Canadian Armed Forces order of precedence


All units of the Canadian Armed Forces have an order of precedence that determines seniority; it often decides such matters as which unit forms up to the right of other units on a ceremonial parade, or the order in which marches or calls are played at a mess dinner.

Order of precedence

  1. Naval Operations Branch
  2. Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
  3. Royal Canadian Artillery
  4. Canadian Military Engineers
  5. Communications and Electronics Branch
  6. Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
  7. Air Operations Branch
  8. Royal Canadian Logistics Service
  9. Royal Canadian Medical Service
  10. Royal Canadian Dental Corps
  11. Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
  12. Royal Canadian Chaplain Service
  13. Canadian Forces Military Police
  14. Legal Branch
  15. Music Branch
  16. Personnel Selection Branch
  17. Training Development Branch
  18. Public Affairs Branch
  19. Intelligence Branch
  20. Cadet Instructors Cadre
Note: The honour of "the right of the line", on an army parade, is held by the units of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery when on parade with their guns. On dismounted parades, RCHA units take precedence over all other land force units except formed bodies of officer cadets of the Royal Military College representing their college. RCA units parade to the left of units of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.

Precedence of armoured regiments

Regular Force
  1. The Royal Canadian Dragoons
  2. Lord Strathcona's Horse
  3. 12e Régiment blindé du Canada
Primary Reserve
  1. The Governor General's Horse Guards
  2. The Halifax Rifles
  3. 8th Canadian Hussars
  4. The Ontario Regiment
  5. The Queen's York Rangers
  6. Sherbrooke Hussars
  7. 12e Régiment blindé du Canada
  8. 1st Hussars
  9. The Prince Edward Island Regiment
  10. The Royal Canadian Hussars
  11. The British Columbia Regiment
  12. The South Alberta Light Horse
  13. The Saskatchewan Dragoons
  14. The King's Own Calgary Regiment
  15. The British Columbia Dragoons
  16. The Fort Garry Horse
  17. Le Régiment de Hull
  18. The Windsor Regiment

    Precedence of infantry regiments

Regular Force
  1. The Royal Canadian Regiment
  2. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
  3. Royal 22e Régiment
Primary Reserve
  1. Governor General's Foot Guards
  2. The Canadian Grenadier Guards
  3. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
  4. The Black Watch of Canada
  5. Les Voltigeurs de Québec
  6. The Royal Regiment of Canada
  7. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
  8. The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
  9. The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
  10. The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
  11. 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
  12. The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
  13. The Grey and Simcoe Foresters
  14. The Lorne Scots
  15. The Brockville Rifles
  16. Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
  17. Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent
  18. Le Régiment de la Chaudière
  19. Royal 22e Régiment
  20. # 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
  21. # 6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
  22. Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
  23. The Princess Louise Fusiliers
  24. The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
  25. The West Nova Scotia Regiment
  26. The North Shore Regiment
  27. The Nova Scotia Highlanders
  28. Le Régiment de Maisonneuve
  29. The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
  30. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
  31. The Essex and Kent Scottish
  32. 48th Highlanders of Canada
  33. Le Régiment du Saguenay
  34. The Cape Breton Highlanders
  35. The Algonquin Regiment
  36. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
  37. The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
  38. The North Saskatchewan Regiment
  39. The Royal Regina Rifles
  40. The Rocky Mountain Rangers
  41. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
  42. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
  43. The Royal Westminster Regiment
  44. The Calgary Highlanders
  45. Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
  46. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
  47. The Canadian Scottish Regiment
  48. The Royal Montreal Regiment
  49. The Irish Regiment of Canada
  50. The Toronto Scottish Regiment
  51. Royal Newfoundland Regiment