Protection Orders Affect Firearms Licences

Summary#

This is a proposed rule published on March 8, 2025 called the Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations. It would define what counts as a “protection order,” require courts and similar authorities to report those orders to firearms officials, and set rules for limited, conditional licences to allow people to hunt or trap for food while subject to such orders. The proposal is open for public comment for 30 days and is not yet law.

What it does#

• Defines “protection order” as a civil order by a court or an “other competent authority” (for example, a justice of the peace or an Indigenous council or government acting under section 35) that limits contact, proximity, occupancy of a home, or other behaviours to protect someone’s safety.
• Requires courts and other competent authorities to notify the relevant firearms office about any protection order, change, or revocation — generally within 24 hours.
• Makes a reported protection order automatically trigger the refusal or revocation of a firearms licence under the Firearms Act, and requires people who are told to surrender firearms to do so within 24 hours (or another timeframe set by the firearms office).
• Creates a formal process for a conditional licence that lets someone possess only non-restricted firearms (generally rifles and shotguns) for the sole purpose of sustenance hunting or trapping while subject to a protection order. Applicants must submit a signed statement explaining the need.
• Lists factors a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) must consider when deciding on a conditional licence, including whether hunting/trapping is a primary (but not sole) source of food or income, how often the person hunts, the applicant’s criminal record, and the circumstances of the refusal or revocation.
• Adds application and renewal paperwork requirements (a signed statement about the need to hunt or trap for sustenance).
• Targets implementation alongside the related law changes, with work on systems and court coordination underway and a tentative target of Fall 2025 for coming into force.

Who's affected#

• People who hold or apply for a firearms licence and who become the subject of a protection order. The government estimates about 15,198 protection orders annually and roughly 579 licence revocations linked to those orders (estimates used for planning).
• People who rely on hunting or trapping to feed themselves or their families, including many in rural and northern communities and some Indigenous people. The rules allow a narrow route (conditional licence) for them to keep access to non-restricted firearms for sustenance.
• Victims of intimate partner or family violence, who may see reduced access to firearms by people subject to protection orders.
• Courts, clerks, and the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program and staff who will need to receive, process, and act on protection order reports. The government expects to hire additional staff to handle the workload during initial implementation.
• The broader public indirectly, since the government’s analysis projects an overall safety and economic impact.

Why it matters#

• It makes the practical link between civil protection orders and firearms access clearer. If a court or designated authority issues a protection order as defined here, the person named could lose licence privileges and be required to surrender firearms quickly.
• The government’s cost‑benefit analysis projects benefits of $254,321,196 and costs of $20,169,082 over ten years, for a net benefit of $234,152,114 (present value). That estimate assumes the changes will reduce some firearm injuries and deaths in intimate partner violence; those assumptions and international comparisons are discussed in the analysis.
• The rules try to balance safety with food security by allowing limited conditional licences for sustenance hunting. But those licences come with paperwork, conditions, and a required review of risks.
• Implementation raises practical questions. The proposal relies on timely reporting by many courts and other authorities, and on new IT and staffing work by the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program and court offices. The Canada Gazette notice acknowledges gaps in data on protection orders and says further consultation (including with Indigenous groups) is ongoing.
• This is a proposed regulation, not yet in force. Public comments are being invited for 30 days after publication.