Firearms Act (S.C. 1995, c. 39)

Registration Certificates

Marginal note:Registration certificate

12.1 A registration certificate may only be issued for a prohibited firearm or a restricted firearm.

Marginal note:Registration certificate

13 A person is not eligible to hold a registration certificate for a firearm unless the person holds a licence authorizing the person to possess that kind of firearm.

Marginal note:Serial number

14 A registration certificate may be issued only for a firearm

• (a) that bears a serial number sufficient to distinguish it from other firearms; or

• (b) that is described in the prescribed manner.

Marginal note:Exempted firearms

15 A registration certificate may not be issued for a firearm that is owned by Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province or by a police force.

Marginal note:Only one person per registration certificate

• 16 (1) A registration certificate for a firearm may be issued to only one person.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in the case of a firearm for which a registration certificate referred to in section 127 was issued to more than one person.

Authorized Transportation of Firearms

Marginal note:Places where prohibited and restricted firearms may be possessed

17 Subject to sections 19 and 20, a prohibited firearm or restricted firearm, the holder of the registration certificate for which is an individual, may be possessed only at the dwelling-house of the individual, as recorded in the Canadian Firearms Registry, or at a place authorized by a chief firearms officer.

18 [Repealed, 2003, c. 8, s. 15]

Marginal note:Transporting and using prohibited firearms or restricted firearms

• 19 (1) An individual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms may be authorized to transport a particular prohibited firearm or restricted firearm between two or more specified places for any good and sufficient reason, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing,

  • (a) for use in target practice, or a target shooting competition, under specified conditions or under the auspices of a shooting club or shooting range that is approved under section 29;

  • (a.1) to provide instructions in the use of firearms as part of a restricted firearms safety course that is approved by the federal Minister; or

  • (b) if the individual

    • (i) changes residence,

    • (ii) wishes to transport the firearm to a peace officer, firearms officer or chief firearms officer for registration or disposal in accordance with this Act or Part III of the Criminal Code,

    • (iii) wishes to transport the firearm for repair, storage, sale, exportation or appraisal, or

    • (iv) wishes to transport the firearm to a gun show.

• Marginal note:Target practice or competition

  (1.1) In the case of an authorization to transport issued for a reason referred to in paragraph (1)(a) within the province where the holder of the authorization resides, the specified places must include all shooting clubs and shooting ranges that are approved under section 29 and that are located in that province.

• Marginal note:Exception for prohibited firearms other than prohibited handguns

  (2) Despite subsection (1), an individual must not be authorized to transport a prohibited firearm, other than a handgun referred to in subsection 12(6.1), between specified places except for the purposes referred to in paragraph (1)(b).

• Marginal note:Automatic authorization to transport — licence renewal

  (2.1) Subject to subsection (2.3), an individ­ual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms must, if the licence is renewed, be authorized to transport them within the individual’s province of residence

  • (a) to and from all shooting clubs and shooting ranges that are approved under section 29;

  • (b) to and from any place a peace officer, firearms officer or chief firearms officer is located, for verification, registration or disposal in accordance with this Act or Part III of the Criminal Code;

  • (c) to and from a business that holds a licence authorizing it to repair or appraise prohibited firearms or restricted firearms;

  • (d) to and from a gun show; and

  • (e) to a port of exit in order to take them outside Canada, and from a port of entry.

• Marginal note:Automatic authorization to transport — transfer

  (2.2) Subject to subsection (2.3), if a chief firearms officer has authorized the transfer of a prohibited firearm or a restricted firearm to an individual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms, the individual must be authorized

  • (a) to transport the firearm within the individual’s province of residence from the place where the individual acquires it to the place where they may possess it under section 17; and

  • (b) to transport their prohibited firearms and restricted firearms within the individual’s province of residence to and from the places referred to in any of paragraphs (2.1)(a) to (e).

• Marginal note:Exceptions

  (2.3) An individual must not be authorized under subsection (2.1) or (2.2) to transport the following firearms to or from the places referred to in paragraph (2.1)(a):

  • (a) a prohibited firearm, other than a handgun referred to in subsection 12(6.1); and

  • (b) a restricted firearm or a handgun referred to in subsection 12(6.1) whose transfer was approved, in accordance with subparagraph 28(b)(ii), for the purpose of forming part of a gun collection.

• Marginal note:Non-residents

  (3) A non-resident may be authorized to transport a particular restricted firearm between specified places in accordance with sections 35 and 35.1.

Marginal note:Carrying restricted firearms and pre-February 14, 1995 handguns

20 An individual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess restricted firearms or handguns referred to in subsection 12(6.1) (pre-December 1, 1998 handguns) may be authorized to possess a particular restricted firearm or handgun at a place other than the place at which it is authorized to be possessed if the individual needs the particular restricted firearm or handgun

• (a) to protect the life of that individual or of other individuals; or

• (b) for use in connection with his or her lawful profession or occupation.

Authorized Transfers and Lending

General Provisions

Marginal note:Definition of “transfer”

21 For the purposes of sections 22 to 32, transfer means sell, barter or give.

Marginal note:Mental disorder, etc.

22 A person may transfer or lend a firearm to an individual only if the person has no reason to believe that the individual

• (a) has a mental illness that makes it desirable, in the interests of the safety of that individual or any other person, that the individual not possess a firearm; or

• (b) is impaired by alcohol or a drug.

Authorized Transfers

Marginal note:Authorization to transfer non-restricted firearms

23 A person may transfer a non-restricted firearm if, at the time of the transfer,

• (a) the transferee holds a licence authorizing the transferee to acquire and possess that kind of firearm; and

• (b) the transferor has no reason to believe that the transferee is not authorized to acquire and possess that kind of firearm.

Marginal note:Voluntary request to Registrar

• 23.1 (1) A transferor referred to in section 23 may request that the Registrar inform the transferor as to whether the transferee, at the time of the transfer, holds and is still eligible to hold the licence referred to in paragraph 23(a), and if such a request is made, the Registrar or his or her delegate, or any other person that the federal Minister may designate, shall so inform the transferor.

• Marginal note:No record of request

  (2) Despite sections 12 and 13 of the Library and Archives of Canada Act and subsections 6(1) and (3) of the Privacy Act, neither the Registrar or his or her delegate nor a designated person shall retain any record of a request made under subsection (1).