Oct 2000
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Firearms - Possession Only LicencesThere would still appear to be some confusion about the types of licences required to legally possess firearms, as well as the deadlines for both obtaining those licences and registering guns.
Some of this confusion seems to have been generated by the recently publicized "deadline" of October 15, 2000. This is not a deadline for registration or licencing, but it is the last day for the reduced fee of $10.00 for a Possession-Only Licence ("POL"). After that date the fee goes up to $60.00. The deadline for obtaining a POL is actually December 31, 2000. All persons in possession of a firearm after December 31, 2000 must have an appropriate licence issued under the Firearms Act or a valid FAC obtained under the previous gun control system (pre-December 31, 1998). A valid licence or FAC will also be required for the purchase of ammunition as of January 1, 2001.
The POL is intended for gun owners who do not now have either an FAC or an equivalent "licence" under the Firearms Act. By obtaining a Possession-Only Licence they will be able to keep their existing firearms after December 31, 2000, and will also be able to purchase ammunition, but they will not be able to obtain any new firearms.
No test is required for a POL and the application form has been reduced to a simple one page document. You will have to obtain a passport type photograph to accompany the application. The licence will have to be renewed every five years.
If you do not obtain the Possession-Only Licence by the end of this year, or if you wish to purchase additional firearms, then you must apply for a Possession and Acquisition Licence (a "PAL"). To obtain this type of licence you must first complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course or successfully challenge the course's test. No POLs will be issued after December 31, 2000. The PAL, for all practical purposes, replaces the FAC under the Firearms Act.
If you already have an FAC it remains effective until it expires. It will continue to allow you to possess firearms you now own, purchase new ones, and buy ammunition. You should, however, apply for a new licence under the Firearms Act several months in advance of the FAC expiry date if you wish to continue to possess firearms.
According to the Firearms Act and the Canadian Firearms Centre, the licencing requirements also apply to aboriginal peoples. Some modifications or "adaptations", have been made which respect to fees, testing, and the process of implementing the Act, but the deadlines for obtaining licences and for registration are the same as for non-aboriginals.
Although firearms may now be registered with the Canadian Firearms Centre, you do not have to have your guns registered until January 1, 2003. You do not have to register any firearm as a precondition to obtaining the Possession Only Licence and, in fact, you are not able to register a firearm until you first obtain a firearms licence of some type.
The key dates are as follows: December 31, 2000 - the deadline for obtaining a firearms licence to legally possess firearms and the last date for obtaining a POL. January 1, 2001 - a firearms licence (POL or PAL) or valid FAC will be required to purchase ammunition. January 1, 2003 - all firearms must be registered.
The licence application forms can be obtained from any Post Office. Still confused? More information, and help in completing the appropriate licence application form, can be obtained by contacting the Canadian Firearms Centre at 1-800-731-4000.
Susan Irwin Lawyer/Executive Director
