Firearms marking rules delayed to 2025

Summary#

The federal government has formally delayed when the Firearms Marking Regulations will take effect. The amendment sets the start date at December 1, 2025, instead of the previously scheduled December 1, 2023; the change was registered on November 30, 2023 and published December 20, 2023.

What it does#

• Replaces the coming-into-force clause so the Firearms Marking Regulations now begin on December 1, 2025.
• The amendment itself came into force when it was registered (November 30, 2023), but the substantive marking rules will only apply from December 1, 2025.
• The underlying marking rules (unchanged by this amendment) require that new firearms manufactured in or imported into Canada be permanently marked on the frame or receiver with items such as:
  • the manufacturer’s name and the serial number for Canadian-made firearms;
  • "Canada" or "CA", and for imported firearms the last two digits of the year of import;
  • markings that meet minimum size/durability rules to support tracing.
• The rules apply only to firearms made or imported on or after the coming-into-force date. Importers generally have up to 60 days after import (or before transfer, whichever is first) to add required markings.
• There are specified exemptions, for example for some temporary imports, rare or high‑value firearms, and firearms used in film or publishing.

Who's affected#

• Firearms manufacturers and importers in Canada — they must have the tools, processes, or contracts in place to apply the required markings to new firearms from December 1, 2025.
• Small firearms businesses, which the government says will benefit from extra time to prepare.
• Law enforcement, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and its Canadian Firearms Program, which will use markings to help trace crime guns.
• The general public and communities concerned about gun crime may notice effects indirectly. The source says Indigenous peoples and treaty rights are not expected to be affected.

Why it matters#

• The delay gives industry more time to buy equipment or set up contracts and to learn the technical marking requirements before they start being enforced on December 1, 2025.
• It also postpones the full benefit of markings for police tracing of newly made or imported firearms, which can slow some investigative leads until those firearms are marked under the new regime.
• The rules are part of broader steps to make it easier to trace guns involved in crime and to align Canada with international tracing standards; repeated delays carry some reputational risk internationally.
• If you run or work in a firearms business, this is a deadline to prepare for. If you follow public safety or policing issues, the change affects when tracing tools will be fully available for new firearms.