Firearms are federally regulated in Canada through the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code, and the Canadian Firearms Program, a program operated within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Regulation is largely about licensing and registration of firearms, including air guns with a muzzle velocity of more than and muzzle energy greater than .
Civilian ownership and use is legal after obtaining a possession and acquisition licence (PAL) or a restricted possession and acquisition licence (RPAL) issued by the RCMP. An RPAL is required for handguns and short-barrelled semi-automatic rifles. For PALs there are generally no justification requirements beyond not posing a risk to public safety; RPALs require either gun club membership, demonstration of sufficient firearms knowledge, or a professional carry authorization. However, firearms and licence holders are subject to heavy regulations, and there are many types of firearms that are classed as prohibited.
Concealed carry is prohibited outside of a lawful profession (e.g. security and trapping). Open carry of non-restricted rifles is federally permitted when adhering to transport regulations. Hunting with a restricted firearm (which includes handguns) is prohibited.
Handgun registration became law in 1934, and automatic firearms registration was added in 1951. In 1969, laws classified firearms as "non-restricted", "restricted", and "prohibited". Starting in 1979, people who wished to acquire firearms were required to obtain a firearms acquisition certificate (FAC) from their local police agency. From 1995 to present, all firearms owners are required to possess a firearms licence—either a PAL, a possession-only licence (POL), an FAC, or a minor's licence. 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.
A 1996 study showed that Canada was in the mid-range of firearm ownership when compared with eight other western nations. Nearly 22% of Canadian households had at least one firearm, including 2.3% of households possessing a handgun.In a study of gun ownership in selected nations, Canada's level of gun ownership (21.8%) was similar to France's (23.8%) and Sweden's (16.6%). Of the eight countries compared, firearm ownership was highest in the United States (48.6%) and lowest in the Netherlands (2%)."Firearms in Canada and Eight Other Western Countries: Selected Findings of the 1996 International Crime (Victim) Survey" , Canada Firearms Centre. Accessed: June 11, 2014. In 2005, almost 3% of households in Canada possessed handguns, compared to 18% of U.S. households that possessed handguns.Criminal Victimisation in International Perspective , by the International Crime Victims Survey. See Table 18 on page 279. Also in 2005, almost 16% of households in Canada possessed firearms of some kind. As of September 2010, the Canadian Firearms Program recorded a total of 1,831,327 valid firearm licences, which is roughly 5.4% of the Canadian population. The four most licensed provinces are Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia.
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-automatic rifles, via an order in council under the authority of the Criminal Code. This list was expanded in December 2024, adding over 300 more models as prohibited. 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. As of January 2025, the buyback program has not yet started, reportedly due to Canada Post having concerns about employee security.
History of firearm laws 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. Amendments to the Criminal Code between the 1890s and the 1970s introduced a series of controls on firearms, including registration of handguns, and later, registration of fully automatic firearms. In the late 1970s, additional controls were introduced, followed by additional increases in controls in the mid-1990s.
The following is a summary of the history of gun control laws in Canada:
1885–1968 The Parliament instituted a system of gun control in the North-West Territories in 1885 to hinder the North-West Rebellion. Permission in writing from the territorial government was needed to possess any firearm (other than a smooth-bore shotgun), and also ammunition. Possession of a firearm or ammunition without the necessary permit was an offence, and could lead to the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition. These gun control provisions applied to all of what is now Alberta, Saskatchewan, parts of Manitoba, the current Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut. The Criminal Code, enacted in 1892, required individuals to have a permit to carry a pistol unless the owner had cause to fear assault or injury. Not until 1935 was it considered an offence to sell a pistol to anyone under 16. Vendors who sold handguns had to keep records, including purchaser's name, the date of sale and a description of the gun. In the 1920s, permits became necessary for all firearms newly acquired by foreigners. Legislation in 1934 required the registration of handguns with records identifying the owner, the owner's address and the firearm. Registration certificates were issued and records kept by the commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or by other police forces designated by provincial attorneys general. In 1947, the definition of murder in the Criminal Code was expanded to include situations where an individual committed certain offences such as rape, robbery, burglary, or arson while armed with a weapon, and death ensued, whether or not the accused intended to cause death.Criminal Code, RSC 1927, c. 36, s. 260, as amended by SC 1947, c. 55, s. 7 This offence was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1987 in the case of R. v. Vaillancourt. Automatic firearms were added to the category of firearms that had to be registered in 1951. The registry system was centralized under the commissioner of the RCMP.
1969–2000 In 1969, Bill C-150 created categories of "non-restricted", "restricted" and "prohibited" firearms. Police were also given preventive powers of search and seizure by judicial warrant if they had grounds to believe that firearms that belonged to an individual endangered the safety of society. In 1977, Bill C-51 required firearms acquisition certificates (FACs) to purchase any firearm, and introduced controls on the selling of ammunition. Applicants were required to pass a basic criminal record check before receiving the FAC. Fully automatic firearms were reclassified from restricted to prohibited-class, with an exception for current owners (grandfathering). The 1989 École Polytechnique massacre spurred a movement for stronger gun control in Canada, led by PolySeSouvient. In 1991, Bill C-17 was introduced, coming into force between 1992 and 1994. It required FAC applicants to pass a safety course in addition to a thorough background check, and to wait a minimum of 28 days after applying before an FAC could be issued. It also created new Criminal Code offences, new definitions for prohibited and restricted weapons, and new regulations for firearms dealers. It increased penalties for firearm-related crimes. It clearly outlined regulations for firearms storage, handling and transportation. A major focus of C-17 was the control of military and paramilitary firearms. It created orders prohibiting or restricting most paramilitary rifles and some types of non-sporting ammunition. It prohibited firearms that had been converted to avoid a 1978 prohibition (exempting existing owners), and it prohibited high-capacity magazines for automatic and semi-automatic firearms. (It limited handguns to ten rounds and most semi-automatic centre-fire rifles to five rounds.) In 1995, Bill C-68 enacted the Firearms Act, with related amendments to the Criminal Code. It implemented a new central licensing system to replace the FAC system. It also required registration of all firearms and firearm licence holders; banned short-barrelled handguns under 105 mm in length, in addition to banning .25 and .32-calibre handguns with "grandfathering" for previous owners; and required a licence to buy ammunition. Most of the bill's provisions came into force in 1998, and the registration of long guns became mandatory in 2003. The legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court in Reference re Firearms Act (2000). The FAC system was replaced with possession-only licences (POLs) and possession and acquisition licences (PALs).
2001–2019 In 2001, the registration portion of Bill C-68 was implemented. The government asked for all firearms, including long guns (rifles and shotguns), to be registered. In 2003, the registration of long guns became mandatory. Failure to register a firearm resulted in criminal charges. In 2006, although legislation was still in place, the government no longer asked long gun owners for a registration fee and an amnesty (until May 16, 2011) temporarily protected licensed owners of non-restricted firearms (or those whose licences had expired since January 1, 2004) from prosecution for the possession of unregistered long guns. In November 2009, Bill C-391 passed second reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 164 to 137. If passed through the entire parliamentary process by the House and Senate, the bill would have abolished the requirement to register non-restricted long guns. While the proposed legislation was a private member's bill, it had the support of the Conservative government. The bill was referred to the House of Commons Committee on Public Safety for further action. However, after several months of hearings, the Opposition majority on the committee recommended that no further action be taken to advance the bill. In September 2010, Bill C-391 failed to pass a third reading. On October 25, 2011, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews introduced a bill to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, to abolish the long gun registry and destroy all records. On February 15, 2012, Bill C-19 passed third reading in the House of Commons; the motion to abolish the long gun registry passed 159 to 130 and Bill C-19 became law. In October 2014, Public Safety Minister Stephen Blaney and the Conservatives introduced another bill, Bill C-42, also known as the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act. This legislation reduced required paperwork for the transportation of restricted firearms, held by licensed firearms owners, for certain lawful activities (such as transportation to a shooting range and to gunsmiths or gun shows). It lifted the ban on the Swiss Arms Classic Green Carbine, introduced a six-month "grace period" for firearms licence renewals before an individual might otherwise face criminal charges and abolished the possession-only licence, permitting holders of such licences to enjoy the same full acquisition privileges as a PAL holders. The legislation also implemented mandatory training for all first-time firearms licence applicants. This legislation was passed and enacted in 2015, but the new Liberal government, formed in November 2015, pledged to reverse some of its provisions.