Amnesty Extended for Prohibited Firearms

Summary#

This is the Order Amending Certain Orders Declaring an Amnesty Period. It extends amnesty rules tied to the ban on certain assault‑style firearms and adds a shipping option for people who have signed compensation agreements with the Government of Canada. The amnesty now ends 90 days after related appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada are finished.

What it does#

• Changes the existing amnesty orders for the firearms bans that started on May 1, 2020, December 5, 2024, and March 7, 2025 so each amnesty will end 90 days after the appeals in the Supreme Court (case numbers 41858, 41859, 41860, 41861) are finally disposed of.
• Adds a specific allowance for individuals who have signed an agreement with the Government of Canada to have prohibited firearms or devices destroyed: they may now deliver those items to a licensed carrier so the carrier can ship them to a government‑specified location for destruction.
• Comes into force on the day it was made (registered on June 5, 2026).

Who's affected#

• Individuals who own firearms that were made prohibited by the 2020, 2024, or 2025 regulations — collectively covering more than 2,500 makes and models of assault‑style firearms.
• Businesses and services involved in deactivation, collection or compensation under the federal program (including mobile collection units and licensed carriers).
• Hunters and Indigenous people who use firearms for sustenance or rights recognized under section 35 (the amended orders keep existing transport exceptions for those uses).
• Police, Chief Firearms Officers and the Registrar of Firearms (for follow‑up after the amnesty ends).

Why it matters#

• The extension prevents people who still possess prohibited firearms from facing criminal charges while the Supreme Court appeals proceed and for 90 days after those appeals end. Without this change, the existing amnesty would have expired on October 30, 2026.
• The new shipping option makes it easier for people who accepted a compensation offer to get prohibited items destroyed without having to bring them in person to a collection point. That can be important for people in remote areas.
• The Supreme Court granted leave to hear the appeals on March 19, 2026, so the exact amnesty end date now depends on when those appeals are finally decided.