Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, has announced new, more stringent rules governing the sale or transfer of non-restricted firearms as part of the government’s action against gun violence.
Effective May 18, 2022, individuals and businesses transferring or selling a non-restricted firearm will need to confirm the recipient’s identity and check the validity of their firearms license with the Registrar of Firearms prior to completing the transfer, including by providing the recipient’s license number and any other information requested. The new rule is intended to help prevent people who are not allowed to have a firearm from getting one.
Firearms businesses will also be required to retain sales and inventory records related to non-restricted firearms, as was the case until 2005. This will make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used in crimes. The records will be held by businesses — not government — and the police will need reasonable grounds to get access to them, often with judicial authorization.
Additional provisions to expand background checks to cover an applicant’s lifetime, and reinstate the requirement to apply for an Authorization to Transport restricted and prohibited firearms to locations other than a shooting range or home after a purchase, came into force on July 7, 2021.
Read more at Public Safety Canada
