Guide Outfitter Licence

On this page

• What is a guide outfitter?
• How do I get a guide outfitter licence?
• What you need to apply for a Guide Outfitter Licence
• What happens after I apply?
• Issuance of licence and quota
• Hiring an assistant hunting guide
• Acting on Behalf of a Guide Outfitter
• Registering clients

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What is a guide outfitter?

A guide outfitter is licensed to guide resident and non-resident hunters in an exclusive guide area with clearly defined and legally described boundaries. The guide areas vary considerably in size and availability of big game species. A guide outfitter licence can be issued for a term of 1 year or 5 years. If you hold a 5-year guide outfitter licence, your quota will be updated annually.  

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How do I get a guide outfitter licence?

You can apply for a guide outfitter licence using WILD or apply in-person at a FrontCounter BC office. If you choose to submit your application online, you must have a basic BCeID. You must also have your Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) prior to submitting your application. As a licensed guide outfitter, you are also eligible to register your clients and buy licences on their behalf.

Eligibility

The following criteria must be met to proceed with an application for a guide outfitter licence:

• Must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada (i.e. a landed immigrant).
• Must satisfy the Regional Fish and Wildlife Manager, within the region you intend to acquire a guide area, that you have a working knowledge of the Wildlife Act and the Commercial Activities Regulation, B.C. Reg. 338/82, Division 1, Guides. This is done through the successful completion of the Guide Outfitter exam.
• A guide outfitter shall carry, in full force and effect, public liability insurance in an amount of not less than $2,000,000 that is, applicable to their guiding business, in effect at the time of application for an annual licence, and effective for the term of the annual licence period or for the period for which they have paid an annual fee.
• If not a certificate holder, the guide outfitter must have permission of the guiding territory certificate holder(s) PDF, 331KB)
• The remaining term on the guiding territory certificate must exceed the term of licence being applied for.
• Must not have any overdue reports or royalties prescribed in Division 20 of the Wildlife Act General Regulation or active suspensions (PDF, 188KB)

Fees

Guide Outfitter Licence fees.

Licence	Fees
1-year licence	$500 guide outfitter licence fee Plus $25.00 licence application fee (new applicants only - first time applying for any guide outfitter licence)
5-year licence	$2,000.00 guide outfitter licence fee Plus $25.00 licence application fee (new applicants only - first time applying for any guide outfitter licence)

NOTE: Royalty fees for the previous calendar year must be paid in full prior to a licence being issued. A Permit Clerk will contact you if additional fees are owed.

Fees are payable at the time of application. Applications will not be processed until the fee has been paid.

The payment can be made by credit card, cheque or money order. Credit card payments are securely processed online in the final step of the application process from WILD. You also have the option to mail in a cheque or money order or pay in person at any of the FrontCounter BC locations. The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund surcharge is included in the above fee(s). Fees calculated in WILD may not be final. A Permit Clerk will contact you if late fees are owed or if other licence-specific fees are outstanding.

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What you need to apply for a Guide Outfitter Licence

General Requirements

• Proof of passing the Guide Outfitter Exam (new applicants only)
• The region(s) your guide area is in
• A guiding territory certificate number if you are operating within a guiding territory
• Consent of the Guiding Territory Certificate Holder or Agent (PDF, 331KB) 
  • You must provide this form if you are not the guiding territory certificate holder or the agent listed on the guide territory certificate

Guide Outfitter Exam

The Guide Outfitter examination is a screening tool. A mark of eighty percent (80%) is required to pass the exam. However, as stated within the Wildlife Act, the Regional Manager must be satisfied that the applicant has a working knowledge of the Wildlife Act. This may require further consultation in addition to the exam.

There is no fee associated with the exam. The exam is 2.5 hours in length and is made up of sixty-five (65) multiple choice questions that may cover several topics. Questions within the exam are intended to test the applicant's knowledge of the Wildlife Act and Commercial Activities Regulation.

Study material can be accessed electronically through the internet or in hard copy:

• Wildlife Act (hard copy: public library, or BC Courthouse Library)
• Wildlife Act Commercial Activities Regulation, B.C. Reg. 338/82, Division 1, Guides (hard copy: public library, or BC Courthouse Library)
• Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis (hard copy: FrontCounter BC offices, Service BC or hunting licence retail vendors)

You may schedule an examination through your local Service BC office.

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What happens after I apply?

The target time frame for issuing your permit is 30 days. Processing time within the Northeast Region (7B) will be considerably longer as there is a required consultation process with members of the Treaty 8 First Nations communities.

Your application will not be processed until all required information and payment has been received in full.

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Issuance of licence

If your application is approved, your licence is issued and available in your Fish and Wildlife profile. If your application was not approved, you will be notified.

You do not need to carry a copy of your guide outfitter licence while guiding; however, you must carry a valid government-issued photo ID and be able to produce your Fish & Wildlife ID number. Conservation Officers will be able to access your profile and verify your licences in the field.

Notice of Quota

Your Notice of Quota letter will be immediately available in your Fish and Wildlife profile upon issuance of your guide outfitter licence, where applicable. You can access the letter by navigating to your issued licence in WILD. Notice of Quota letters are only issued when quota has been attached as a condition of the licence by the Director of Wildlife.

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Hiring an assistant hunting guide

For information on assistant guides licences or hiring an assistant guide, see the Assistant Hunting Guide webpage.

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Acting on Behalf of a Guide Outfitter

If you would like to give consent for a person to act on your behalf for the purpose of registering a client, submitting a guide outfitter report, paying royalties or buying hunting licences, you can appoint this person as your designate using WILD or over the counter at a FrontCounter BC office or Service BC office.  If you cannot attend an office, you may request to appoint a designate over the phone, after verifying your identity.

It is the designates responsibility to first create their own Fish and Wildlife profile, obtain a FWID and become verified.

Once the designate is registered with a FWID, a guide outfitter can add that person as their designate and choose which activities they can perform on their behalf.

The designate registration does not expire. It is the responsibility of the guide outfitter to manage which tasks the designate can perform on their behalf and, where applicable, to remove the privilege of a person to act as designate.

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Registering clients

Guide outfitters can register clients for their FWIDs and purchase licences on their behalf. This can be done through a guide outfitter's WILD profile or at a FrontCounter BC office or Service BC office using the Client Registration and/or Licence Application form (PDF, 59KB).