Restricted Firearms Canada: Classification, Storage & Rules (2026)

What Makes a Firearm Restricted Under Canadian Law

Criminal Code s. 84(1) defines four categories of restricted firearm:

1. Handguns that are not otherwise prohibited
2. Semi-automatic centrefire firearms with a barrel shorter than 470 mm
3. Firearms designed or adapted to fire when reduced below 660 mm overall length (folding or telescoping stocks)
4. Firearms prescribed as restricted by regulation

That is the complete statutory list. If a firearm does not fit one of those four, it is either non-restricted or prohibited — not restricted.

The boundary with prohibited matters. Handguns with barrels of 105 mm or less, or chambered for .25 or .32 calibre, cross into prohibited territory. So do all AR-15 variants and the 1,500+ models reclassified by the 2020, 2024, and March 2025 Orders in Council.

The fourth category — "prescribed as restricted by regulation" — is the one that catches people. A firearm that looks and feels like an ordinary hunting rifle can land in the restricted class because of a barrel measurement or a stock configuration. We verify firearms for owners who were genuinely surprised to learn what they had. If you are not sure where a specific firearm falls, the RCMP's Firearms Reference Table (FRT) is the lookup tool, and any dealer with firearms verification authority can confirm classification in person.

Source: Criminal Code RSC 1985 c. C-46 s. 84(1); RCMP Classes of Firearms, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/classes-firearms

Three Lanes, Not One: Restricted Handguns, Restricted Long Guns, and Reclassified Firearms

This is where most pages get it wrong. They explain "restricted" as a single bucket. In 2026, an owner's options depend entirely on which of these three lanes they are in.

Lane 1: Restricted Handguns (Frozen)

The national handgun freeze took effect October 21, 2022. The Firearms Act amendments under Bill C-21 made it permanent on December 15, 2023. Individual-to-individual handgun transfers are blocked. Not suspended. Blocked.

If you own a registered handgun, you can keep it. You can use it at an approved range. You cannot sell it to another individual with an RPAL — that transfer path no longer exists. The remaining legal options for a restricted handgun you no longer want:

• Sell to an exempt individual (IOC/IPC shooting discipline competitor, Authorization to Carry holder)
• Sell to a licensed business
• Export lawfully
• Deactivate permanently
• Surrender to police for destruction

That is the list. There is no workaround.

Lane 2: Still-Restricted Long Guns

Some rifles remain restricted — short-barrelled semi-auto centrefires, firearms with folding stocks that reduce below 660 mm. These were not affected by the handgun freeze and were not reclassified by the OICs. They can still be bought, sold, and transferred between RPAL holders through the standard process. If you own one and want to sell it, the market is open.

Lane 3: Formerly Restricted, Now Prohibited

AR-15 variants and other platforms reclassified under the 2020, 2024, and March 7, 2025 prohibition orders are no longer restricted. They are prohibited. The amnesty for continued possession runs until October 30, 2026. Different rules apply — different licence implications, different disposal paths, different timelines.

If your firearm was reclassified, this page is not your primary reference. See the prohibited firearms guide and the OIC prohibition list for the full breakdown.

The cost of getting your lane wrong is not a fine. Transferring a prohibited firearm as if it were restricted, or attempting a handgun sale that the freeze blocks, exposes both parties to criminal liability under the Firearms Act.

Source: RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/what-you-need-know-changes-handgun-transfers; Public Safety Canada; RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/what-you-need-know-about-government-canadas-march-7-2025-prohibition-certain-unique-makes-and-models

Restricted vs Non-Restricted vs Prohibited: What Actually Changes

The classification is not academic. It changes what you need, what you can do, and how you store and move the firearm.

The table compresses the differences. Here is what they feel like in practice.

Registration changes how you sell. Non-restricted transfers work through a reference number — seller confirms the buyer's PAL through Individual Web Services, records the number, done. Restricted transfers run through the CFP because registration has to move from one owner to the next. The buyer cannot take possession until the new registration certificate is issued. That adds days to weeks depending on processing load. If you are used to non-restricted private sales, the restricted transfer process is slower by design.

Permitted use is narrower than most people expect. A non-restricted rifle goes hunting, to the range, to crown land. A restricted firearm goes to an approved shooting range. That is it. No hunting. No crown land plinking. If you bought a restricted firearm imagining backcountry use, the classification rules that out before the first trip.

Storage is the sharpest practical difference — and the one with criminal consequences for getting it wrong. The next section breaks that down.

A note on terminology: the RCMP now uses "PAL with restricted privileges" on its licensing pages. Searchers, dealers, and most of the firearms community still say "RPAL." Both refer to the same authorization. This page uses both.

Prohibited firearms are a third class with their own rules — if you need that breakdown, see the prohibited firearms guide rather than trying to extrapolate from restricted.

Source: Criminal Code s. 84(1); SOR/98-209; RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/licensing; RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/classes-firearms

Storage Requirements: The AND/OR Distinction That Matters

This is the single most common compliance mistake we see. Non-restricted and restricted storage look similar on paper. They are not.

Non-restricted storage is OR logic. The firearm must be unloaded, and then you satisfy one of these:

• Secured with a trigger lock or cable lock, or
• Stored in a locked container, or
• Bolt or bolt carrier removed

One condition. That is sufficient.

Restricted storage is AND logic. The firearm must be unloaded and:

• Rendered inoperable with a secure locking device (trigger lock, cable lock), and
• Stored in a locked container or room that cannot readily be broken into

Both conditions. Simultaneously. A trigger lock alone does not meet the restricted standard — the firearm also has to be inside a locked container or room. The only exception: a purpose-built vault, safe, or room specifically constructed for firearm storage. If you are using one of those, the separate locking device is not required.

Ammunition cannot be readily accessible to the firearm unless it is stored inside the same locked container.

Getting this wrong is not a regulatory footnote. Unsafe storage of a firearm is a Criminal Code offence under s. 86. On indictment, a first offence carries up to two years imprisonment; a second or subsequent offence, up to five years. A trigger lock sitting on the shelf next to an unlocked case is the difference between compliant and criminal.

What compliant restricted storage actually looks like: Firearm unloaded. Trigger lock or cable lock engaged. Firearm placed inside a locked hard case or locked room. Ammunition either in the same locked case or in a separate locked container. That is the floor.

Source: SOR/98-209 s. 5 (non-restricted), s. 6 (restricted); Criminal Code s. 86; RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/storing-transporting-and-displaying-firearms

Transport Rules and Authorization to Transport

Storage gets you compliant at home. Transport is a separate set of requirements.

Restricted transport conditions: The firearm must be unloaded, secured with a locking device (trigger lock or cable lock), and locked inside a sturdy, opaque container. All three — not one, not two. The container cannot be transparent. A glass-lid display case in the back of your truck does not qualify.

Authorization to Transport (ATT): Since July 7, 2021, two ATT exceptions are attached automatically to your licence conditions: transport between your residence and an approved shooting club or range within your province, and transport to your place of storage immediately after acquiring the firearm. Those two routes — range and post-purchase — do not require a separate ATT application.

Every other destination requires a CFO-issued ATT. That includes transport to a gunsmith, a border crossing for lawful export, a new residence, a gun show, or any location outside the two automatic exceptions. Apply through your provincial Chief Firearms Officer before moving the firearm. Not after.

We get calls from owners who assumed the automatic ATT covered a trip to a gunsmith two provinces over. It does not. The automatic conditions are province-specific and route-specific. If the destination is not your home-province range or the place of storage after purchase, you need a separate authorization.

Mailing restricted firearms within Canada: RCMP guidance requires Canada Post's most secure available method. Licensed carriers shipping on an owner's behalf do not require the owner's ATT — the carrier operates under their own authorization.

Source: SOR/98-209 s. 10–15; RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/authorization-transport

What You Can Still Buy, Sell, or Transfer in 2026

The three-lane framing matters most here.

Restricted long guns (non-handgun restricted firearms): Buy, sell, transfer between RPAL holders through the standard CFP process. No freeze. No special restrictions beyond the normal registration and transfer workflow. This market functions the same way it did before October 2022.

Restricted handguns: Frozen. The paths that remain:

• Sell to an exempt individual — IOC/IPC shooting discipline competitor, Authorization to Carry holder. Narrow eligibility, small pool.
• Sell to a licensed business — dealers with the appropriate licence authorization can still acquire restricted firearms including handguns.
• Lawfully export — requires export permits and compliance with both Canadian and destination-country regulations.
• Deactivate — permanent. The firearm is rendered non-functional under RCMP standards. You keep the physical object. The trade-off: deactivation is irreversible and reduces market value to near zero.
• Surrender for destruction — contact your local police for the process.

Licensed businesses operate differently. A business with the appropriate licence privileges can acquire, hold, and transfer restricted firearms — including handguns — to other businesses, law enforcement, defence personnel, and exempt individuals. The freeze targets individual-to-individual transfers, not the commercial channel.

Everything Old holds Business Firearms Licence #13848437 authorizing restricted firearms retail and consignment, along with broader prohibited-firearms privileges. EO is also an authorized RCMP Firearms Verifier — if you need a firearm's classification confirmed before deciding your next step, that verification is part of what the licence covers.

Source: RCMP, rcmp.ca/en/firearms/what-you-need-know-changes-handgun-transfers; Firearms Act; operations/business-firearms-licence-summary.md

Next Steps for Restricted Firearm Owners

If you need to verify classification: Check the RCMP's Firearms Reference Table, or bring the firearm to a dealer with verification authority. Guessing is not a strategy when the wrong answer is a criminal offence.

If you need to sell a restricted handgun: Contact a licensed business with restricted consignment authorization. Everything Old handles restricted and prohibited consignment nationally — contact us for the process.

If your firearm was reclassified as prohibited: You are in Lane 3. The amnesty runs until October 30, 2026. See the prohibited firearms guide for your options and the OIC prohibition list for which firearms are affected.

If you need transport or storage guidance specific to your situation: See the transport regulations guide for provincial ATT details.

If you are considering getting your RPAL: Read the PAL/RPAL licence guide first — the handgun freeze changed the calculus on whether the upgrade is worth the money.