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18 [Repealed, 2003, c. 8, s. 15]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 — except in the case of an authorization that is issued for a prohibited firearm referred to in subsection 12(9) — 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) or a prohibited firearm referred to in subsection 12(9) — 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.