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"Sell a firearm in Canada" is actually four or five different processes depending on what you own. A non-restricted rifle can move between PAL holders once the CFP reference-number process is done. A restricted handgun cannot move to another individual at all — not since October 2022. A prohibited firearm under the OIC ban has an amnesty deadline. A 12(6) grandfathered handgun requires a business with specific licence conditions that most dealers do not hold.
Before you call three gun shops and get three different answers, sort your firearm into the right lane.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. Consult a firearms lawyer for advice specific to your situation. Verify current regulations at canada.ca/firearms. Last updated: April 2026.
Which Selling Lane Are You In?
Non-restricted (rifles and shotguns): PAL-to-PAL transfer. Run the CFP reference-number process before the firearm moves. Private sale, dealer trade-in, or consignment — your call.
Restricted handgun: Frozen. Bill C-21 killed ordinary individual-to-individual transfers on October 21, 2022. No routine RPAL-to-RPAL sales, no family transfer loophole, no simple private deal. Your remaining paths run through a licensed business, a narrow exempt buyer, an export permit, a Firearms Verifier, or the police. Do not assume the nearest gun shop can help. The business needs the right licence conditions.
OIC-prohibited (SOR/2020-96, SOR/2024-248): Amnesty runs until October 30, 2026. The individual ASFCP declaration deadline passed March 31, 2026. Miss that and the government buyback is likely closed to you. What remains: consignment through an authorized business, export, deactivation, surrender.
12(6) grandfathered handgun: The narrowest lane in Canadian firearms law. Grandfathering is closed — no new prohibited licences issued to individuals since December 1, 1998. Very few businesses hold the licence conditions to receive a 12(6). The buyer pool is tiny: authorized businesses, museums, and the small number of individuals who already hold 12(6) status.
Estate or inherited firearms: Secondary lane, but a real one. The executor may not hold a PAL, may not know a Cooey from a Colt, and still has to sort the mess legally. Start by classifying everything. A hunting rifle, a restricted handgun, and a prohibited piece inherited from a grandfather do not share one disposal path.
Selling Non-Restricted Firearms (Rifles and Shotguns)
Most sellers in this lane are dealing with a deer rifle, a .22, or a shotgun that has sat in the safe for years. Legally, this is the easy lane. Financially, it is where people give money away because they confuse "fast" with "best."
The mechanics are straightforward. The decision is not.
The transfer process:
- Verify the buyer holds a valid PAL. You will need the licence details to start the process.
- Call the Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) at
1-800-731-4000or use Individual Web Services to obtain a transfer reference number. That workflow gathers the remaining required buyer information and requires you to confirm you took reasonable steps to verify the buyer's identity. Do not treat a licence number and expiry date as the whole checklist. - The reference number is valid for 90 days or until the buyer's licence expires, whichever comes first.
- Complete the physical transfer only after receiving the reference number. Not before.
- Keep your own record of the transaction: buyer name, PAL number, reference number, date, firearm description. An individual seller is not required to keep that file as a condition of holding a PAL. Keep it anyway. If questions come later, you will want the paper.
Quebec exception: Quebec is the one province that changes this lane. Loi Anastasia requires non-restricted firearms to be registered with the Sûreté du Québec. If you are selling to or from Quebec, the SQ registration has to move with the transfer.
Choose the channel based on the gun and the outcome you want:
- Private sale (Gunpost, CGN Equipment Exchange, FirearmsCanada classifieds): highest value recovery, you handle the screening and paperwork
- Dealer trade-in: fast, but dealers typically offer well below market. That is not a criticism — they need margin, and they are taking on inventory risk. Just know the spread before you commit.
- Consignment: the dealer sells on your behalf, you get market price minus the fee. Slower than trade-in, but often the better middle ground if you want reach without running your own classifieds circus.
A utility shotgun and a collectible long gun can both be non-restricted. They should not be sold the same way. If speed matters most, trade-in may be worth the haircut. If value matters, private sale or consignment deserves the first look.
Selling Handguns After the Freeze
This is where the floor drops out for a lot of owners. They walk into the nearest dealer expecting a straightforward sale and hear "we can't take that."
Bill C-21 froze ordinary individual-to-individual handgun transfers on October 21, 2022. For ordinary owners, no RPAL-to-RPAL sale, no gift, no family transfer — not even a retired RCMP officer passing a service pistol to a son with a valid RPAL. The individual exemptions are narrow and rare. The freeze does not expire. It is the law now.
Remaining legal disposal paths:
- Transfer to a licensed business with the appropriate authorization on their licence
- Transfer to a narrow exempt individual — for example, an eligible Olympic or Paralympic sport shooter or an Authorization to Carry holder
- Lawful export with a Global Affairs Canada export permit
- Permanent deactivation by a business authorized to perform firearm deactivations
- Surrender for destruction through the RCMP or a provincial firearms officer
Why the local-dealer search often fails: A retail firearms licence is not a universal handgun-disposal licence. The business needs the right authorization for restricted handling. A gun shop that sells hunting rifles and shotguns is not automatically the same thing, legally, as one that can receive a frozen-transfer handgun. When a dealer says "we can't take that," they may mean exactly that.
What this means practically: you need to find a business whose licence explicitly authorizes restricted consignment or transfer. That is a shorter list than "gun dealers in my province."
Prohibited Firearms and 12(6) Handguns — Specialty Handling Required
Owners of OIC-prohibited firearms and 12(6) grandfathered handguns face the most constrained options of anyone trying to sell a firearm in Canada. The buyer pool is small and shrinking. The regulatory requirements are the tightest. And the deadlines are real.
OIC-prohibited firearms (SOR/2020-96, SOR/2024-248):
The amnesty expires October 30, 2026. The individual ASFCP declaration deadline was March 31, 2026 and has passed. If you did not submit a declaration by that date, the government buyback program is likely no longer an option for you as an individual.
What remains:
- Consignment through a business licensed for prohibited firearms — the business handles the regulatory chain, you receive proceeds minus the fee
- Export with a Global Affairs Canada permit — viable for items with real demand in the US or international collector markets
- Permanent deactivation by a business authorized to perform firearm deactivations — the firearm is rendered permanently non-functional, you keep the object. The trade-off: deactivation is permanent, it reduces market value to near zero as a firearm, and the cost is on you.
- Surrender for destruction — no compensation
A mint-condition safe queen in the original box gets the same treatment as a beat-up example with 10,000 rounds through it. Under flat-rate programs, condition does not matter. Under consignment, it does — significantly. The question is which path makes sense for what you actually own.
12(6) grandfathered handguns:
Section 12(6) of the Firearms Act created a closed grandfathering category. No new individuals can be added. The only lawful transfers are to businesses or individuals who already hold 12(6) authorization — and almost no individuals do.
The transfer still runs through the CFO and the business receiving the handgun must hold specific licence conditions for 12(6). Very few do.
If you own a 12(6) handgun and want to sell it, your realistic options are: find one of the small number of businesses authorized to receive it, export it, or deactivate it. That is the list.
Inherited Firearms and Estate Sales
This is the secondary lane on the page, not the main one, but it catches families hard because they arrive with zero preparation. They may not hold a PAL. They may not know what is in the safe. They still have to sort it lawfully.
An executor can legally possess estate firearms while settling the estate, even without a personal firearms licence. That is not indefinite. The firearms must be transferred, registered, or disposed of lawfully within a reasonable time.
First step: get everything classified. Non-restricted, restricted, or prohibited. That decides the route. An estate with two hunting rifles, one restricted handgun, and one prohibited item is not one job. It is three.
If no eligible beneficiary exists or wants the firearms:
- Transfer to an authorized business (consignment or outright sale)
- Lawful export
- Deactivation
- Surrender through police or a provincial firearms officer
CRA consideration: Fair market value appraisal may be required for estate tax purposes. An executor who dumps a valuable firearm into a flat-rate disposal path without documenting value can create a second problem inside the estate. See our appraisal and estate requirements guide for the full CRA picture.
Executors should file RCMP Form 6016 (Declaration of Authority to Act on Behalf of an Estate) with a death certificate or letters of probate. This establishes legal authority to handle the firearms.
Where to Sell: Channels Compared by Firearm Class
You know what class your firearm is. Now pick a channel. Not every channel is available for every class — and "dealer" is not one interchangeable category. A gun shop that sells Remington 870s is not the same business, legally, as one that can receive a prohibited AR-15 on consignment.
| Channel | Classes It Fits | Value Recovery | Speed | Complexity | Paperwork Handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private sale / classifieds | Non-restricted only | Highest if you price it right | Medium | Medium | You handle buyer screening, the CFP reference-number process, and your own records |
| Dealer trade-in / direct sale | Non-restricted; restricted, prohibited, and 12(6) only where the business is specifically authorized | Lowest to medium | Fastest | Low for you | Dealer handles the business side after intake, but availability depends on licence scope |
| Consignment through an authorized dealer | Non-restricted; restricted, prohibited, and 12(6) only where the business is specifically authorized | Medium to high | Slowest | Medium | Dealer handles the sale paperwork and buyer qualification once the firearm is in inventory |
| Auction house | Often non-restricted and estate collections; specialty classes only if the auctioneer is licensed for them | Medium to high | Slow to medium | Medium | Auctioneer handles sale administration, but you still need to confirm class-specific authority before delivery |
| Export | Non-restricted, restricted, prohibited, and 12(6) where lawful and properly permitted | Medium to high when there is no domestic market | Slow | Highest | Export permit and compliance burden are heavy; not a casual option |
| ASFCP / government compensation | OIC-prohibited firearms only, and only if you were already in the program | Fixed schedule, not market-based | Slow and program-driven | Medium | Program rules drive the paperwork, not you |
| Deactivation | Any class where lawful deactivation is the chosen route | Very low as a firearm; you keep the object | Medium | Medium | Verifier handles the technical compliance and certification |
| Surrender / destruction | Any class | None | Medium | Low | Police or firearms officer handles destruction, but the value is gone |
What that means in plain English:
- Private sale is the value play for ordinary non-restricted firearms if you are willing to do the work yourself.
- Trade-in is the speed play. You get money fastest and usually leave the most money on the table.
- Consignment sits in the middle: slower than trade-in, less work than classifieds, and often the cleaner answer when the firearm is specialized or the seller is out of province.
- Auction can make sense for estates, unusual collections, and provenance-heavy pieces, but class authority still matters. An auctioneer is not exempt from the licensing problem.
- Export matters when the domestic market is frozen or tiny. It also brings the most paperwork.
- Deactivation is not a sale strategy. It is a keep-the-object strategy. Permanent.
- Surrender is the last stop when value recovery no longer matters or no other legal route fits.
The key distinction: a standard retail dealer, a prohibited-consignment-authorized business, and an export-authorized business are three different things. Check the licence, not the sign on the door.
What Changes by Province
The Firearms Act is federal. The friction is provincial. Here is the quick scan by region, which is usually all a seller actually needs.
| Province or region | What changes in practice |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Federal sale rules still control, but BC has its own CFO and its own ATT administration. EO is in BC, which matters if you are personally delivering a restricted or prohibited firearm rather than using a licensed carrier. |
| Alberta | For ordinary sales, same federal lane as the rest of Canada. If you are dealing with the ASFCP, Public Safety says Alberta owners should also check provincial rules that may affect participation. |
| Saskatchewan | Same story as Alberta: federal sale rules for ordinary transfers, but Public Safety says ASFCP participants should check provincial rules before assuming the federal page is the whole answer. |
| Manitoba | No Quebec-style long-gun registry. For most sellers, the real variables are firearm class, carrier route, and CFO timing rather than a Manitoba-specific sell process. |
| Ontario | Same federal sale mechanics as most provinces. The practical issue is usually not Ontario law; it is whether the dealer you found is actually licensed for the class you need to move. |
| Quebec | Quebec is the outlier. Non-restricted firearms must also be registered with the Sûreté du Québec under Loi Anastasia. If the buyer, seller, or firearm is in Quebec, build that SQ step into the transfer. |
| New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador | Federal rules dominate. Distance and carrier logistics matter more than province-specific sale law, especially if you are sending a firearm to a specialty-capable business outside your province. |
| Territories | The legal framework is still federal, but transport and logistics friction are higher. Confirm the route before anything moves. Do not assume the same carrier options you would have in southern BC or Ontario. |
Two province-wide rules matter everywhere:
- If you are personally transporting a restricted or prohibited firearm, ATT conditions run through the provincial or territorial CFO. Confirm them before you drive.
- If a licensed carrier ships on your behalf, RCMP guidance says you do not need your own ATT. That removes one problem, not all of them.
For EO consignments from outside BC, intake routing is confirmed case by case. Firearm class, carrier, service level, and location decide the method. For prohibited items, ask first and wait for instructions before anything ships.
What to Do Next
You have sorted your firearm by class and compared your channel options. Here is the decision tree:
If non-restricted private sale: Verify the buyer's PAL, run the CFP reference-number process, then complete the transfer. You can handle this yourself.
If restricted, prohibited, 12(6), or estate: Contact a business authorized for your specific situation. Not a general gun shop — a business whose licence explicitly covers what you need.
Everything Old holds Business Firearms Licence #13848437, authorizing prohibited consignment, 12(6) grandfathered handgun transfers, export, and import across all prohibited classes. EO is also an authorized RCMP Firearms Verifier for deactivation certification.
What EO can do for you:
- Consignment of prohibited firearms
- 12(6) grandfathered handgun transfers
- Export coordination for firearms with international market demand
- Permanent deactivation with RCMP certification (1–4 week turnaround)
- Appraisal for estate, insurance, or CRA purposes ($95+GST/hr)
- Estate handling — mixed-class collections, missing paperwork, executor support
EO works with consignors across Canada. Send the make, model, calibre, serial number, and condition first. Intake routing gets confirmed before anything moves.
Contact Everything Old | Consignment Guide
Related Guides
- Prohibited Firearms in Canada — Complete Guide
- The C-21 Handgun Freeze: What Owners Need to Know
- 12(6) Grandfathered Handguns — Complete Guide
- How Firearms Consignment Works
- Firearms Deactivation Standards in Canada
- Firearms Appraisal & Estate CRA Requirements
- Canada Gun Buyback Program