The current Canadian $50 bill is mostly red in color. On the front, there is a photo of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a photo of the Tower of the Parliament buildings. The reverse of the bill shows the theme of Canadian human rights history.

Security features on the front of the bill include a holographic stripe on the left side, which depicts the number 50 alternated with maple leaves, there is also a watermark of the King’s portrait, and last, there is a broken-up number 50, which goes back together when backlit. The security feature on the reverse is a interleaved metallic strip, which has “50 CAN” along it length. The 2004 bills also have yellow dots which represent the EURion constellation and a tactile feature which similar to braille dots for the blind to identify the bill.