Many questions arise from instructors and examiners with regard to resident and non-resident status in Ontario under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

There are two ways that a person may qualify as an Ontario resident.

First are the group of people who reside permanently in the province. The Act says that these persons must reside in Ontario for six of the last twelve months and the primary residence must be in Ontario.

This group accounts for the bulk of Ontario residents and they are eligible, under certain conditions, to obtain an Ontario Outdoors Card.

The second group are deemed residents and are identified under the F.W.C.A., in Ontario Regulations 665/98. This regulation states that a person who falls under the following conditions qualifies as an Ontario resident.

1. A person with diplomatic credentials in an embassy, consulate or trade commission posted to Ontario is deemed a resident.
2. Armed forces of a foreign government stationed in Ontario are deemed to be residents.
3. RCMP or armed forces of Canada personal who are stationed in Ontario for a month. (Note: This does not mean that they have to wait a month prior to becoming a resident but the posting must have duration of at least a month.)
4. Immediate family members of 1, 2, or 3 who live with the person.

To be eligible to obtain an outdoors card a person must:

1. Be sixteen years of age or,
2. Be fifteen years of age and have parental consent.

In order to obtain an outdoors card a resident must submit:

1. An examiners’ certificate issued by an Ontario Hunter Education Instructor.
2. An Outdoors Card previously held.
3. An Ontario resident licence issued since January 01, 1968.
4. An Apprenticeship Safety Card.
5. A certificate issued by the M.N.R. confirming c, d, e, or f.

A deemed resident may be issued an Outdoors card by submitting:

1. documentation to sufficiently establish that he or she falls within the category of deemed resident.
2. A hunting licence issued to the applicant by a competent authority in any jurisdiction.

A Non-Resident Outdoors Card is a plastic, wallet-sized identification card issued by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to accompany your Ontario non-resident hunting licence tag(s). The hunting version Non-Resident Outdoors Card and the Non-Resident Temporary Hunting Outdoors Card prove your eligibility to purchase hunting licence tags. (They also provide fishing privileges, once a fishing licence tag is obtained.) You must carry your Non-Resident Outdoors Card or your Non- Resident Temporary Hunting Outdoors Card with you whenever you hunt or fish in Ontario.

Non-residents of Ontario must present one of the following to obtain a Non-Resident Outdoors Card to hunt in Ontario:

• An Ontario non-resident’s hunting licence issued to you after January 1, 1968, and before January 1, 2009
• A hunting licence issued to you by a competent authority in any jurisdiction as a resident of that jurisdiction after January 1, 1968
• An Ontario Hunter Education Examination Certificate/ Report issued to you after January 1, 1968
• An Ontario Hunting Licence Verification Certificate showing that you were issued an Ontario licence to hunt, or passed the Hunting Licence Examination
• A certificate, issued to you after January 1, 1968, by a competent authority in any jurisdiction, giving you permission to purchase a hunting licence in that jurisdiction.

NOTE: A non-resident who wishes to hunt in Ontario must be 16 years of age or older.

Non-resident hunters may purchase a Non-Resident Temporary Hunting Outdoors Card and licence tag(s) from a licence issuer throughout the province including participating ServiceOntario centres. Outdoors Cards can also be renewed and licence tag(s) purchased using our online service (ontario.ca/outdoorscard). A third party purchase is permitted in order to obtain your Outdoors Card and licence tag(s). For a list of participating ServiceOntario centres and licence issuers, please visit ontario.ca/outdoorscard or call 1-800-387-7011.