Here are the steps to becoming a member of Toronto International Rifle & Pistol Club — from joining the wait list to earning your RSO certification.
1. Join the wait list
The first step is to add yourself to the wait list. The approximate wait time varies and is updated on the wait list page. By filling out the form you are indicating your interest in joining the club.
Please be as complete as you can on the application, as our membership committee reviews this information to make sure the club will be a good fit for you, and you a good fit for the club. Adding your name to the wait list does not guarantee you a membership. All applicants are reviewed and assessed based on suitability. We can only add a limited number of members per year, and thank all those who show an interest.
2. We contact selected applicants
Those selected from the applications will be contacted by phone or email to discuss membership. Once we’re sure the club offers what you’re looking for and that you’ll be a good fit, we will offer you a course date.
Have questions about what we offer? Check out our FAQ section.
To hold your seat in a New Member Orientation Course, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required. Presently we accept cash, cheque or EMT only.
3. New Member Orientation Course
On or before the morning of the course, the remaining membership fees are due (cash, cheque or EMT only).
The course is a full day and is mandatory for all new members, regardless of past or present affiliations or training. It is a way for our new probationary members to learn about the club’s history, how it operates as an organization, and our policies and procedures.
It also covers firearms safety and handling — similar to what you would have learned in your RPAL course. There is a live-fire portion and a practical and written exam. On successful completion of the day and its various sections, you become a probationary member!
4. Probationary permissions and sign-offs
- The probationary period lasts a minimum of 45 days.
- As a probationary member you may attend the club during certain set days and times to complete your “sign-offs”.
- Sign-offs are a one-on-one shoot with one of our certified instructors. They help familiarize you further with how the club operates and make sure you become comfortable with what is required of you as a member. It is also a time for us to evaluate your attitude towards the club and its members, and to see that you practise safe firearm handling any time you are around a firearm.
- You may bring your own restricted and non-restricted firearms to the club only for sign-offs with one of our instructors.
- There are 8 pistol and 6 rifle sign-offs. You may complete only one of each per visit, up to a total of two of each per week.
If at any point the safety committee, the directors or the range operator feel that you may not be a fit for the club, we will end your probationary period and refund your membership fees, less the course cost and admin fees. We take safety very seriously, and careless safety infractions are the quickest way for this to happen.
5. Apply for full membership
Once you have successfully completed your sign-offs (minimum 6 handgun and 6 rifle — more may be required depending on your level of comfort and competency), you may submit them to the board to apply for full membership.
Once the board approves you as a full member, you may use the facility during operating hours as long as an RSO is present, or if you are RSO certified (our club-level course) and someone else is present. You are now eligible — and encouraged — to take the club-level RSO course.
6. Club-level RSO (Range Safety Officer) course
Our club-level RSO course is recommended for all new full members once they have completed their sign-offs. It takes about 4 hours and teaches you how to open and close the range on your own and how to run a shooting line safely.
With your RSO certification you may open the range any time during operating hours and shoot, as long as someone else is on site — another member, a guest or a family member. They don’t even need to shoot; they can stay in the clubhouse as long as you are in view.
- You may bring guests in accordance with the guest policy once you are a full member and have completed the RSO course.
- After being an RSO-certified full member for at least one year with no safety infractions, you may apply for solo membership — waiving the need for another person to be present while you are shooting.
The above is for informational purposes only and may change without notice.