Canada - Prohibited Firearms - May 1, 2020

Firearms deemed prohibited (illegal) as of May 1, 2020

Complete Listing.....

Regulations Amending the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted: SOR/2020-96

The Regulations prohibit approximately 1 500 models of assault-style firearms, including current and future variants. The Regulations also prescribe the upper receivers of M16, AR-10, AR-15 and M4 pattern firearms to be prohibited devices.

The Regulations address gun violence and the threat to public safety by assault-style firearms. The Government of Canada recognizes that their inherent deadliness makes them unsuitable for civilian use and a serious threat to public safety given the degree to which they can increase the severity of mass shootings.

The Order Declaring an Amnesty Period (2020) (the Amnesty Order) accompanies the Regulations to protect individuals, who were in lawful possession of one or more of the newly prohibited firearms or prohibited devices on the day the Regulations came into force, from criminal liability for unlawful possession for the purpose of allowing individuals to come into compliance with the law.

During the amnesty period, the Government intends to implement a buy-back program to compensate affected owners for the value of their firearms after they are delivered to a police officer; however, until a buy-back program is offered, affected owners will not be eligible for compensation. An option to participate in a grandfathering regime would also be made available for affected owners. Further public communications on the buy-back program and the grandfathering regime will follow later.

The Regulations and the Amnesty Order come into force on the day they are made. The Amnesty Order expires on April 30, 2022.