Transition Binder: Firearms

The Minister of Public Safety is responsible for the Firearms Act and its regulations (which set out the requirements for the lawful possession of firearms) and the Minister of Justice is responsible for the Criminal Code and its regulations, which address firearms classification and firearm-related offences. In addition to PS and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) operates the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) and administers the Firearms Act; the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforces firearms laws at the border; and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is responsible for Canada's trade agreements and treaty obligations in relation to the global firearms market and issues firearms import and export permits. Firearms control is also a shared responsibility with the provinces and territories (P/Ts). P/Ts are responsible for the enforcement and prosecution of firearms offences under the Criminal Code and may choose to administer the Firearms Act in their jurisdiction.

While firearm-related violent crimes have been a small proportion of all police-reported violent crime in Canada, in 2022, the rate of certain violent offences specific to firearms increased for the eighth consecutive year, rising 4% from 2021. Firearm-related homicide doubled from 2013 to 2017. In 2022, 41% of homicides were firearms related which was similar to rates in 2021 (40%). The number of victims of police-reported intimate partner violence incidents where a firearm was present increased consistently from 2014 to 2021, but decreased in 2022.

The firearms legislative regime set out in the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code and related regulations is designed to strike an appropriate balance between protecting public safety while permitting legitimate uses of firearms, such as hunting, target shooting and gun collecting. The federal approach to combat firearm-related violence has generally focused on: controlling the use and possession of firearms (e.g., acceptable uses, transport and storage, license eligibility requirements); limiting access to firearms that the Governor-in-Council has determined to be inappropriate for sporting use in Canada; preventing harm and misuse; and deterring firearms smuggling and trafficking. Funding has also been provided to combat firearms smuggling and to support communities in efforts to reduce gang membership and violence.

Relevant Mandate Letter Commitments

Further Information

Prohibition of Assault-Style Firearms and Amnesty Order: The Regulations Amending the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted came into force on May 1, 2020. This prohibits approximately 2,100 makes and models of assault-style firearms and their devices. An Amnesty Order (2020) under the Criminal Code came into force at the same time as the amendments to the Regulations and, subsequently was extended to October 30, 2025 to protect owners of the prohibited firearms and prohibited devices from criminal liability while they undertake the steps required to come into compliance with the law. On December 5, 2024, another 324 makes and models of firearms were re-classified as prohibited, bring the number of prohibited firearms to over 2,400. An Amnesty Order (2024) was created to capture these firearms as well and protect owners from criminal liability.

An Expert Panel has been convened to provide advice on firearms remaining on the market.

Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (Buyback): At the time of the prohibition, the Government committed to a cost effective Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program that would offer fair compensation to impacted firearms owners and businesses. In 2022, Public Safety secured minimal funding for the program which was used to support a small Secretariat to develop the program, and to put in place a contract with IBM Canada for the development of a pricelist and delivery options considering international lessons learned. A public consultation on the resulting pricelist was held in August 2022, and feedback was incorporated into the program design. In April 2023, the Government announced that it would work with the firearms industry through a contract with the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association (CSAAA), to represent business interests in the Program's design, including informing the compensation amounts for businesses. In 2024, Public Safety Canada received funding and authorities for both phases of the program. After finalizing the Phase 1 design and appropriate testing, Public Safety opened Phase 1 of the program for all firearms businesses in December 2024. As of December 17, 2024, 27 businesses have submitted claims with the Program for over 3,900 assault-style firearms (more than 1/3 of the total estimated inventory). Design of Phase 2 continues to advance for a planned launch in 2025. Public Safety is working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other federal departments as required, in addition to provinces and municipalities, which will be critical to delivering this phase for individual gun owners. A comprehensive communications strategy has been developed for both phases of the program with detailed information being posted on the Public Safety website.

Legislative: Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019. In July 2021, certain measures were brought into force: (1) mandatory firearms licence background checks now cover an applicant's entire lifetime, rather than just the previous five years; and (2) the number of situations in which automatic Authorizations to Transport restricted or prohibited firearms are granted were reduced from six to two. Regulatory elements of Bill C-71 — licence verification and business record-keeping — were implemented in spring 2022.

Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), was introduced on May 30, 2022 and received Royal Assent on December 15, 2023. Designed to deliver on mandate letter commitments to prevent and reduce firearm crime and violence, Bill C-21, as amended by the House of Commons, includes new measures that aim to:

Many of these measures came into force upon Royal Assent or 30 days after Royal Assent.

Measures not yet in force include enhanced licence revocation and eligibility measures that will require the refusal of a licence when a person has been convicted of an offence involving the threat or use of violence against an intimate partner or any family member; revocation of a firearm licence when a licence holder is subject to a protection order or has been involved in an act of domestic violence or stalking; and authority for a chief firearms officer to issue a licence with conditions to allow for sustenance hunting in limited circumstances. The Government announced its intention to introduce regulatory measures in Parliament to support the implementation of these additional harm reduction measures no later than January 2025.

Red Flag Laws and awareness initiative: The new red flag laws introduced in Bill C-21 are in force and allow anyone to apply in court to temporarily prevent access firearms for up to 30 days from those who may pose risks to themselves or others. These new emergency prohibition orders and emergency limitation on access orders complement existing protective tools available. The Government has committed to launching an awareness initiative by spring 2025 to raise awareness of the new Red Flag laws.

Regulatory Measures: In addition to a range of other regulatory measures under the Firearms Act, the Government announced its intent to chart a course to improve regulations for large capacity magazines, which is anticipated to be public in March 2025. The Government also committed to require that manufacturers seek a Firearms Reference Table number before being allowed to sell in Canada. In response that, a proposed regulation which would require manufacturers and importers to share technical specifications with the Registrar of Firearms for all batches or shipments of firearms before entering the Canadian market was tabled in Parliament on December 13, 2024. The regulation would ensure that all firearms are accounted for. The proposal is open for consultations with Canadians until February 10, 2025.

Gun Smuggling and Borders:The CBSA is leading a cross-border task force to address gun smuggling and trafficking, for example, by increasing intelligence sharing to detect and intercept the illegal movement of firearms at the border. The task force collaborates with the Cross-Border Crime Forum.

Firearm and Anti-Gang Program Measures: In 2021, an investment of $312 million over five years was announced, starting in 2021-22, and $41.4 million per year ongoing to PS, RCMP and CBSA to implement a suite of measures to help protect Canadians from gun violence and to fight gun smuggling and trafficking. Further, the Government is investing $22.5 million over five years and $3.3 million ongoing to increase public awareness and strengthen firearms data collection. It will also support enhanced reporting on firearms trends and analysis from multiple sources.

Building on the $356.6 million invested between 2018 and 2023, the government formally announced the renewal of the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV) on May 10, 2023. $390 million will be directed to provinces and territories via the ITAAGGV's Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, who will pursue their previous efforts in the prevention and law enforcement areas until March 21, 2028. The ITAAGGV also includes yearly ongoing funding for the RCMP ($8.2M) and the CBSA ($7.5 million) to enhance firearms investigations and strengthen controls at the border to prevent illegal firearms from entering the country. Finally, the initiative provides $6.3 million (rounded) in the current and upcoming fiscal year for the Department to pursue its leadership role for this Horizontal initiative.

These significant investments are complemented by the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF). First announced in March 2022, the BSCF is a prevention and intervention initiative that provides funding directly to municipalities and Indigenous communities to support local initiatives that tackles the root causes of gun and gang violence. The BSCF is slated to sunset on March 31, 2026.

Provincial/Territorial and Other Key Stakeholder Perspectives

Gun control is contentious. Provinces and territories (P/T), Indigenous groups, municipalities, law enforcement, firearms control advocates, firearms owners and business have wide-ranging views on firearms control and how best to address firearms violence. There is broad consensus across stakeholders and partners on the need to address the underlying causes of firearms violence and harm, and to enhance the collection and sharing of data on gun crime.

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Firearms control advocates continue to support the Government of Canada firearms prohibitions, as well as the speedy implementation of remaining measures of the former Bill C-21 that are not yet in force.

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