Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted
On March 7, 2025, the Government of Canada amended the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted (commonly referred to as the “Classification Regulations.”) The amendments have the effect of reclassifying certain named firearms and their variants as prohibited.
This 2025 prohibition includes semi-automatic firearms with sustained rapid-fire capability (tactical/military design with large capacity magazine) that are not suitable for hunting or sport shooting, and exceed safe civilian use. Building on the prohibitions announced in May 2020 and December 2024, this latest prohibition of 179 makes and models of assault-style firearms takes effect immediately. These firearms can no longer be legally sold in, or imported into Canada (except for firearms businesses that have appropriate privileges), and can only be transferred or transported under limited circumstances. These firearms must be securely stored in accordance with the requirements for their classification prior to this prohibition.
An Amnesty Order, which expires March 1, 2026, is in place to protect individuals and businesses who lawfully possessed the firearms prior to the ban from criminal liability while taking steps to come into compliance with the law. The Amnesty Order permits the use of these firearms to exercise a right recognized and affirmed under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 or for the purpose of sustenance hunting.
This is in addition to firearms prohibited on December 5, 2024 and May 1, 2020.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
- An Amnesty Order, expiring March 1, 2026, has been introduced which protects owners who were in legal possession of one or more of these newly prohibited firearms on the day the amendments to the Classification Regulations came into force, (March 7, 2025).
- The Amnesty Order allows individuals the time to come into compliance with the law.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NEWLY PROHIBITED FIREARMS:
- Owners must keep affected firearms securely stored in accordance with their previous classification.
- Affected firearms cannot be legally used, sold or imported.
- Affected firearms may only be transported under limited circumstances as set out in the Amnesty Order.
- Affected firearms cannot be legally used for hunting unless allowed through the Amnesty Order.*
- Affected firearms cannot be used for sport shooting, either at a range or elsewhere.
*The amnesty period allows for the continued use of previously non-restricted firearms in limited circumstances (e.g., by Indigenous persons exercising Aboriginal or treaty rights to hunt and by those who hunt or trap to sustain themselves or their families), until the end of the amnesty period.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS:
- Securely store the affected firearms in accordance with their previous classification and wait for further information from the Government of Canada.
- Have your firearms deactivated by a licensed firearms business certified in deactivation and advise the Registrar of Firearms once completed.
- Legally export your firearm.
FOR ACCESS TO THE BANNED FIREARMS, CLICK THE LINKS BELOW
Canadian Firearms Program website: rcmp.ca/en/firearms
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/frrms/paf-afa-en.aspx