Licence Checks and Records for Non‑restricted Firearms

Summary#

The final rule titled Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Firearms Act implements parts of the law often called Bill C-71. It requires licence checks for all transfers of non-restricted firearms and makes businesses keep detailed records of non-restricted firearms. These rules came into force on May 18, 2022.

What it does#

• Requires vendors (individuals or businesses) to verify a buyer’s firearms licence with the Registrar before any transfer of a non-restricted firearm. If the licence is valid, the Registrar issues a reference number.
• Sets the reference number to be valid for 90 days.
• Requires firearms businesses to keep detailed records about each non-restricted firearm they handle (make, model, serial number, activity such as sale or repair, dates, and shipping details).
• Requires businesses to retain those records for 20 years and to send them to the Registrar if the business closes. The Registrar may destroy those archived records after 20 years.
• Repeals the Firearms Information Regulations (Non-restricted Firearms) (which previously prevented requiring such records).
• Makes small housekeeping changes to the Firearms Licences Regulations and to the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada Adaptations Regulations (Firearms) to remove obsolete provisions.

Who's affected#

• Individuals buying, selling, gifting, or otherwise transferring non-restricted firearms anywhere in Canada.
• Firearms businesses licensed to deal in non-restricted firearms (about 2,578 businesses, including roughly 1,468 retail outlets).
• All firearms licence holders (about 2.2 million people) who may now be checked automatically before a transfer.
• The Canadian Firearms Program and the RCMP, which run the verification system and will handle increased verification requests.

Why it matters#

• Public safety: Mandatory licence checks aim to stop people using stolen, revoked, or forged licences to get non-restricted firearms. That could reduce some domestic sources of crime guns.
• Tracing: Requiring businesses to keep records for 20 years should make it easier for police to trace firearms found at crime scenes. The government expects tracing success for non-restricted guns to improve.
• Cost and paperwork: The government estimates the new rules will add about $3.1M in annual costs overall (about $2.5M borne by businesses), plus one-time training and system costs. Small businesses may feel the burden.
• Privacy and practical concerns: Buyers must provide licence information to vendors for verification. The government says online and phone systems will be used and that archived business records will be separate from existing licence databases and accessible only with proper legal authority.
• Enforcement: Transferring a firearm to someone known not to have a valid licence can carry serious penalties (up to 10 years in prison). Failing to follow licence-conditions (like record-keeping) can also lead to penalties (up to 2 years or fines up to $5,000, depending on the offence) and licence revocation.

If you want to know how this affects a specific transfer or business process, say so and I can summarize those steps in plain language.