Can you carry in Canada?

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A friend of mine is taking a trip to Canada, and wants to know if they can carry up there. I knew you can bring a longgun up there for hunting, but no idea about something like a handgun for carry. Is there a non-resident permit, universal carry, or are we out of luck?
 
A friend of mine is taking a trip to Canada, and wants to know if they can carry up there. I knew you can bring a longgun up there for hunting, but no idea about something like a handgun for carry. Is there a non-resident permit, universal carry, or are we out of luck?

The law is may-issue...

The short answer is "probably not"...

The long answer is that he'd require a valid (Canadian) firearms license and a valid Authorization To Carry (ATC). The firearms license is fairly easy to get, albeit both involved and lengthy, something like a non-resident Mass LTC, but unless your friend's name is something familiar - like Roland Betts or Ben Affleck - his chances of getting a (Canadian) ATC are probably very, very, very unlikely.

Firearm Users Visiting Canada
<http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/visit-visite-eng.htm>

Firearms Act (S.C. 1995, c. 39)
<http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-11.6/>

Firearms Licences Regulations (SOR/98-199)
<http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-199/index.html>

Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations (SOR/98-207)
<http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-207/index.html>

Circumstances in Which an Individual Needs Restricted Firearms or Prohibited Handguns for the Purpose of Section 20 of the Act
Protection of Life

2 For the purpose of section 20 of the Act, the circumstances in which an individual needs restricted firearms or prohibited handguns to protect the life of that individual or of other individuals are where

(a) the life of that individual, or other individuals, is in imminent danger from one or more other individuals;

(b) police protection is not sufficient in the circumstances; and

(c) the possession of a restricted firearm or prohibited handgun can reasonably be justified for protecting the individual or other individuals from death or grievous bodily harm.


<http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-207/page-1.html#h-3>
 
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Don't forget the whole "prohibited firearms" thing: in Canada, any handgun of .25 or .32 caliber, or with a barrel less than 4.1", is completely prohibited.
 
Canada will issue possession/transport permits for handguns for competition only. BTDT.

There is such a thing as a carry permit, however, the issuance criteria make NYC and NJ look like "shall issue" jurisdictions. When I was up there about 20 years ago, I read an article about the Toronto system - they had about 10 permits at the time (including a few to judges), and were constantly investigating to determine when the need for one ebbed so the permit could be pulled. The good thing about it is that wealthy, connected and important people also get told "no", just like the little people.
 
Don't forget the whole "prohibited firearms" thing: in Canada, any handgun of .25 or .32 caliber, or with a barrel less than 4.1", is completely prohibited.
Actually, 105mm [smile]
but unless your friend's name is something familiar - like Roland Betts or Ben Affleck - his chances of getting a (Canadian) ATC are probably very, very, very unlikely.
Not even a familiar name will do it. Unlike NYC, the Canadians, eh? do not give carry permits out to people just because they are more important than ordinary folk.
 
Border patrol I believe has the ability to see that you are licensed or not. I was with my two kids on my way to Toronto. The agent asked me multiple times if I was carrying or if I had any personal defense weapons. I went thru the Niagra Falls checkpoint a couple of years back.
 
You are not going to get a pistol into Canada with out a lot of le work up front, and they really don't like them. I have an LEO friend who was on a boat that crossed into Canadian waters once. Canadian authorities stopped and boarded them, when they found out he had a badge they went full on ape s#!+ because they were convinced he had a pistol with him. He didn't and nothing happened in the end but they tossed the boat looking for it.

As for rifles, if you have a need to carry one it's a piece of cake to carry a rifle there. I've been to several matches north of the border. Get someone to invite you to go shooting. Call it a match what ever. Carry the invitation, then fill out an RCMP GRC 5589 form. Don't sign it before you get to the border, you have to sign it in front of them, pay your $25C and be on your way.

I'd rather go to Canada than MA, I have a lessor chance of being charged with something stupid.
 
Don't forget the whole "prohibited firearms" thing: in Canada, any handgun of .25 or .32 caliber, or with a barrel less than 4.1", is completely prohibited.
.25 and .32 are specifically banned? Wonder why? Also as a bit of trivia, the reason Ruger makes GP100's with a 4.2" barrel (rather than a round number like 4" or 4.5") was to make it legal for sale in Canada.

bob.doug_.hosers.jpg
 
You are not going to get a pistol into Canada with out a lot of le work up front
It's fairly straightforward as long as you have a club hosting a match in Canada that will invite you, and your local PD will send a letter confirming you are not an ahole. They have added a provision for a $50 registration at the border (shared with the ATF, of course) good for (I think) a year.

.25 (and maybe .32) as well as < 105mm bbl length guns were banned, along with > 10 round handgun mags and > 5 round rifle mags as part of C66 a couple of decades ago. The proponents included a "high cap competitors permit" but, after C66 passed, met with gun control advocates and concluded that public safety trumped legitimate sporting use and issued a policy "no such permits will be issued". The mags were not grandfathered. The newly banned guns were and placed in the class of "prohibited weapon". You could own it if you were a grandfathered person, and even buy/sell grandfathered guns from other grandfathered people. In the end one person will end up with all the legal prohibited handguns. They did the same thing with machine guns a few years earlier.
 
my sister's stepson & his wife are both toronto P.D. they leave their sidearms in the station when they finish a shift. don't know if that's required or just what most leo's do there.
 
my sister's stepson & his wife are both toronto P.D. they leave their sidearms in the station when they finish a shift. don't know if that's required or just what most leo's do there.
Canada, eh? does a slightly better job that then US of demoting off duty police officers to the status of "ordinary citizen".
 
There are just two categories of individuals who are allowed an authorization to carry: those who require one because of their occupations and those who need one for the "protection of life." They need to get an authorization from the chief firearms officer for their province or territory. Very few authorizations are made under the protection of life category. These would mostly include cases where there is an active police file and a verifiable threat as well as police confirmation that they cannot provide adequate protection for that person.

<Who may carry handguns in Canada?>

Who may carry handguns in Canada?
 
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