To guide hunters in BC you need a guide outfitter licence, which goes with a guiding territory, or you work as an assistant hunting guide under a licensed outfitter’s written authorization (Wildlife Act).
Guides plan trips, arrange transport and gather gear and food, then lead clients in the field. They explain safety measures and hunting and fishing rules, give first aid when needed, and may cook and set up camp. (WorkBC general outdoor-guide duties; no hunting-specific official duty list found.) source
Steps from source.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body · Url | Official page | source |
| Credential | REQUIRED: Guide Outfitter Licence (1 or 5 year) or written Assistant Guide authorization under Wildlife Act s.48 | source |
| Licence status | required | source |
| Guide outfitter · Eligibility | Canadian citizen or permanent resident; $2M liability insurance; hold a guiding territory certificate (or the holder's consent), with its remaining term longer than the licence term; no overdue reports, royalties or suspensions | source |
| Guide outfitter · Exam | Free exam, 2.5 h, 65 multiple-choice questions, 80% to pass; the Regional Manager must be satisfied the applicant knows the Wildlife Act | source |
| Guide outfitter · Term | 1 year or 5 years; gives exclusive guiding areas | source |
| Guide outfitter · Regulator fees | 1-year $500; 5-year $2,000; plus $25 application fee for new applicants | source |
| Guide outfitter · Fees portal | $450 + $50 HCTF surcharge (1-year) or $1,750 + $250 (5-year), plus royalties | source |
| Guide outfitter · Territory | A guiding territory certificate gives the exclusive area; the licence needs the certificate or the holder's consent | source |
| Assistant guide · Requirements | 18+; pass the approved exam; permanent ID number; no outstanding fines | source |
| Assistant guide · Sponsorship | Under Wildlife Act s.48 the employing guide outfitter issues a written authorization (content set by Commercial Activities Regulation s.1.17); the guide must carry it; it ends when the employment ends | source |
| Assistant guide · Form | Assistant guide authorization form (PDF) | source |
| Assistant guide · Exam | $250 + GST; open book; 90 min; 75 questions; 75% to pass; 3 attempts before paying again (industry association page) | source |
| Program length | Varies by school (1 of 1 listed schools publish this). Examples: Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. (GOABC): Exam: 90 min, open book, 75 questions | source |
| Pay | Outdoor sport and recreational guides (NOC 64322), B.C.: low $19.00/hr, median $25.00/hr, high $40.00/hr; annual earnings $47,351 (B.C. LMI Office, 2025 Job Bank wage data) | source |
| Typical day | Guides plan trips, arrange transport and gather gear and food, then lead clients in the field. They explain safety measures and hunting and fishing rules, give first aid when needed, and may cook and set up camp. (WorkBC general outdoor-guide duties; no hunting-specific official duty list found.) | source |
The province says assistant guides must pass the approved exam. The details below come from the industry association that runs it, not from the province.
| School and city | Program and approval | Length | Intakes | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. (GOABC) | Assistant Hunting Guide Certification exam Industry association that delivers the assistant guide exam (per its own page) source Industry source, not gov.bc.ca | Exam: 90 min, open book, 75 questions | Price not published, ask provider | $250 + GST from the GOABC page per earlier check; not on gov.bc.ca | Program page |
We could not confirm these on an official page, so we left them out: Camp or remote housing.
No required course was found. The outfitter exam has no required course; college courses were not verified.
The gov.bc.ca page lists $500 for 1 year and $2,000 for 5 years. The provincial permitting portal splits it as $450 + $50 HCTF surcharge, or $1,750 + $250, plus royalties.
WorkBC lists outdoor sport and recreational guides (NOC 64322) at a $25.00 hourly median, with $19.00 low and $40.00 high, and $47,351 in annual earnings. That is a median for all guide types, not a starting wage.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.