You do not need to carry a copy of your permit while hunting but you must carry valid government-issued photo ID and be able to produce your FWID number. Conservation Officers will be able to access your profile and verify your permits in the field.

Making changes

To make a change to an issued PTA, contact a FrontCounter BC office and request an amendment.  The cost of an amendment is $30.00 and must be paid before the amendment process can continue.

Amendments can be made only if they are requested ahead of the hunt dates listed on the approved permit.

Licences

Once the permit is issued:

  • the permit holder can buy hunting and species licences on behalf of the non-resident hunter. The only species licence(s) that can be purchased are for species that have been approved on the permit to accompany
  • the non-resident listed on the PTA can buy their own licences in person or online. Species licences purchased online will only be mailed within Canada

Permit to Accompany Report and royalties

PTA holders must submit a PTA report no later than ten days past the hunt end date stated on the permit, regardless of whether the hunt took place.

PTA reports can be submitted through WILD or at a FrontCounter BC office.

PTA holders who do not submit their PTA report or royalty payment within the specified period will not be able to purchase hunting products (permits, licences, Limited Entry Hunting applications, etc.) until the report has been submitted and royalties paid.

Information that a permit to accompany holder must have available for reporting, for each accompanied hunter, includes:

  • Species hunted
  • Wildlife Management Unit(s) (WMU) where the hunt took place
  • Number of days hunted for each species and each WMU
  • The landmark where the hunting took place
  • The species licence number(s) for each harvest
  • Animal class of each animal harvested
  • Harvest date for each harvest
  • Harvest location for each harvest

For instructions on how to submit your permit to accompany report, review the step by step guide on how to submit a PTA Report (PDF, 300KB)

Royalty fees

A PTA holder must submit royalty fees, within 30 days after the hunt has ended, for each animal taken by the non-resident hunter. Royalty payments can be paid through the WILD system, or at a FrontCounter BC office. For help with online payments, see the how-to guide for making royalty payments (PDF, 220KB)

Royalty fees to be submitted for each species.
Species Royalty fee
Mountain sheep $250.00
Mountain goat $150.00
Moose $125.00
Elk $125.00
Caribou $125.00
Cougar $125.00
Black bear $75.00
Deer (all species) $50.00
Wolf $50.00