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.[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.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.[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.An Authorization to Carry can only 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).[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.
FirearmsFirearms ActCriminal CodeCanadian Firearms ProgramRoyal Canadian Mounted Policelicensingregistrationair gunsmuzzle velocitymuzzle energypossession and acquisition licencecrown landHandgunautomatic firearmsParliament of Canadafirearm ownershipwestern nationsOntarioQuebecAlbertaBritish Columbiamass killing in Nova ScotiaJustin Trudeauassault-style weaponssemi-auto riflesorder in councilCanada PostConfederationjustices of the peacereasonable causegun controlNorth-West TerritoriesNorth-West RebellionSaskatchewanManitobaNunavutcommissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceR. v. VaillancourtBill C-150ammunitiongrandfatheringÉcole Polytechnique massacrePolySeSouvienthandgunsReference re Firearms Actpossession and acquisition licenceslong gunprivate member's billVic ToewsSwiss Arms Classic Green Carbine2020 Nova Scotia attacksamnestybuyback schemeNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaPrince Edward Islandbackground checkconjugal partnersReplica firearmsairsoftSuppressorsbarrelsInternational Shooting Uniontrigger mechanismsemi-automatic firearmfully-automaticcarbinebull-pupFN PS90IWI TavorHandgun ammunition designed to penetrate body armourSS196SRIncendiaryFlechette7.62×39mmMagazinescentre-firesemiautomatic rifleMarlin Camp carbine.45 ACPM1911 pistolRock River Armsaboriginal communitiesCanadian Firearms Registryregistered prior to 1978Conservative PartyHouse of Commonsnew governmentSupreme Court of Canadaself-defenceAuthorization to CarrygrandfatheredRiflesshotgunsfully automatic fire capabilityFN-FALArmaLite AR-10ArmaLite AR-15Robinson Armament XCRSIG SG 550Beretta Cx4 StormCZ Scorpion Evo 310 gauge12 gaugechokes.50 BMGauthorization to transporttrigger lockwildernessFOI requestsarmoured car.32 Rimfire.44 Henry.45 Schofieldblack powderflintlockwheellockmatchlockInternational Olympic CommitteeInternational Paralympic CommitteeDominion of Canada Rifle AssociationGun politicsGun safeIndex of gun politics articles