Firearms Classification Canada — Complete Guide (2026)

How Canada Classifies Firearms

Criminal Code s. 84(1) defines three classes. The table below is the practical version.

Non-restricted covers most ordinary hunting rifles and shotguns. Restricted captures most handguns plus some short-barrelled semi-automatic centre-fire and folding firearms. Prohibited covers full-autos, certain handguns, sawed-off long guns, high-bore or high-energy firearms, and every make and model named in the 2020, 2024, and 2025 OICs. If an OIC moved yours into prohibited, the amnesty order controls what you can still do with it.

Source: Criminal Code RSC 1985, c. C-46, s. 84(1); SOR/98-209 (Storage, Display and Transportation of Firearms)

What Determines a Firearm's Classification

Six measurable criteria determine class.

1. Name and model. The OICs prohibit named families and variants. An AR-15 is prohibited by name under SOR/2020-96 regardless of barrel length, calibre, or any modification you've made to it.

2. Barrel length. Semi-automatic centre-fire with a barrel under 470 mm = restricted. Handgun with barrel 105 mm or less = prohibited. Shotgun or rifle adapted to a barrel under 457 mm = prohibited.

3. Overall length when folded or telescoped. Collapses to under 660 mm = restricted at minimum. If also adapted from a longer firearm, potentially prohibited.

4. Calibre. Handguns designed for .25 or .32 calibre cartridges are prohibited regardless of barrel length.

5. Action type. Fully automatic = prohibited. Semi-automatic alone does not determine class — it's the combination with barrel length and centre-fire that triggers restricted status.

6. Magazine capacity. Does not change the firearm's classification. Magazine rules operate under Criminal Code s. 84 separately.

Why the Same Design Spans Three Classes

Take a bolt-action hunting rifle with an 18-inch barrel. Non-restricted. Put that same barrel on a semi-automatic centre-fire platform that folds to under 660 mm. Restricted. Make it full-auto. Prohibited. Same design lineage. Three different legal classes.

Manufacturers have produced "Canadian versions" of firearms specifically to clear classification thresholds — lengthened barrel, removed folding stock, changed magazine well. That is not a permanent shield. The physical firearm did not change. The legal status did.

Three Prohibition Orders Changed the Map

This is where the confusion lives. Three separate OICs, three waves of reclassification, and an amnesty amendment that most sources still get wrong.

Timeline

The first order got most of the media coverage. The second and third added over 500 additional makes and models and are where stale explainers usually fall apart.

The Nine Named Families (SOR/2020-96)

M16, AR-10, AR-15 and M4 carbine. Ruger Mini-14. US Rifle M14. Vz58. Robinson Armament XCR. CZ Scorpion EVO 3. Beretta Cx4 Storm. SIG Sauer SIG MCX and SIG MPX. Swiss Arms Classic Green and Four Seasons series.

All variants and modified versions of these nine families — current and future — are prohibited. That "variants" clause is doing more work than most owners realize (see The Variant Problem below).

Amnesty Status — All Three Now Converge on One Deadline

Here is the date cleanup. SOR/2020-96 is paired with SOR/2020-97. SOR/2024-248 is paired with SOR/2024-249. SOR/2025-86 is paired with SOR/2025-87. Then SOR/2025-208 amended all three so they now end on the same date: October 30, 2026.

The old March 1, 2026 deadline for the third OIC is stale. The current amnesty deadline for all three prohibition waves is October 30, 2026.

After that date, the amnesty protections in those three orders end. Continued possession of a firearm prohibited under any of those orders without proper authorization or another lawful path exposes the owner to Criminal Code liability.

What This Looks Like for a Real Firearm

The Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle was non-restricted before May 1, 2020. After SOR/2020-96, it became prohibited. The individual declaration deadline under the ASFCP buyback program was March 31, 2026. That deadline has passed. Owners who did not file by then have fewer options now, and the amnesty clock is still running. For the practical side, see Gun Buyback Alternatives — BC and the linked provincial guides.

Sources: Canada Gazette SOR/2020-96, SOR/2020-97, SOR/2024-248, SOR/2024-249, SOR/2025-86, SOR/2025-87, SOR/2025-208

The Variant Problem and FRT Reclassification

SOR/2020-96 does not just prohibit the nine named families. It prohibits all "variants or modified versions" — and the RCMP decides what qualifies as a variant.

The mechanism: the RCMP updates the Firearms Reference Table to reclassify additional models as variants of a named family. No new OIC required. No Canada Gazette announcement for each individual model. The firearm's FRT entry changes, and its classification changes with it.

The National Firearms Association and Canadian Shooting Sports Association have characterized this as prohibition "in secret via the FRT." Whether you agree with that characterization or not, the practical result is the same: a firearm's classification can change between FRT updates without a new OIC naming that exact model in front of the owner.

What "Check the FRT" Actually Means

Government sources and forums say "check the FRT" as though it were a simple public search. It is not.

Public-facing resources exist — the RCMP publishes classification information by make and model. But the full, secure online FRT that authorized users access is a different tool. It is available to law enforcement, licensed dealers with Firearms Verifier authorization, and other authorized parties. A regular owner searching online is not accessing the same system a dealer with RCMP Firearms Verifier status uses.

This matters when the easy lookup fails — when your firearm is not clearly listed, when variant status is ambiguous, or when the public information has not caught up. At that point, "check the FRT" means finding someone with authorized access.

If You Believe the Reclassification Was Wrong

Section 74 of the Firearms Act provides a statutory reference path. An owner who believes their firearm was improperly reclassified can file a Reference to the provincial court. This is a legal proceeding, not a phone call — consult a firearms lawyer.

How to Check Your Firearm's Current Classification

Do not treat "check the FRT" as one step. There is a public lookup and a secure FRT. Start public. Move to the authorized side as soon as the answer gets muddy.

Step 1: Use the RCMP public lookup as a screen, not a final ruling.

Search by make, model, calibre, and alternate names on the firearm or paperwork. If the public RCMP material points to prohibited status, take that seriously. But it is a first-pass answer, not the secure authorized-user FRT. Trouble cases include partial markings, overlapping model names, importer markings, and variant questions.

Step 2: Check the three OIC lists before you assume your old class still applies.

Cross-reference the firearm against:

• SOR/2020-96 (May 1, 2020) — gazette.gc.ca
• SOR/2024-248 (December 5, 2024) — gazette.gc.ca
• SOR/2025-86 (March 7, 2025) — gazette.gc.ca

If it is named in any of those orders, or plausibly a variant of one of the nine SOR/2020-96 families, treat it as potentially prohibited until confirmed otherwise. This is where owners get burned by old assumptions.

Step 3: If the answer is still muddy, call the Canadian Firearms Program at 1-800-731-4000 before you transport, transfer, or store it based on guesswork.

That call will not solve every edge case, but it is more useful than forum advice and usually more useful than starting with the provincial CFO. The question is not just "what class is this?" It is "what legal lane am I in right now?"

Step 4: For unmarked, inherited, modified, or disputed firearms, take it to a dealer who handles classification-dependent work.

Some firearms will not resolve cleanly from public resources: old pistols with half-legible proofs, military rifles with civilian and prohibited cousins, pieces altered long after factory production, estate firearms with no paperwork. Those are hands-on identification cases.

Everything Old in Brentwood Bay (Business Firearms Licence 13848437.0001) is an RCMP Firearms Verifier and handles classification-driven work including prohibited consignment, estate firearms, and coordinated deactivation (through an authorized deactivation business). If the answer ends up being "prohibited," the next question is what lawful options remain.

What "Restricted" Means After the Handgun Freeze

The comparison table above shows transfer rules for restricted firearms. For handguns, those rules changed fundamentally in 2022 — and this is a point where the classification system alone tells an incomplete story.

Bill C-21 froze individual-to-individual handgun transfers. The regulatory freeze began October 21, 2022. It was codified through Firearms Act amendments effective December 15, 2023. The effect: if you already have a handgun registered to you, you can continue to possess it. You cannot buy, sell, or receive a transfer of a handgun as an individual. No RPAL-to-RPAL transfers, period. That includes law enforcement family members.

The handgun you have registered is the handgun you have. Private resale — which was a normal part of restricted firearms ownership for decades — is gone for handguns. The only transfer paths remaining are to licensed businesses or through specific exemptions that do not include ordinary private sales.

This means "restricted" no longer functions the same way for handguns as it does for other restricted firearms like short-barrelled rifles. A restricted rifle can still be transferred between RPAL holders. A restricted handgun cannot. Same classification, different practical reality.

See the full breakdown: Bill C-21 Handgun Freeze Explainer

What Happens If You Get Classification Wrong

No page ranking for this query spells this out plainly, so here it is. Classification is not trivia. Getting it wrong creates criminal exposure.

Treating an OIC-prohibited rifle like it stayed non-restricted. If your rifle was reclassified under an OIC, you do not automatically jump straight to Criminal Code s. 91 on the day of reclassification if you are still lawfully within the amnesty. But you also do not get to ignore the amnesty conditions and act as though nothing changed. The immediate problem is breaching the conditions that still govern that firearm under the amnesty order. After October 30, 2026, or if you were never covered by the amnesty, Criminal Code ss. 91 and 92 become the possession problem.

Transporting restricted without ATT. You have a restricted firearm in your vehicle, unloaded and cased, driving to a range. Without a valid ATT, that is unauthorized transport under Criminal Code s. 94. The ATT requirement is class-specific. Non-restricted firearms do not need one. Restricted firearms do. Treating a restricted firearm like a non-restricted one during transport is a Criminal Code offence, not an administrative error.

Attempting a transfer that is no longer legal. You agreed to sell a handgun to another RPAL holder. Since the freeze, that transfer cannot be completed. Proceeding — or attempting to proceed — creates a regulatory violation for both parties.

Possessing a prohibited firearm after the amnesty expires. The amnesty protections in the relevant 2020, 2024, or 2025 amnesty order all end October 30, 2026. After that date, Criminal Code ss. 91 and 92 apply with full force to anyone holding a firearm prohibited under those OICs without proper authorization. That is the deadline that makes classification a live question, not a historical one.

Consult a firearms lawyer for advice specific to your situation.

Antiques, Grandfathered Handguns, and Deactivation

Classification questions spill into these three edge cases quickly.

Pre-1898 Antiques

A firearm manufactured before 1898 that has not been adapted for modern cartridges is an "antique firearm" under Criminal Code s. 84(1). Exempt from the Firearms Act. No PAL, no registration, no ATT.

The key phrase is "not adapted for modern cartridges." A pre-1898 action rechambered for a current production round may lose the exemption entirely. Antique firearms are a significant part of Everything Old's business — the line between antique-exempt and regulated is one we cross daily, and it is not always where people expect it to be.

Section 12(6) Grandfathered Prohibited Handguns

Handguns with a barrel of 105 mm or less, or chambered in .25 or .32 calibre, can be possessed by individuals who held them registered since December 1, 1998 with continuous licensing under a valid POL or PAL.

The word "continuous" is doing the heavy lifting. Lapse your licence for a single renewal cycle and 12(6) status is gone. Permanently. No reinstatement, no appeal, no exception. No new prohibited licences are issued to individuals — grandfathering is closed.

Section 12(7) covers a narrower case: pre-February 14, 1995 inheritance of handguns that were prohibited before December 1, 1998. Also requires continuous licensing.

Everything Old is authorized for 12(6) transfers between grandfathered individuals and licensed businesses — one of the few dealers in Canada with that specific authorization.

Deactivation

A firearm deactivated to RCMP standards is no longer classified as a firearm under the Criminal Code. No PAL, no ATT, no registration. Can be bought, sold, and transferred freely.

The trade-off is permanent. Barrel welds, plugged chambers, disabled actions. On a century-old military piece, it often looks terrible. And the value loss is not recoverable — a deactivated firearm is worth a fraction of a functional one. For firearms with collector or historical significance, deactivation should be a last resort, not a default.

Everything Old is an authorized RCMP Firearms Verifier for classification and identification. EO does not currently perform deactivations in-house — we coordinate the file with a business authorized to perform deactivations. End-to-end turnaround is typically 1–4 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three classifications of firearms in Canada?

Non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. Criminal Code s. 84(1) defines them.

What is the difference between non-restricted and restricted firearms?

Restricted adds an RPAL, registration, and an ATT for transport. Non-restricted does not.

What is the difference between restricted and prohibited firearms?

Restricted still has an ordinary transfer lane in some cases. Prohibited generally does not. It moves only through narrow grandfathered or business-authorized lanes.

How do I check if my firearm is prohibited?

Start with RCMP public classification information by make and model, then check the Canada Gazette lists for SOR/2020-96, SOR/2024-248, and SOR/2025-86. Treat the public lookup as a screen, not the whole answer. If markings, variant status, or provenance are muddy, call the Canadian Firearms Program, then move to a dealer who handles these cases.

What is the Firearms Reference Table?

The RCMP's classification database. Public-facing classification information exists, but the secure FRT is a different tool. That difference matters when the exact model is unclear or variant status is disputed.

I have an AR-15 — is it prohibited?

Yes. Expressly named in SOR/2020-96. All variants included. The amnesty expires October 30, 2026. A safe queen in original packaging gets the same legal treatment as one with 10,000 rounds through it.

What amnesty date applies to the March 2025 prohibition?

October 30, 2026. The original amnesty (SOR/2025-87) set March 1, 2026. SOR/2025-208 amended it to October 30, 2026. Sources still showing March 1, 2026 are outdated.

My grandfather's old pistol has no markings — how do I classify it?

Start with physical characteristics, calibre, barrel length, and partial markings. Do not fire it or move it around on assumptions. If it may predate 1898, the antique exemption is one question. If public resources do not resolve it, take it to a dealer who can identify it hands-on against current classification records and tell you which legal lane applies.

What changed on May 1, 2020, December 5, 2024, and March 7, 2025?

Three OICs reclassified firearms as prohibited. SOR/2020-96 (May 2020): ~1,500 models plus nine named families and all variants. SOR/2024-248 (December 2024): 324 models across 104 families. SOR/2025-86 (March 2025): 179 models across 40 families. All three amnestied until October 30, 2026.

Sources: Criminal Code RSC 1985 c. C-46 s. 84 (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca); Firearms Act SC 1995 c. 39 ss. 12, 74 (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca); Canada Gazette SOR/2020-96, SOR/2020-97, SOR/2024-248, SOR/2024-249, SOR/2025-86, SOR/2025-87, SOR/2025-208 (gazette.gc.ca); RCMP — Classes of Firearms (rcmp.ca); RCMP — Firearms Reference Table (rcmp.ca); Authorizations to Transport Regulations SOR/98-206; Storage, Display and Transportation of Firearms Regulations SOR/98-209; NFA section 74 challenge (nfa.ca); CSSA legal challenges (cssa-cila.org)