Consultation paper: Proposed Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations - licence ineligibility and revocation - protection orders

Background

On December 15, 2023, the Firearms Act was amended to create mandatory licence ineligibility and revocation authorities. These authorities came into effect in April 2025. Among other things, the law specifies that an individual who is subject to a protection order may not have a firearms licence. In the case of an applicant, the individual is ineligible, and in the case of a licence holder, their licence must be revoked.

Courts and other competent authorities will be required to report protection orders they issue, vary, or revoke within 24 hours to Chief Firearm Officers (CFO) in their jurisdiction. CFOs are authorized to issue a conditional licence to an individual impacted by these new measures if they require a firearm for hunting or trapping to sustain themselves or their family.

To fully implement these measures, the term "protection order" must be defined in regulation and record-keeping and reporting requirements must be brought into force.

In March 2025, the Government of Canada pre-published proposed regulations, Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations (Protection Order Regulations) in the Canada Gazette, Part I, for a 30-day public consultation period.

As proposed, the regulations:

• Define protection order as any order made in the interest of the safety and security of a person in civil and family law proceedings. It includes a non-exhaustive list of conditions that could be attached to the protection order (i.e., prohibit communication with someone, preventing someone from being in a specific location or specific distance to another person)
• Define other competent authority as "a justice of the peace or a council, government or other entity that is authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, community or people that holds rights recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982"
• Set out factors a Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) must consider prior to issuing a conditional licence to possess a firearm for sustenance hunting or trapping

Of comments received relevant to the proposed regulations, respondents were generally supportive but expressed that safety gaps remained for those at-risk of firearm violence that could be addressed through the regulations.

A key recommendation was to include peace bonds in the definition of "protection order". Respondents from law enforcement and victim advocacy and support groups noted that excluding peace bonds from the definition could limit protections available to those experiencing intimate partner and family violence. There was also a recommendation that standard conditions be attached to a conditional licence.

To see all comments, please visit: Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 159, Number 10: Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations.

In response to comments received through this process, the Government of Canada has extended the consultation process to inform possible amendments to the proposed regulations.

The Government intends to bring the regulations forward in Spring 2026.

Consultation details

Public Safety Canada is seeking views of Canadians and stakeholders to inform possible amendments to the Protection Order Regulations with a focus on the proposed definition of "protection order". This consultation builds off feedback received to date.

All interested parties, including those with relevant experience, information and data are welcome to provide input. This may include firearms licence holders, individuals at risk of firearms violence and service organizations that support them, criminal justice experts, civil society organizations, law enforcement, Indigenous organizations and provinces and territories. All feedback will be considered.

Stakeholders are encouraged to share:

• comments regarding the proposal to expand the definition to include peace bonds issued under section 810 of the Criminal Code; and
• any technical data that should be considered in assessing potential amendments to the Regulations

This consultation paper focuses on the definition of "protection order", however Public Safety Canada welcomes input on all elements of the proposed Protection Order Regulations, including the definition of competent authority and criteria for the issuance of conditional licences.

Consultation is an important part of the regulatory development process. These regulations would affect firearm licence applicants and licence holders who are subject to a protection order, as well as potential victims of firearms violence, their communities and the broader public.

How to participate

Comments can be sent by email to the Firearms Policy Directorate at ps.firearms-armesafeu.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Please use "protection order" in the subject line of the email. Comments and feedback are requested by March 4, 2026.

Definition of protection order

Protection orders are binding orders made by courts and other competent authorities to help protect someone's safety and security, including in situations of intimate partner violence (IPV), family violence or where there is harassing or threatening conduct. There are various types of orders issued under federal, provincial and territorial statutes, for varying lengths of time, and they can have conditions that prevent a person from engaging in certain behaviour (such as not communicating with a specified person). Some may restrict access or require seizure of firearms for the duration of the order. The number of orders issued across jurisdictions is not known.

For the purpose of the mandatory licence ineligibility and revocation authorities, former Bill C-21 amended the Firearms Act to define "protection order" as:

Protection order

Protection order has the meaning assigned by the regulations but is intended to include any binding order made by a court or other competent authority in the interest of the safety or security of a person; this includes but is not limited to orders that prohibit a person from:

• being in physical proximity to an identified person or following an identified person from place to place
• communicating with an identified person, either directly or indirectly
• being at a specified place or within a specified distance of that place
• engaging in harassing or threatening conduct directed at an identified person
• occupying a family home or a residence; or
• engaging in family violence

As proposed, the Protection Order Regulations have defined "protection order" as any civil order made in the interest of the safety and security of a person, including orders that prohibit a person from certain activities to keep one person safe from another (such as communication with someone, being a specific distance to another person).

In response to feedback received, consideration is being given to potential amendments, including adding peace bonds issued under section 810 of the Criminal Code to the proposed definition.

A section 810 peace bond (also known as a recognizance order or statutory peace bond) may be issued where individuals appear likely to commit an offence but there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has actually been committed. They can also be issued when a person fears that another person may injure them, their spouse or common-law partner, or a child, or may damage their property. There are various types of section 810 peace bonds: fear of injury against a person, an intimate partner, child or damage against property; fear of domestic violence; fear of terrorism; fear of sexual offences; fear of certain offences (i.e., intimidation of criminal organization offence); fear of forced marriage or marriage under age of 16 years; and fear of serious personal injury offence.

The court can attach specific conditions to the section 810 peace bonds and in all cases, must consider whether or not to attach firearm conditions. If a firearms condition is attached, the individual cannot possess any firearm, other weapon, firearm part or ammunition for the time period specified. As a result, the section 810 peace bond would also be a prohibition order under the Criminal Code and the individual would be subject to licence revocation and firearm surrender.

Inclusion of section 810 peace bonds in the proposed definition of "protection order" under the Firearms Act would result in an individual being ineligible for a firearms licence and the CFO would be required to issue a refusal. Existing licence holders would also have their licence revoked. The number of section 810 peace bonds issued across jurisdictions is not known.

Key questions for discussion

1. Do you have any comments on expanding the scope of the definition of "protection order" to include section 810 peace bonds issued under the Criminal Code?
2. If you are an organization/entity that has authority to issue protection orders:
   • Do you have data on how many peace bonds (by type) are issued on an annual basis? At what frequency? With or without conditions prohibiting possession of firearms?
3. Do you have any other information or considerations to support the development of these or other targeted amendments?

Resources

• Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 159, Number 10: Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations
• Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 159, Number 7: Order Fixing April 4, 2025 as the Day on Which Sections 16 and 36 of An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms) Come into Force