Firearms Buyback Program

Keeping communities safe

As part of its long-standing commitment to tackling gun violence in Canadian communities, the Government of Canada has banned more than 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms since May 2020.

The Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) was developed to provide compensation for eligible businesses and individuals who own these prohibited firearms and devices and participate in the program.

Program for businesses

Over 12,000 prohibited firearms were successfully collected from businesses, before the program closed on April 30, 2025. More than $22 million in compensation has been provided to businesses from across the country. Later this fall, the program will re-open to eligible businesses, allowing them to submit a claim for firearms and devices prohibited in May 2020, December 2024 or March 2025 and select associated parts and components.

Participating in the program is voluntary, however businesses (except those with required registration certificates and specific privileges on their licence), must dispose of or permanently deactivate their assault-style firearms by the end of the amnesty period or risk criminal liability for the illegal possession of a prohibited firearm.

Businesses will be notified when the program re-opens.

Businesses and licensed carriers are responsible for verifying if any provincial laws may impact participation in the program. Contact the appropriate provincial authorities for more information.

Learn how to submit a claim for your business

Program for individuals

The program for individuals will begin later this fall.

A small-scale pilot will begin soon in select areas of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It is expected to run for approximately 6 weeks and will test and assess program elements while collecting a maximum of 200 assault-style firearms. The pilot will help ensure processes are ready and working efficiently when the program launches nation-wide.

Following the pilot, the program for individuals will launch across Canada in 3 parts:

Nation-wide declaration period

Individual firearms owners will be informed that the program is open and can express their interest in participating in the program by creating an account in the online portal and declaring their prohibited firearms. Firearms owners must submit a declaration to be considered for the program. Those who do not participate in the declaration period will not be able to seek compensation. Please note that submitting a declaration will not guarantee compensation.

Participating in the program is voluntary, however individual firearm owners must dispose of or permanently deactivate their assault-style firearms by the end of the amnesty period or risk criminal liability for the illegal possession of a prohibited firearm.

Individual owners will be notified before the declaration period begins.

Collection

Owners whose declarations are eligible to move forward in the program will finalize their submission and book a collection appointment to turn in their prohibited firearms or receive instructions to deactivate them.

Payment of compensation

Compensation payments will be issued to individual owners once their prohibited firearms have been fully processed by the program.

See the full list of all prohibited firearms for individuals.

Related information

Progress of the program

View the numbers of prohibited firearms that have been claimed.

Amnesty Order – 2020

Learn about the amnesty order (2020) that protects licensed firearms owners, businesses and carriers from criminal liability until October 30, 2025.

Amnesty Order – 2024

Learn about the amnesty order (2024) accompanying the newly prohibited firearms announced in December 2024 that protects licensed firearms owners and businesses from criminal liability until October 30, 2025.

Amnesty Order – 2025

Learn about the amnesty order (2025) accompanying prohibited firearms announced in March 2025 that protects licensed firearms owners and businesses from criminal liability.

Amendments to Shipping Regulations

See amendments to regulations that enables businesses to ship firearms by post for destruction.

Amendments to Firearms Regulations

See amendments to regulations that prohibit assault-style firearms in Canada.

Firearms Act

Learn about laws and regulations governing requirements for licensing, transport, storage, display, handling and more.

RCMP firearms page

Get information on licensing, registration, safety, importing/exporting, buying/selling firearms and more.

From:

• Public Safety Canada