RCMP Jammer Exemption Order

Summary#

The Radiocommunication Act Exemption Order (Jammers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police) lets the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and some related people and contractors legally handle radiocommunication jammers for certain official purposes. The order replaced an earlier exemption and took effect on May 23, 2024 (published in the Canada Gazette on June 5, 2024).

What it does#

• Gives a narrow legal exemption to allow certain RCMP employees to install, use, possess, manufacture, import or distribute jammers when needed for their duties or training.
• Extends that exemption to employees of Public Works and Government Services when they import jammers for the RCMP, and to suppliers and subcontractors who work under RCMP contracts that require jammer-related work.
• Limits use to specific purposes: national security; public safety (including prisons); international relations; investigating or prosecuting offences (including preserving evidence); and protecting property or preventing serious harm.
• Replaces the previous RCMP jammer exemption (the 2019 order, SOR/2019-269).
• Sets conditions intended to reduce harm and disruption, including:
  • required training for people who use jammers;
  • making reasonable efforts to restrict interference to the smallest area, fewest frequencies, lowest power and shortest time needed;
  • minimizing unwanted emissions and exposure to radiofrequency fields;
  • using jammers that allow adjustment of power and frequencies;
  • secure storage and restricted access when jammers are not in use;
  • keeping records of each use (who used it, where and when, which frequencies, and the purpose).
• Limits suppliers’ on-site use of jammers to testing, maintenance or training and only under RCMP supervision.

Who's affected#

• Employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who work with jammers, especially in Technical Investigation Services and operational units.
• Employees of Public Works and Government Services who import jammers for the RCMP.
• Companies and subcontractors that supply, manufacture, test or service jammers under contract to the RCMP — this may include small businesses that win those contracts.
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) — it will oversee compliance and manage any interference investigations.
• The general public only indirectly: ordinary people and businesses remain prohibited from using jammers except under this narrow, supervised exemption.

Why it matters#

• It lets the RCMP carry out certain safety, security and investigative activities that may require temporarily blocking radio signals, while adding rules intended to limit disruption to other users and health risks.
• Suppliers can legally make or supply jammers for RCMP contracts, creating limited business opportunities but also new compliance responsibilities (secure storage, supervision, record‑keeping).
• Jammers are still generally illegal for everyone else. If you depend on wireless services, the order aims to keep unintended interference small and controlled; ISED will investigate and enforce if there are problems.
• The order can be changed or cancelled by the government, so this exemption is subject to future review or revision.