Commissioner to Administer Protection-of-Life ATCs
Order Fixing October 1, 2024 as the Day on Which Certain Provisions of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) Come into Force: SI/2024-42
This Order fixes October 1, 2024 as the day that specified provisions of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) come into force, transferring authority over Authorizations to Carry (ATCs) given for the protection of life from Chief Firearms Officers to the Commissioner of Firearms. The change centralizes decision-making, lets the Commissioner set conditions and broader geographic validity for protection-of-life ATCs, and leaves job-related ATCs with local Chief Firearms Officers.
- Published
- September 25, 2024
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Order Fixing October 1, 2024 as the Day on Which Certain Provisions of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) Come into Force
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- October 1, 2024
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
This Order sets October 1, 2024 as the day some parts of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) take effect. Those parts move the power to approve, renew or cancel Authorizations to Carry for the protection of life from Chief Firearms Officers to the Commissioner of Firearms.
What it does#
- Brings into force sections 20, 27 to 29, 32 and 33 and subsection 35(1) of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) on October 1, 2024.
- Transfers authority over Authorizations to Carry (ATCs) given for the protection of life from Chief Firearms Officers to the Commissioner of Firearms.
- Gives the Commissioner of Firearms the power to attach conditions to those protection-of-life ATCs and to set the geographic area where they are valid (so an ATC may be valid across provincial or territorial boundaries).
- Leaves ATCs issued for a person’s lawful profession or occupation (for example, cash-in-transit work, hunting or trapping tied to a job) under the control of local Chief Firearms Officers.
- Keeps a role for local input: a statement from local authorities is still required before the Commissioner of Firearms can approve a protection-of-life ATC.
Who's affected#
- People who apply for, hold, or are requesting an Authorization to Carry for the protection of life.
- Chief Firearms Officers, whose authority over protection-of-life ATCs is moved to the Commissioner of Firearms.
- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Firearms Program, which operate under the Commissioner of Firearms, because they will adopt national procedures.
- People who need ATCs for their job (for example, cash-in-transit employees, wilderness hunters and trappers) are not affected by this change; those ATCs stay with local Chief Firearms Officers.
Why it matters#
- It aims to make decisions about life‑protection ATCs more consistent across Canada by centralizing that authority with the Commissioner of Firearms.
- It can allow an ATC for protection of life to be valid across a wider area, instead of being restricted to the province or territory where it was issued.
- It standardizes the process so applicants across provinces face the same rules and procedures.
- Local safety concerns still matter: the change keeps a requirement for local input before a protection-of-life ATC is approved.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette