Honestly, if you try to follow Canadian firearm news lately, it’s a total headache. One day there’s a new "freeze," the next there’s an "amnesty extension," and then suddenly a list of 2,500 banned models drops out of nowhere. It's a lot. Basically, the landscape of what are the gun control laws in Canada has shifted more in the last three years than it did in the previous thirty.
Whether you’re a hunter in rural Saskatchewan or someone just curious about how things work north of the border, the rules aren't as straightforward as "guns are illegal" or "guns are fine." It’s a complex web of classifications, background checks, and very specific storage requirements that can land you in serious hot water if you slip up.
The Three Buckets: How Canada Groups Firearms
First off, forget everything you know about the U.S. system. In Canada, every single firearm falls into one of three legal categories. Think of them as buckets of increasing "strictness."
- Non-Restricted: These are your standard hunting rifles and shotguns. Most long guns used for sport or putting meat on the table fall here. You need a license (a PAL), but you don’t need a specific permit to transport them to the woods.
- Restricted: This used to be where most handguns lived, along with certain short-barreled rifles. You need a higher level of licensing (an RPAL) and you can basically only take them to an approved shooting range. No "concealed carry" in the woods here.
- Prohibited: These are the "no-go" zone for most people. Think fully automatic weapons or handguns with super short barrels. This bucket got a lot bigger recently with the ban on "assault-style" firearms.
The Bill C-21 Shakeup and the Handgun Freeze
You’ve probably heard about the "handgun freeze." This was the big hammer in Bill C-21. As of late 2023, you essentially cannot buy, sell, or even import a handgun in Canada anymore.
If you already owned one? You get to keep it. You can still take it to the range. But you can’t sell it to your neighbor, and you can’t pass it down to your kids. When you pass away, those handguns essentially have to be deactivated or turned over to the police. It’s a "cap" on the market. There are a few tiny exceptions for Olympic-level shooters or people who need them for work (like armored car guards), but for 99% of Canadians, the handgun market is effectively dead.
The "Assault-Style" Ban and the 2026 Deadline
This is where things get really heated. Back in May 2020, the government used an Order-in-Council to ban around 1,500 models, including the AR-15. Fast forward to 2025 and early 2026, and that list has ballooned to over 2,500 unique makes and models.
The government’s logic is that these weapons were "designed for the battlefield" and have no place in civilian hands. If you own one of these, you’re currently protected by an amnesty order that lasts until October 30, 2026.
Crucial Note: This amnesty doesn't mean you can go out and use these guns. It just means you won't get arrested for having them in your safe while the government figures out the buyback program.
Speaking of the buyback, it’s officially called the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP). They’ve been testing it out with a pilot in Nova Scotia and are rolling it out nationwide. They’ve even put out a price list. For example, if you have a Mossberg 702 Plinkster Tactical, they might offer you around $190. A Robinson Armament M96? Maybe closer to $500.
If you don't turn them in or have them professionally deactivated by that October 2026 deadline, you could face criminal charges for possessing a prohibited weapon. It’s a "voluntary" program that becomes mandatory the second the clock strikes midnight on the amnesty.
Getting a License: It’s Not a Weekend Hobby
You can’t just walk into a store and buy a box of ammo because you feel like it. The process to get your Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) is a marathon, not a sprint.
- The Course: You have to take the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC). It’s usually a full weekend of learning about "ACTS and PROVE"—basically how to make sure a gun is safe.
- The Exam: You have to pass both a written test and a practical "hands-on" test where you show you can handle different types of actions safely.
- The Paperwork: This is the fun part. You send in an application to the RCMP. They check everything. And I mean everything.
- The Wait: There is a mandatory 28-day waiting period, but honestly, in 2026, most people are waiting 4 to 8 months for their plastic card to show up in the mail.
One of the newest changes from Bill C-21 is the "lifetime background check." It used to be that the RCMP mostly looked at the last five years of your life. Now? They can look at your entire history. If you had a violent incident twenty years ago, it could still come back to haunt your application.
Red Flag and Yellow Flag Laws
Another big part of the new laws involves "Red Flag" provisions. Basically, anyone—not just the police—can now apply to a judge for an Emergency Prohibition Order.
If a neighbor, an ex-partner, or a concerned doctor thinks you’re a danger to yourself or others, they can go to court. If the judge agrees, the police can show up and seize your firearms for up to 30 days while things get sorted out. There’s also a "Yellow Flag" law where the Chief Firearms Officer can temporarily suspend your license if they have "reasonable grounds" to suspect you’re no longer eligible.
It's a "safety first, ask questions later" approach that has definitely sparked a lot of debate about due process, especially in rural communities.
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What Hunters Need to Know
If you’re just out there with a Remington 700 or a Winchester 12-gauge, not a whole lot has changed for your day-to-day. You still need your PAL, you still need to follow transport rules (trigger locks and opaque cases), and you still have to store them unloaded.
However, the definition of what constitutes a "prohibited" magazine is getting tighter. If you have a centerfire semi-auto rifle, it’s generally limited to 5 rounds. Altering a magazine to hold more is now a specific criminal offense that can land you in prison for up to 14 years. They aren't messing around with that.
Practical Next Steps for Owners
If you're sitting on a collection and feeling a bit twitchy about the 2026 deadline, here is what you actually need to do:
- Check the List: Go to the Public Safety Canada website and search for your specific model. Don't guess. The list is huge and includes many variants you might not expect.
- Sign Up for the Portal: If you have a banned firearm, you need to create an account in the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program online portal. You have to "declare" your firearms during the declaration period to even be eligible for money.
- Keep Your PAL Current: Even if your guns are banned, you must keep your firearms license valid. If your PAL expires while you have prohibited guns under amnesty, you lose the legal protection of that amnesty.
- Don't Use Them: Seriously. Even if it was a non-restricted hunting rifle yesterday, if it's on the prohibited list today, you cannot take it out to the woods. The only exception is for certain Indigenous persons or sustenance hunters, and even that has a shelf life.
The reality of what are the gun control laws in Canada right now is that they are in a state of flux. With the 2026 amnesty deadline approaching, the focus is shifting from "passing laws" to "enforcing them." Stay informed, check your serial numbers, and make sure your paperwork is as clean as your barrel.