OTTAWA, December 2, 2004 -- The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced that regulations supporting the Firearms Act have been amended. These amendments enable legislative changes contained in Bill C-10A to be brought into force. They are designed to improve service delivery, increase cost-efficiency and streamline processes. "Public safety remains the top priority of the Firearms Program," said Minister McLellan. "These amendments will help us to achieve that goal more efficiently while enabling the Government to meet its commitment made in May to facilitate compliance for responsible firearm owners." The regulatory amendments, along with the corresponding legislative amendments, are being brought into force in stages. Some of the regulations take effect immediately; others have been deferred to give affected businesses, individuals and public agencies the necessary time to develop or adjust procedures to implement the changes. Some key changes include: The licence renewal process has been simplified by eliminating some questions where the information is already available through continuous eligibility screening and by removing the requirements for references and a photo guarantor; Upon renewal of a licence, conjugal partners of individuals who hold a Possession-Only Licence will have the same opportunity as conjugal partners of individuals who hold a Possession and Acquisition Licence to express concerns about their own or someone else's safety; and Some fees have been eliminated or reduced. The revised regulations reflect many of the recommendations received from program partners and key stakeholders including firearm associations, provincial wildlife associations, businesses, police, public-safety groups and victims groups during consultations held in 2003 and as part of the 2004 Ministerial Review of the Firearms Program. The Canada Firearms Centre continues to work with Canadians and its public safety partners to promote the responsible use and ownership of firearms. Almost seven million firearms have been registered and close to two million firearms licences have been issued. This represents a compliance rate approaching 90 per cent. Since 1998, law enforcement officers, including police and border services agencies, have queried the Canadian Firearms Information System more than 3.5 million times to support them in fighting crime and protecting the public. In addition, the Government is reducing the overall cost of the Program. For more information, please see the attached backgrounder or visit the website: www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca. -30- For further information: Alex Swann Director of Communications Office of the Honourable Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (613) 991-2863 Media Desk Canada Firearms Centre (613) 941-5371 REGULATORY AMENDMENTS SUPPORTING THE FIREARMS ACT Regulations supporting the Firearms Act have been amended to simplify processes, increase cost-efficiency and improve service delivery, and enable legislative amendments contained in Bill C-10A to be brought into force. This backgrounder provides highlights of the substantive amendments and indicates a timeline. In Effect Immediately Transporting Firearms (Individuals) To assist individuals who do not have access to a licensed carrier, individuals may now ship restricted firearms and prohibited handguns using the most secure method offered by Canada Post that provides a signature upon delivery. As is currently the case, other prohibited firearms may still only be shipped by licensed carrier. Anticipated to Take Effect Spring or Early Summer 2005 Transporting Firearms (Businesses) Business will be able to ship restricted firearms and prohibited handguns using the most secure method offered by Canada Post that requires a signature upon delivery. To reflect needs expressed by carrier companies that transport prohibited items, some requirements have been eased while those most essential for the protection of public safety have been retained. Firearm Licences (Individuals) A renewal process has been developed for Possession-Only Licences (POL) and Possession and Acquisition Licences (PAL). The process will be the same for both licences. In general, the renewal process will be simpler than the original process. For example, some questions have been eliminated because the information is provided through continuous eligibility checks of their existing licence. Some extra public-safety measures have been added for those who renew a POL; for example, those renewing a POL will need to include information on all spouses and other conjugal partners with whom they have lived within the previous two years. This will give partners of POL holders the same opportunity currently offered to partners of PAL holders to express any concerns they may have about their own or someone else's safety. Although minors cannot bring a firearm into Canada, non-residents aged 12 to 17 will be able to get a Minors' Licence to borrow non-restricted firearms in Canada for purposes such as hunting or target shooting. Firearms Licences (Businesses) Businesses will be able to obtain a licence to sell their inventory of prohibited handguns at retail to a grandfathered and properly licensed individual. The intraprovincial, interprovincial and international business carrier licences have been merged into one licence. This licence will be issued by the Registrar of Firearms. Firearm Registration As a general rule, all registration applications must be accompanied by proof that an approved verifier has confirmed the classification and description of the firearm. If a firearm has previously been verified, this requirement applies only if a firearm's description has changed since the last registration certificate was issued or the Registrar has questions about the information in the registration database. Firearm owners need to report to the Registrar permanent or long-term modifications that significantly affect a firearm's description, such as changes to the type, action, calibre or gauge. The definition of a "specially imported firearm" has been expanded to include any firearm that is being imported temporarily by a licensed business for a lawful purpose. These firearms are exempt from any requirements to attach a firearms identification number (FIN) to the firearm. Firearms Transfers To simplify the process for transferring non-restricted firearms, a provincial Chief Firearms Officer will no longer be required to approve the transfer. The Registrar will check to ensure that the new owner is eligible to acquire the firearm when the application to transfer the register of the firearm to the new owner is processed. Fees Some fees have been repealed, including the fee for an Authorization to Import or Authorization to Export firearms and certain firearm parts. Some fees have been reduced; for example, in support of Canadian shooting sports events and tourism, the fee for a Non-resident Firearm Declaration for non-residents who bring a firearm to Canada has been reduced from $50 to $25. Business licence fees stay the same but they cover a longer term: up to three years for firearms businesses and up to five years for businesses that only sell non-prohibited ammunition. Individuals who apply for more than one Authorization to Carry for employment purposes in a one-year period only have to pay for the first one. Anticipated to Take Effect September 1, 2005 Gun Shows The Gun Show Regulations will apply to all shows where firearms are displayed, offered for sale or sold, without exception. To simplify processes, the requirement for gun show sponsors to obtain a special licence has been repealed. The requirement to provide the provincial Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) with a list of exhibitors and a floor plan has also been repealed. Sponsors will still need to request approval from a CFO and notify local police. Anticipated to Take Effect September 30, 2005 Public Agencies Firearm reporting requirements for public agencies were scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2005 but have been deferred until September 30, 2005. Some processes have been streamlined. For example, public agencies will only need to report "protected firearms" ¿ that is, firearms that have been seized, found or turned in if the firearms have been in the agency's possession for 72 hours or more. Requirements for the safe storage of agency firearms and other regulated items have been clarified. Anticipated to Take Effect Spring or Early Summer 2006 Import/Export Of the original regulations, the only provisions currently in force are those pertaining to non-residents who temporarily import a firearm. These provisions have been amended as follows: Non-residents will have a new option for bringing firearms in Canada ¿ they can apply to have their Non-resident Firearm Declaration pre-processed. The declaration will still need to be confirmed by a customs officer at the point of entry, but the background checks can be done in advance. A pre-processed declaration will be valid for up to one year. The option to have a Non-resident Firearm Declaration processed at the point of entry will still be available, however, it will only be valid for 60 days with the option for one free 60-day renewal. When bringing a firearm into Canada, non-residents will need to indicate the date they expect to take the firearm back out. Provisions pertaining to Canadian residents and businesses that import or export firearms have been streamlined. For example: Canadian residents who temporarily export a firearm will not need to declare it in writing when they re-import it; they will simply need to show their licence and registration certificate. Businesses will not need a bar code on goods they import or export, however a bill of lading will be required. To enhance public safety and enable Canada to meet its international obligations, requirements for Authorizations to Import and Authorizations to Export have been extended to include firearm slides, cylinders, bolts, breechblocks and barrels. Anticipated to Take Effect April 1, 2006 Firearm Markings There are new requirements for permanently stamping or engraving information on firearms that are being manufactured or imported to make tracking easier. These requirements are required to enable Canada to meet its international obligations under the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and under the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials. There are some exceptions to this requirement, including firearms that are being imported temporarily by a non-resident or a licensed business for a lawful purpose. For more information The regulatory amendments will appear in the Canada Gazette Part II on December 15, 2004. General information on the Firearms Program is available in the Commissioner of Firearms' first report to Parliament, which is available on the Canada Firearms Centre's Website at www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca.
