Firearms Legislation For Safer Communities

BILL C-21: An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)

Keeping communities safe and reducing firearms violence is a priority for the Government of Canada. The Government has introduced legislation to combat intimate partner and gender-based violence and self-harm involving firearms, fight gun smuggling and trafficking, help create safer communities, give young people opportunities and resources, protect Canadians from gun violence, and require owners of firearms (and variants) prohibited on May 1, 2020 who do not participate in the buyback program to comply with a non-permissive storage regime.

Combat intimate partner and gender-based violence and self-harm involving firearms including red and yellow flag laws

Fight gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties

Help create safer communities by supporting municipal bylaws to restrict handgun storage and transportation

Give young people the opportunities and resources they need to resist lives of crime

Protect Canadians from gun violence by tightening restrictions on importing ammunition and creating new firearms offences

Require owners of firearms (and variants) that were prohibited on May 1, 2020 who do not participate in the buyback program to comply with a non-permissive storage regime

Prohibition on assault-style firearms

As of May 1, 2020 the Government of Canada has prohibited over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and certain components of some newly prohibited firearms (the upper receivers of M16, AR-10, AR-15, and M4 patterns of firearms). New maximum thresholds for muzzle energy (greater than 10,000 Joules) and bore diameter (20 mm bore or greater) are also in place. Any firearm that exceeds them is now prohibited. A Criminal Code amnesty period is currently in effect to April 30, 2022. The amnesty is designed to protect individuals or businesses who, at the time the prohibition came into force, were in lawful possession of a newly prohibited firearm from criminal liability while they take steps to comply with the law.   

Former Bill C-71, An Act to Amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms (S.C. 2019, c.9)

This new legislation provides practical, targeted and measured steps to help keep Canadians safe

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