Firearms regulation in Canada
In April 2012, the Parliament of Canada enacted the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act to eliminate the requirement to register non-restricted firearms that had existed from 2001 to 2012.
[5] On May 1, 2020, in the wake of a mass killing in Nova Scotia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an immediate prohibition on around 1,500 models of "military-grade assault-style weapons", mostly semi-auto rifles, via an order in council under the authority of the Criminal Code.
[8] On October 21, 2022, the Government of Canada implemented a freeze on the sale and transfer of handguns with plans to introduce a gun buyback program.
[9] As of January 2025, the buyback program has not yet started, reportedly due to Canada Post having concerns about employee security.
[10] In Canada, controls on civilian use of firearms date from the early days of Confederation, when justices of the peace could impose penalties for carrying a handgun without reasonable cause.
The following is a summary of the history of gun control laws in Canada:[11][12] All licensing and registration is managed by the RCMP's Canadian Firearms Program (CFP), under the Deputy Commissioner Policing Support Services (PSS).
The PAL is distributed exclusively by the RCMP and is generally obtained in the following three steps: Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes.
In some cases the magazine is capable of containing more than 10 rounds of a different calibre; however, that is not relevant in the determination of the maximum permitted capacity.
Example: The Marlin Camp carbine chambered for .45 ACP uses magazines designed and manufactured for the M1911 pistol, therefore the seven- and eight-round capacities are permitted.
These magazines must be permanently altered so they no longer hold more than the number of rounds (5 for semi-auto rifles, 10 for pistols) allowed by law.
[45] By law, a potential customer must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a firearm (non-restricted or restricted) or legally maintain possession of one.
Similar legislation was again brought forward in the form of private member's Bill C-391 during the 40th Parliament but was narrowly defeated on September 22, 2010.
[56] During the 41st Parliament the newly formed Conservative majority government again introduced legislation to repeal the requirement to register non-restricted firearms and to destroy the registry database.
Bill C-19, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, passed both the House and Senate and received royal assent on April 5, 2012.
[59] Though the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act applied across Canada, implementation of the law was temporarily delayed in Quebec, after the provincial government challenged the repeal in the courts.
Neither of these two classifications had existed previously under Canadian law, but the policy effectively moved around 1500 types of firearms from the restricted and non-restricted categories to the prohibited column alongside automatic long-guns.
[66] However, self-defence being the primary reason for obtaining a PAL is generally discouraged and may arouse suspicion if discovered during the application process.
An Authorization to Carry can only be issued for self-defence if there is credible proof that a person's life is being actively targeted in a way which police cannot provide sufficient protection.
[68][69] This situation is extremely rare: the public RCMP Authorization to Carry application refers only to protection of life during employment that involves handling of valuable goods or dangerous wildlife,[70] obtaining an ATC for self-defence would presumably require an inside contact.
Like licences, firearms are classified into prohibited, restricted and non-restricted categories, as defined by Part III of the Criminal Code.
[71] The correct licence is required to acquire and possess the category of firearm (PAL for non-restricted, RPAL for restricted, Prohib 12.x for prohibited).
Section 19 allows for persons to be issued an authorization to transport (ATT), authorizing the transport of a firearm outside the home for certain purposes, such as for its transfer to a new owner, going to and from a range, a training course, repair shop or gun show, or when the owner wishes to change the address where the firearm is stored.
Those who owned handguns prior to the freeze may continue to possess and use them in accordance with the law, however they cannot acquire new ones or transfer their existing ones to someone else.
[83] A 2011 study found no significant associations between gun laws passed and firearm homicide rates in Canada from 1974 to 2008.
[89] Two studies by Leenaars and Lester using national data from 1969 to 1985 find that bill C-51 was associated with a reduced accidental death rate from firearms.
