Licence Requirement for Firearm Parts and Magazines

Summary#

This Order sets September 1, 2024 as the day when sections 21.2, 26 and 45 of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) come into force. In practice, that means people will generally need a valid firearms licence to acquire or import certain firearm parts, cartridge magazines and ammunition, and the government gets clearer authority to make related rules.

What it does#

• Fixes the coming-into-force date as September 1, 2024 for sections 21.2, 26 and 45 of the Act.
• Requires a valid firearms licence to:
  • domestically transfer certain firearm parts (examples include barrels and handgun slides mentioned in the law),
  • import firearm parts, cartridge magazines and ammunition.
• Brings into force new rule-making powers (from section 45) so future regulations can cover:
  • a legal definition of a “protection order”,
  • possession, manufacture, transfer, import, export and transport rules for firearm parts and cartridge magazines,
  • rules for disposal of ammunition, firearm parts and cartridge magazines.

Who's affected#

• Individuals who buy or import firearm parts, cartridge magazines or ammunition.
• Businesses that sell firearm parts or magazines, including online sellers and gun shops (they must verify buyers’ licences).
• People sending or receiving these items through the mail and people arriving at the border with them.
• Non-residents entering Canada who do not hold a Canadian firearms licence (they will use or complete the Non‑Resident Firearms Declaration).
• Operational agencies that implement the rules, such as the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and local officials like chief firearms officers.

Why it matters#

• People will generally need a valid firearms licence to get certain parts, magazines or ammunition, whether buying at home or bringing them into Canada.
• At the border or a mail facility, packages may be held until a licence is shown; ammunition cannot be imported through the mail.
• Non-residents can use the Non‑Resident Firearms Declaration as a temporary licence for 60 days, extendable in 60‑day increments.
• The measures are intended to reduce the availability of unlawfully made firearms (“ghost guns”) and to align import rules with domestic rules. They also respond to recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and other reports.