Importing a Firearm/Weapon into Canada

Importing a Firearm/Weapon into Canada

Visitors carrying firearms into Canada must follow new licensing regulations. For more information, please read the Canadian Customs firearms news release.

The following information was reproduced from the Canadian brochure, "Importing a Firearm or Weapon into Canada." February 1993.  For more information, contact Revenue Canada, Customs, Excise and Taxation

Introduction

This brochure provides Canadian residents and visitors to Canada with an outline of Revenue Canada- Customs, Excise and Taxation’s requirements regarding importing firearms and weapons into the country. Not all firearms and weapons are allowed to enter Canada. They generally fall into three categories: non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited weapons.

Any person who imports a firearm of any kind into Canada must be at least 18 years of age, unless that person has a certificate or permit which allows him or her to possess that firearm in Canada. All firearms and weapons must be declared to Customs at the first point of entry. Otherwise, Customs will seize undeclared firearms and weapons. In addition, criminal charges maybe laid.

With the exception of the Import Permit, which is issued by External Affairs and International Trade Canada, the other documents referred to in the following paragraphs are issued by the appropriate Chief Provincial or Territorial Firearms Officer or local police agency. A list of the Chief Provincial and Territorial Firearms Officers appears at the end of this brochure.

Residents Importing Firearms and Weapons

Non-restricted firearms

• Acquired outside Canada - The original Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC) must be presented to Customs before they can release the goods.

• Not acquired outside Canada - When re-entering Canada, proof must be provided to Customs that the firearm was taken out of the country, and it is being re-imported.

Restricted weapons

• Acquired outside Canada - The original FAC and a Permit to Convey the firearm for registration purposes must be presented to Customs before they can release the goods.

• Registered in Canada - A Permit to Transport must be presented to Customs at the time the firearms are exported, and when the firearms re-enter Canada.

• Before the police authorities can register imported restricted firearms, they require formal proof that Customs has been cleared. Therefore, the applicable Customs accounting document indicating the make, model, calibre and serial number of the firearm has to be presented to the police at the time the firearm is registered.

• In addition, an import permit is required to import any military-type firearms.

Residents who want to obtain information about import permit requirements may contact:

Export and Import Permits Bureau
External Affairs and International Trade Canada
Export Controls Division (KPE)
P.O. Box 481, Station "A"
Ottawa, Ontario
L1N 9K6
Telephone: (613) 996-2387 Facsimile: (613) 996-9933

Visitors Importing Firearms and Weapons

• Non-restricted firearms may be imported for the following reasons only:

— for sporting or hunting use while in Canada;
— for use in competitions;
— for an in-transit movement through Canada;
— for a person’s protection against wildlife in remote areas of Canada (excluding National Parks) as long as the Customs officer is satisfied that the circumstances warrant the firearm to be imported.

No permit or certificate is required.

• Restricted weapons may only be imported for the purpose of attending an approved shooting competition in Canada. A temporary Permit to Carry is required.

• Generally, Canadian police agencies will not issue a permit to allow restricted firearms to move in transit through Canada. Any restricted firearms may be shipped in bond via commercial carrier to the person’s destination.

Transporting Firearms

Canadian regulations require that all types of firearms be transported unloaded. If firearms are transported in a vehicle, they must be kept out of sight, and in part of the vehicle which is kept locked (the trunk, there is one) unless the vehicle is supervised by an adult. Restricted weapons have to be equipped with locked safety devices that will prevent the weapon from firing. In addition, they have to be transported in a locked case.

Categories of Firearms

Prohibited firearms and weapons

Prohibited weapons are not allowed to enter Canada. It is a criminal offence for any person not authorized by law to possess a prohibited weapon in Canada.

Prohibited weapons include:

• Devices designed to muffle or stop the sound of a firearm, such as silencers.

• "Switchblade" knives or other knives that ca’ opened by centrifugal force or spring pressure.

• Fully automatic firearms, even if they are subsequently altered to not fire automatically.

• Sawed-off rifles or shotguns, where the bar is shorter than 457 mm (18 in.), or the over length is less than 660 mm (26 in.).

• Any large-capacity cartridge magazine of a type prescribed by regulation. Regulations concerning large-capacity cartridge magazines, and legislation concerning importing these magazines into Canada for competition purposes will come into effect on July 1, 1993. For more information about these regulations, contact the Department of Justice Canada, 239 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OH8. Telephone: (613) 957-4222.

• Any firearm, weapon or device that is specifically designated as a prohibited weapon by Order in Council such as:

Shotguns

• Franchi SPAS 12, LAW 12
• USAS-12 auto shotgun
• Striker 12 and the "Streetsweeper"

Rifles and Carbines

• Sterling MK-6 carbine (semi-automatic version)
• Gepard long range sniper rifle and variants
• Steyr AUG rifle (semi-automatic version)
• Heckler and Koch (HK) Model G11 and variants
• American 180 auto carbine and variants
• Illinois Arms Co. Model 180 auto carbine
• Barrett "Light Fifty’ Model 82A1, Model 90 rifle and variants
• Iver Johnson AMAC long range rifle and variants
• Calico M-900, M-951, M-100 and M-105 and variants
• McMillan M87, M87R, M88 and variants
• Pauza Specialties P50 rifle and P50 carbine and variants
• Encom MK-IV, MP-9, MP-45 and variants
• FAMAS rifle, MAS 23, FAMAS Export, FAMAS Civil and Mitchell MAS/22 and variants
• Research Armament Industries (RAI) Model 500 rifle and variants
• Spectre auto carbine and variants
• Feather AT-9 semi-auto and Feather AT-22 auto carbine, and variants
• US Arms PMAl "Assault" 22 rifle and variants
• Federal XC - 50 auto rifle, XC-900 and XC-220 and variants
• Weaver Arms Nighthawk carbine and variants

Assault Pistols

• MAC and Ingram type pistol (semi-automatic version)
• Iver Johnson Enforcers, Model 3000 auto pistol, Plainfield Super Enforcer carbine and variants
• Partisan Avenger auto pistol (semi-automatic version)
• Leader Mark 5 auto pistol and variants• UZI series (semi-automatic version)
• Skorpion auto pistol and variants
• Bushmaster auto pistol and variants
• Spectre auto pistol and variants
• Calico M-110, M-950 and variants
• Sterling Mk 7, Mk 7C4, Mk 7C8 pistols and variants
• Encom MK-IV, MP-9, MP-45 and variants
• Universal Enforcer, Model 3000 auto carbine, Model 3010N, Model 3015G, Model 3020 RB, Model 3025TCO and variants
• Federal XP-450, XP-900 auto pistols and variants
• US Arms PMAIP "Assault" 22 pistol and variants
• Concz High-Tech long pistol and variants
• Heckler and Koch (HK) SP89 auto pistol and variants
• Intraec TEC-9 auto pistol, TEC-9M, TEC-9MS, TEC-22T, TEC-22TM, and variants

Ammunition - Armour piercing handgun cartridges, explosive or incendiary projectiles up to 15 mm) cartridges, and for small arms (bore up 15 mm) cartridges and shotgun cartridges containing "flechettes".

Accessories and Components - A "bull pup" stock for rifles and carbines, and trigger enhancement devices designed to fire semi-automatic firearms in a fully automatic manner.

Other Weapons

• Tear gas, mace, other gas, liquid, spray, powder or other substance capable of injuring, immobilizing or incapacitating a person
• Constant Companion (belt-buckle knife)
• Spiked Wristband
• Yaqua Blowgun
• Kiyoga Baton, Steel Cobra, Morning Star
• Nunchaku, Shuriken, Manrikiguasari or Kusari
• Brass Knuckles
• Taser Public Defender, Stun Guns
• Finger Ring (with blade or blades, or sharp objects)
• SSS-1 Stinger (all calibres)
• Any similar devices

Restricted firearms and weapons

Restricted weapons include:

• All handguns, including antique handguns that use rimfire or centre-fire ammunition that is commonly available in Canada.

• Semi-automatic centre-fire rifles or shotguns where the barrel is shorter than 470 mm (18.5 in.).

• Firearms designed or adapted to be discharged where the firearms are less than 660 mm (26 in.).

• Certain firearms declared to be restricted weapons by Order in Council such as:

Restricted Firearms

• AK 47 Family and variants
• Commando Arms carbine
• Armalite AR-180 Sporter carbine and variants
• Daewoo K1, KlA1, K2, Max 1, Max 2, AR-100, AR110C, and variants
• Beretta AR-70, BM-59
• Demro TAC-1M, XF-7 and variants
• Wasp carbine and variants
• Bushmaster auto rifle and variants
• Eagle "Apache" carbine and variants
• Cetme Sporter and variants
• FN 308 Model 44 and variants
• Colt AR-15 and variants
• FNC-11, 22, 33 and variants
• SIG AMT, PE-57
• SIG SG-550/SG-551
• Galil and variants
• Springfield Armoury BM59 and variants
• Goncz high-tech carbine and variants
• Springfield Armoury SAR48 and other models
• Heckler and Koch MP-5 submachine gun (semi-automatic version) MP-5 carbine, HK-91, HK-33 rifles, and other models
• Thompson submachine gun (semi-automatic version) and variants
• FN-FAL rifle, or "Fabrique Nationale Fusil automatique leger" and any reproductions
• J&R Eng M-68, PJK-M-LF, Wilkinson "Terry" carbine and variants
• High-standard Model 10 shotgun, Series "A" or "B"
• Leader Mark 5 auto rifle and variants

The lists of prohibited and restricted weapons subject to change.

Non-restricted firearms

A non-restricted firearm is a regular sporting rifle or a shotgun with a barrel over 470 mm (18.5 in.), and an overall length of 660 mm (26 in.), which does not fall into the category of a prohibited restricted firearm.

Barrel Length

Canadian law specifies how the barrel of a firearm must be measured to determine if the firearm is a prohibited or a restricted weapon.

The barrel length of a firearm is measured as follows:

• For a revolver, the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the breach, and imediately in front of the cylinder.

• For any other firearm, the distance from muzzle of the barrel up to and including chamber, but not including the length of any part or accessory designed or intended to suppress the muzzle flash or reduce the recoil e.g. flash suppressors (eliminators) or muzzle brakes.

Other Barrelled Weapons

(Pellet Guns and Air Guns)

Other barrelled weapons, i.e., pellet guns or air guns, are considered to be firearms when they have a muzzle velocity of more than 152.4 metres (500 feet) per second. Thus they fall into the category of a restricted or non-restricted firearm, and are subject to all such import, certificate, and permit requirements. If the muzzle velocity is less than 152.4 metres (500 feet) per second, a certificate and/or permit is not required.

Hunting

Hunting is prohibited in Canada’s national and provincial parks, game reserves, and adjacent areas. Therefore, firearms are forbidden in many of these areas.

Hunting in Canada is governed by federal, provincial and territorial laws. Persons intending to hunt in Canada must obtain a hunting licence from each province or territory in which they plan to hunt. If you need more information regarding parks and hunting regulations, consult the Travel lnformation brochure available at any of the regional Customs offices.

For More Information

This brochure provides only an outline of the legislation and requirements concerning firearms and weapons. If you need more detailed information about importing firearms and weapons, please contact one of the regional Customs offices listed below:

For information about certificate and permit requirements, other than import permits, contact the appropriate office of the Chief Provincial or Territorial Firearms Officer listed below.

Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Licensing Division Department of Justice P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 4J6 Telephone: (709) 729-2876 Chief Provincial Firearms Officer 1690 Hollis Street, 6th Floor P.O. Box 217, Station "M" Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2M4 Telephone: (902) 424-6689 Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Department of Justice Consumer Services Directorate P.O. Box 2000 Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7N8 Telephone: (902) 368-4585 or 368-5825 Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Ministry of the Solicitor General Old Country Courthouse P.O. Box 6000, Queen Street Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5H1 Telephone: (506) 453-3775

Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Surete du Quebec P.O. Box 1400, Station "C" Montreal, Quebec H2L 4K7 Telephone: (514) 598-4584 Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Ministry of the Solic 90 Harbour Street Toronto, Ontario M7A 2S1 Telephone: (416) 314-0934 Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Department of Justice Unit 1, 1680 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3H 0Z2 Telephone: 1 (800) 731-4000 (for Canada & United States) (506) 624-5380 (for all countries outside of Canada and the United States) Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Department of Justice 1874 Scarth Street Regina, Saskatchewan Telephone: (306) 787-5560

Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Department of Justice 1st Floor, John E. Brownlee Building 10365 - 97 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3W7 Telephone: (403) 427-0437 or 427-043E Chief Provincial Firearms Officer Ministry of the Attorney General 2881 Nanaimo Street Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4 Telephone: (604) 387-5423 Chief Territorial Firearms Officer P.O. Box 4066 Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Y1A 2R8 Telephone: (403) 667-5365 Chief Territorial Firearms Officer P.O. Box 1859 Yellowknife, N.W.T. X1A 2P4 Telephone: (403) 920-8714