Firearms Act (S.C. 1995, c. 39)
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Act current to 2019-11-19 and last amended on 2019-06-21. Previous Versions
Authorized Possession (continued)
Registration Certificates
Marginal note:Registration certificate
12.1 A registration certificate may only be issued for a prohibited firearm or a restricted firearm.
- 2012, c. 6, s. 10
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.
- 1995, c. 39, s. 17
- 2003, c. 8, s. 15
18 [Repealed, 2003, c. 8, s. 15]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):
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.
- 1995, c. 39, s. 19
- 2003, c. 8, s. 16
- 2015, c. 27, s. 6
- 2019, c. 9, s. 4
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.
- 1995, c. 39, s. 20
- 2003, c. 8, s. 56
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.
- 1995, c. 39, s. 23
- 2003, c. 8, s. 17
- 2012, c. 6, s. 11
- 2015, c. 27, s. 7
- Date modified: