Former Bill C-71 - What you need to know
Note
Former Bill C-71 received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019.
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Effective on June 21, 2019
The Commissioner of Firearms, if requested by the Government of Quebec, shall provide a copy of all records that were in the Canadian Firearms Registry for all non-restricted firearms registered to residents of Quebec on April 3, 2015.
Effective on October 21, 2022
The Government of Canada announced Orders-in-Council for two elements – lifetime background checks and Authorization to Transport for restricted and prohibited firearms.
Lifetime background checks
Background checks for a firearms licence have now been expanded to include review of an applicant's entire life history, rather than just the previous five years.
Lifetime background checks will now be done on all applications submitted by individuals. No action is required on the part of firearms licence applicants and there is no need to resubmit applications if they were submitted prior to July 7, 2021.
Authorization to Transport restricted and prohibited firearms
Need of 2 transportation provisions remain as a condition of a licence, which are to/from a range or home after a purchase.
Impacted clients who have an email address with us on file will be receiving an email notification regarding the Authorization to Transport changes starting on July 28, 2021. This email will be followed by an official notice by mail. All affected licence holders will be mailed a formal notification of the changes to the Authorizations to Transport, including their current updated licence conditions.
Individuals will now need to request an Authorization to Transport from their Chief Firearms Officer to transport restricted and prohibited firearms to and from a:
- business for repair or appraisal
- gun show
- port of entry or exit
- peace officer, firearms officer or Chief Firearms Officer for verification, registration or disposal
Effective on May 18, 2022
Licence verification and business record-keeping for non-restricted firearms
Individuals and businesses will be required to obtain a reference number from the Registrar of Firearms confirming the validity of the transferee's (buyer's) firearms licence before transferring a non-restricted firearm. A reference number may be obtained through our Individual Web Services or Business Web Services portals.
Firearms businesses will also be required to retain sales and inventory records related to non-restricted firearms for a minimum of 20 years.
See Buying and selling (transferring) firearms for more information.
This is not the return of the Long Gun Registry. The records created by businesses will be held by businesses – not government – and the police will require judicial authorization to access them.
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